Brief Case

Treas. Reg. § 31.3405(c)-1

Withholding on eligible rollover distributions; questions and answers..
CFR 2008 annual edition (revised as of 2008-04-01) · superseded Apr 1, 2009
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Historical text in effect Apr 1, 2005 through Mar 31, 2009. View current · Compare with current
The following questions and answers relate to withholding on eligible rollover distributions under section 3405(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by section 522(b) of the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102- 318, 106 Stat. 290) (UCA). For additional UCA guidance under sections 401(a)(31), 402(c), 402(f), and 403(b)(8) and (10), see §§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, 1.402(c)-2, 1.402(f)-1, and 1.403(b)-2 of this chapter, respectively.

List of Questions

Q-1: What are the withholding requirements under section 3405 for distributions from qualified plans and section 403(b) annuities?

Q-2: May a distributee elect under section 3405(c) not to have Federal income tax withheld from an eligible rollover distribution?

Q-3: May a distributee be permitted to elect to have more than 20-percent Federal income tax withheld from an eligible rollover distribution?

Q-4: Who has responsibility for complying with section 3405(c) relating to the 20-percent income tax withholding on eligible rollover distributions?

Q-5: May the plan administrator shift the withholding responsibility to the payor and, if so, how?

Q-6: How does the 20-percent withholding requirement under section 3405(c) apply if a distributee elects to have a portion of an eligible rollover distribution paid to an eligible retirement plan in a direct rollover and to have the remainder of that distribution paid to the distributee?

Q-7: Will the plan administrator be subject to liability for tax, interest, or penalties for failure to withhold 20 percent from an eligible rollover distribution that, because of erroneous information provided by a distributee, is not paid to an eligible retirement plan even though the distributee elected a direct rollover?

Q-8: Is an eligible rollover distribution that is paid to a qualified defined benefit plan subject to 20-percent withholding?

Q-9: If property other than cash, employer securities, or plan loans is distributed, how is the 20-percent income tax withholding required under section 3405(c) accomplished?

Q-10: What assumptions may a plan administrator make regarding whether a benefit is an eligible rollover distribution for purposes of determining the amount of a distribution that is subject to 20-percent mandatory withholding?

Q-11: Are there special rules for applying the 20-percent withholding requirement to employer securities and a plan loan offset amount distributed in an eligible rollover distribution?

Q-12: How does the mandatory withholding rule apply to net unrealized appreciation from employer securities?

Q-13: Does the 20-percent withholding requirement apply to eligible rollover distributions from a qualified plan distributed annuity contract?

Q-14: Must a payor or plan administrator withhold tax from an eligible rollover distribution for which a direct rollover election was not made if the amount of the distribution is less than $200?

Q-15: If eligible rollover distributions are made from a qualified plan, who has responsibility for making the returns and reports required under these regulations?

Q-16: What eligible rollover distributions must be reported on Form 1099-R?

Q-17: Must the plan administrator, trustee or custodian of the eligible retirement plan report amounts received in a direct rollover?

Treas. Reg. § 31.3405(c)-1 — Withholding on eligible rollover distributions; questions and answers.. · CFR 2008 annual edition (revised as of 2008-04-01) · https://pensionresource.website/EAMain?content=EAMain.Law&id=cfr26-31.3405%28c%29-1&asof=2005-04-01 · printed Oct 16, 2026
Implements
I.R.C. § 3405 Special rules for pensions, annuities, and certain other deferred income
Cited by (code & regs)
Guidance addressing this section

No documents are primarily about this section.

Also cited in 9 other documents
IRS / Treasury
Notices
  • Notice 2026-49 Aug 24, 2026 — Guidance on Section 324 of the SECURE 2.0 Act with Respect to Rollovers (b)
Revenue Rulings
  • Rev. Rul. 2025-15 Aug 4, 2025 — Section 6047. — Information Relating to Certain Trusts and Annuity Plans
Final Rules
  • 89 FR 58886 Jul 19, 2024 — Required Minimum Distributions
  • 86 FR 464 Jan 6, 2021 — Rollover Rules for Qualified Plan Loan Offset Amounts
  • 85 FR 61813 Oct 1, 2020 — Income Tax Withholding on Certain Periodic Retirement and Annuity Payments Under Section 3405(a)
Proposed Rules
  • 87 FR 10504Proposed Feb 24, 2022 — Required Minimum Distributions Comments due May 25, 2022
  • 85 FR 51369Proposed Aug 20, 2020 — Rollover Rules for Qualified Plan Loan Offset Amounts Comments due Oct 5, 2020
  • 85 FR 31714Proposed May 27, 2020 — Income Tax Withholding on Certain Periodic Retirement and Annuity Payments Under Section 3405(a)
Treasury Decisions
  • T.D. 9937 Jan 25, 2021 — This document sets forth final regulations relating to amendments made to section 402(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) by section 13613 of the Tax Cuts a…

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Each row is a version of the text as published by the official source. Code dates are the edition/release point that first reflected the change; regulation dates are eCFR effective dates. The library checks the official sources automatically, so new versions appear here on their own; “run” opens the sync that recorded a version.

EffectiveThroughSourceAmended by
Apr 1, 1997Mar 31, 2005CFR 2004 annual edition (revised as of 2004-04-01) run 127View
Apr 1, 2005Mar 31, 2009CFR 2008 annual edition (revised as of 2008-04-01) run 127View · Redline (sign in)
Apr 1, 2009Jul 18, 2024eCFR editorial change effective 2016-12-30 run 26T.D. 9340, 72 FR 41159, July 26, 2007View · Redline (sign in)
Jul 19, 2024Sep 16, 2024eCFR amendment effective 2024-07-19 run 26T.D. 9340, 72 FR 41159, July 26, 2007View · Redline (sign in)
Sep 17, 2024currenteCFR amendment effective 2024-09-17 run 2T.D. 10001, 89 FR 58951, July 19, 2024View · Redline (sign in)
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