PLR 1136038: IRS waives the 60-day IRA rollover deadline

Plain-English summary

An IRA owner tried to move a distribution into another IRA investment but followed incorrect instructions from a financial advisor, causing the amount to be deposited into a non-IRA account. The IRS found that the missed 60-day rollover deadline resulted from the advisor's error and that the distributed amount had not been used for another purpose. It waived the deadline and granted 60 days from the ruling date to contribute the amount to a rollover IRA, subject to the other section 408(d)(3) requirements. The ruling expressed no opinion on whether the IRA otherwise satisfied section 408.

Ruling snapshot

• Question: Whether the IRS should waive the 60-day rollover requirement for the IRA distribution.
• Outcome: Approved.
• Key authorities: IRC §§ 72, 408(d)(1), 408(d)(3), and 408(d)(3)(I); Rev. Proc. 2003-16.

Full text (IRS public release)

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 201136038

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20224

TAX EXEMPT AND
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
DIVISION

Uniform Issue List: 408.03-00

JUN 16 2011

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Legend:

Taxpayer A =
Financial Institution B =
Financial Institution C =
Financial Advisor D =
Fund E =
IRA X =

Account Y =

Date 1 =
Date 2 =

Amount 1 =

Dear

This letter is in response to your request dated December 21, 2010, as
supplemented by correspondence dated April 12, 2011, submitted on your behalf by
your authorized representative, in which you requested a waiver of the 60-day rollover
requirement contained in section 408(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code).

The following facts and representations have been submitted under penalty of
perjury in support of the ruling requested:

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Taxpayer A, age __, represents that he received a distribution from his Individual
Retirement Account (IRA) at Financial Institution B in Amount 1. Taxpayer A asserts
that his failure to roll over Amount 1 within the 60-day period prescribed by section
408(d)(3) was due to errors made by Financial Advisor D of Financial Institution C.
Taxpayer A further represents that Amount 1 has not been used for any other purpose.

Taxpayer A represents that he wished to transfer amounts in his IRA, IRA X, at
Financial Institution B to an IRA invested in Fund E, a hedge fund managed by Financial
Institution C. On Date 1, Taxpayer A met with a representative of Financial Institution B,
and requested the rollover of Amount 1 from IRA X to Fund E. Financial Advisor D,
principal of Financial Institution C, instructed Taxpayer A to label the subscriber of his
account in Fund E, Account Y, as an IRA. Taxpayer A was unaware that he had not
properly rolled over Amount 1 until Date 2, when Financial Advisor D contacted him
after learning that the rollover had been mishandled.

Documentation provided shows that Financial Advisor D incorrectly advised
Taxpayer A that IRA X could be properly rolled over to Fund E. Specifically, Financial
Advisor D has provided a statement under penalty of perjury explaining that he advised
Taxpayer A that if Taxpayer A identified the subscriber of Account Y as an IRA, the
transfer of Amount 1 to Fund E would constitute a non-taxable IRA rollover.

Based on the foregoing facts and representations, you request a ruling that the
Internal Revenue Service (Service) waive the 60-day rollover requirement with respect
to the distribution of Amount 1 from IRA X at Financial Institution B.

Section 408(d)(1) of the Code provides that, except as otherwise provided in
section 408(d), any amount paid or distributed out of an IRA shall be included in gross
income by the payee or distributee, as the case may be, in the manner provided under
section 72 of the Code.

Section 408(d)(3) of the Code defines and provides the rules applicable to IRA
rollovers.

Section 408(d)(3)(A) of the Code provides that section 408(d)(1) of the Code
does not apply to any amount paid or distributed out of an IRA to the individual for
whose benefit the IRA is maintained if --

(i) the entire amount received (including money and any other property) is paid
into an IRA for the benefit of such individual not later than the 60th day after the
day on which the individual receives the payment or distribution; or

(ii) the entire amount received (including money and any other property) is paid
into an eligible retirement plan (other than an IRA) for the benefit of such
individual not later than the 60th day after the date on which the payment or
distribution is received, except that the maximum amount which may be paid into

201136038

such plan may not exceed the portion of the amount received which is includible
in gross income (determined without regard to section 408(d)(3)).

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Section 408(d)(3)(B) of the Code provides that section 408(d)(3) does not apply
to any amount described in section 408(d)(3)(A)(i) received by an individual from an IRA
if at any time during the 1-year period ending on the day of such receipt such individual
received any other amount described in section 408(d)(3)(A)(i) from an IRA which was
not includible in gross income because of the application of section 408(d)(3).

Section 408(d)(3)(D) of the Code provides a similar 60-day rollover period for
partial rollovers.

Section 408(d)(3)(I) of the Code provides that the Secretary may waive the 60-day requirement under sections 408(d)(3)(A) and 408(d)(3)(D) of the Code where the
failure to waive such requirement would be against equity or good conscience, including
casualty, disaster, or other events beyond the reasonable control of the individual
subject to such requirement. Only distributions that occurred after December 31, 2001,
are eligible for the waiver under section 408(d)(3)(I) of the Code.

Revenue Procedure 2003-16, 2003-4 I.R.B. 359 (January 27, 2003) provides that
in determining whether to grant a waiver of the 60-day rollover requirement pursuant to
section 408(d)(3)(I) of the Code, the Service will consider all relevant facts and
circumstances, including: (1) errors committed by a financial institution; (2) inability to
complete a rollover due to death, disability, hospitalization, incarceration, restrictions
imposed by a foreign country or postal error, (3) the use of the amount distributed (for
example, in the case of payment by check, whether the check was cashed); and (4) the
time elapsed since the distribution occurred.

The information presented and documentation submitted by Taxpayer A are
consistent with his assertion that his failure to accomplish a timely rollover was caused
by errors made by Financial Advisor D of Financial Institution C, which resulted in
Amount 1 being deposited into Account Y, a non-IRA account.

Therefore, pursuant to section 408(d)(3)(I) of the Code, the Service hereby
waives the 60-day rollover requirement with respect to the distribution of Amount 1 from
IRA X. Taxpayer A is granted a period of 60 days from the issuance of this ruling letter
to contribute Amount 1 into a rollover IRA. Provided all other requirements of section
408(d)(3) of the Code, except the 60-day requirement, are met with respect to such
contribution, Amount 1 will be considered a rollover contribution within the meaning of
section 408(d)(3) of the Code.

This letter expresses no opinion as to whether the IRA described herein satisfied
the requirements of section 408 of the Code.

This letter is directed only to the taxpayer who requested it. Section 6110(k)(3)
of the Code provides that it may not be used or cited as precedent.

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A copy of this letter is being sent to your authorized representative pursuant to a
Power of Attorney on file in this office.

If you wish to inquire about this ruling, please contact XXXXX XXXXXXX (ID

00000000) at ( ) - Please address all correspondence to SE:T:EP:RA:T2.

Sincerely,

[illegible signature]
Donzell Cittlejohn, Manager
Employee Plans Technical Group 2

Enclosures:
Deleted copy of ruling letter
Notice of Intention to Disclose

CC: