IRA withdrawals are considered early before you reach age 59½, unless you qualify for another exception to the tax. Generally, you'll need to complete some paperwork, and describe why you need early access to your retirement funds.Generally, anyone can make an early withdrawal from 401(k) plans at any time and for any reason. However, these distributions typically count as taxable income. Any taxable amount that is not rolled over must be included in income in the year you receive it. After age 59 ½, the IRS allows penaltyfree withdrawals. The rule of 55 is an IRS provision that allows workers who leave a job to withdraw funds from an employer-sponsored retirement account penalty-free. Meilahn points out another unique early withdrawal circumstance. Fidelity Viewpoints. The rule of 55 is an IRS provision that allows workers who leave a job to withdraw funds from an employer-sponsored retirement account penalty-free.