In addition to taxes, if you are younger than age 59½ you will be subject to an early withdrawal penalty of ten percent (10%) of the amount approved by the Board. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of taking a hardship withdrawal.
401(k) withdrawal penalty tax Early 401(k) withdrawals trigger a 10% penalty tax. Depending on the type of plan you have, taxes may also be due, further decreasing the benefits these accounts are designed to provide.
Deferring Social Security payments, rolling over old 401(k)s, setting up IRAs to avoid the mandatory 20% federal income tax, and keeping your capital gains taxes low are among the best strategies for reducing taxes on your 401(k) withdrawal.
If you withdraw funds from a 401(k) before age 59½, you could be subject to a 10% penalty tax and lose some tax advantages. There are exceptions (see below).
To report the tax on early distributions, you may have to file Form 5329, Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (Including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts PDF. See the Form 5329 instructions PDF for additional information about this tax.
You do not have to prove hardship to take a withdrawal from your 401(k). That is, you are not required to provide your employer with documentation attesting to your hardship. You will want to keep documentation or bills proving the hardship, however.
What Proof Do You Need for a Hardship Withdrawal? You must provide adequate documentation as proof of your hardship withdrawal. 2 Depending on the circumstance, this can include invoices from a funeral home or university, insurance or hospital bills, bank statements, and escrow payments.
Take an early withdrawal You'll need to speak with someone at your company's human resources department to see if this option is available and how the process works. Generally, you'll need to complete some paperwork, and describe why you need early access to your retirement funds.
401(k) Tax Basics There's no way to take a distribution from a 401(k) without owing income taxes at the rate you're paying the year you take the distribution. Except in special cases, you can't take a distribution from your 401(k) at all until you've reached age 59.5.
Note that there's always a chance your request will be denied. Some employers may require you to prove that you've exhausted all other options for funding. If your employer doesn't deem your hardship as immediate or necessary, your request can also be turned down, O'Shea says.