Which plan may be eligible for 10-year forward averaging for tax purposes?

A traditional profit-sharing plan is eligible for 10-year forward averaging for tax purposes because it allows the allocation of contributions on a tax-deferred basis, which means that taxes on the contributions and investment earnings are postponed until distribution. This is significant during retirement when you may be in a lower tax bracket.

When funds are distributed from a traditional profit-sharing plan, individuals can choose to utilize 10-year forward averaging, a tax option that can reduce the tax impact of large lump-sum distributions. This method enables individuals to spread out the tax liability over a ten-year period rather than taxing the entire distribution in one year, which may be beneficial if the distribution pushes them into a higher tax bracket.

Other types of accounts, such as Roth IRAs, do not offer this feature because contributions are made with after-tax dollars, and qualified distributions are tax-free. Similarly, SIMPLE IRAs and 403(b) plans have their own tax rules, but they do not provide the specific advantage of 10-year forward averaging in the same context as traditional profit-sharing plans.