What Percent of Annuity Does IRS Allow for a Hardship Withdrawal?

You lost your job and with it your employer-provided health insurance. Federal law gives you the option to continue in your employer’s plan as long as you pick up the premium. Alternatively, you could apply for an individual policy. Either way you’re left having to pay more while you’re not earning. You can tap into your annuity to cover health insurance premiums while unemployed without any penalty.

With or without health insurance, medical bills can be daunting. If your medical expenses exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income, you not only qualify for a tax deduction, you can also cover those expenses with a penalty-free withdrawal from your annuity. The exemption only allows for withdrawals to cover bills in excess of that mark. For example if you had $10,000 in medical bills and $50,000 AGI, you could withdraw $5,000 penalty free.

If you’re a reservist, you might face sudden changes to your financial picture when called to active duty for an extended amount of time. You can take penalty-free withdrawals if you’ll be on active duty for 180 or more days. If you've established your annuity as a qualified retirement plan, you even have the ability to repay yourself without affecting your annual limits. You have up to two years after active duty ends to make the repayments.

You fell behind on your tax bill. If you’re delinquent on your taxes, you might be able to catch a break. The 10 percent early withdrawal penalty doesn’t apply if the IRS makes the withdrawal as a levy. You still have to pay taxes on any previously untaxed growth they take out. Asking the IRS to levy your annuity to pay the delinquent taxes lets you avoid the extra sting of a penalty.