Rolling over a qualified retirement plan into an IRA is usually a tax-smart move. That’s because a rollover allows you to continue to defer taxes on the rolled-over amount.

You might think that arranging for tax-free retirement account rollovers is a relatively foolproof task. Evidently not! Litigation between the IRS and taxpayers over attempted rollovers is a continuing theme.

And the rollover rules also include several traps for the unwary.

Here’s what you need to know to get the expected tax deferral advantage while avoiding the pitfalls.

Rolling Over Qualified Retirement Plan Balance into an IRA

With a rollover into an IRA, you continue to benefit from tax deferral, because you won’t owe any income taxes until you withdraw funds from the rollover IRA.

You also gain full control over investing your retirement account dollars, which is not the case if ... Log in to view full article.