How to Withdraw Money From Your Roth IRA

You can withdraw your contributions anytime without penalty, but earnings have strict rules

A Roth IRA lets you pull out the money you put in—your contributions—whenever you want, with no tax or penalty. The earnings those contributions generated are different. You can withdraw earnings before age 59½ only in narrow situations, and doing so outside those situations costs you a 10% penalty plus income tax on the earnings themselves.

The IRS tracks contributions and earnings separately on your account. When you take money out, the IRS assumes you withdraw contributions first, then earnings. This matters because it determines whether you owe tax and penalty.

Key Takeaways

• You can withdraw your own contributions to a Roth IRA at any time, for any reason, with no tax or penalty.
• Withdrawing earnings before age 59½ triggers a 10% penalty and income tax unless you meet one of five specific exceptions (disability, medical bills, first home, education, or substantially equal payments).
• The IRS assumes you withdraw contributions first when you take money out, so small withdrawals usually avoid the penalty entirely.
• After age 59½ and once your account has been open for at least five tax years, you can withdraw earnings penalty-free.

Withdrawing contributions with no strings attached

Your contributions—the dollars you deposited yourself—are always yours to take out. You already paid tax on that money when you earned it, so the IRS does not tax it again. There is no age limit, no waiting period, and no penalty.

If you put $6,500 into your Roth IRA this year and need $2,000 next month, you can withdraw $2,000 with no consequences. The IRS does not care why you need it. This is one of the Roth IRA's main advantages over a traditional IRA, where withdrawals before 59½ usually trigger both tax and penalty.

The catch is knowing how much you actually contributed. If you have made contributions over multiple years, or if you have rolled money in from another account, you need to track the total. Your IRA custodian (the bank or brokerage holding your account) can tell you this number. Look for the "basis" or "contribution basis" on your account statements.

Earnings withdrawals before 59½: the five exceptions

Earnings are the investment gains your account generated. If your $6,500 contribution grew to $7,200, that $700 is earnings. Pulling out earnings before age 59½ normally costs you a 10% penalty plus income tax on the earnings amount—unless you meet one of five specific exceptions.

The five exceptions are:

1. Disability. You must be unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental condition that is expected to last indefinitely or result in death. This is a strict definition; your doctor's note that you cannot work is not enough. The Social Security Administration's information of disability is the clearest proof.
2. Medical expenses. You can withdraw earnings to pay unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income in that year. The expenses must be for you, your spouse, or your dependents. You pay income tax on the earnings but not the 10% penalty.
3. First home purchase. You can withdraw up to $10,000 in earnings (lifetime limit) to buy, build, or rebuild a first home. "First-time homebuyer" means you have not owned a home in the past two years. You owe income tax but not the 10% penalty.
4. Education expenses. Earnings can go toward tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment for you, your spouse, or your children or grandchildren at an accredited school. Room and board counts only if the student is at least half-time. You pay income tax but not the penalty.
5. Substantially equal periodic payments (SEPP). You can set up a schedule of equal withdrawals based on your life expectancy. Once started, you must continue for five years or until age 59½, whichever is longer. You owe income tax but not the 10% penalty. This is complex and requires IRS-approved calculation methods.

If you withdraw earnings and do not meet one of these exceptions, you owe both the 10% penalty and income tax on the earnings amount. The penalty is calculated on the earnings only, not on your contributions.

The five-year rule for earnings after 59½

Once you reach age 59½, you can withdraw earnings penalty-free—but only if your Roth IRA has been open for at least five tax years. The five-year clock starts on January 1 of the year you open your first Roth IRA, not the day you fund it.

If you opened a Roth IRA in 2020 and turned 59½ in 2024, you can withdraw earnings without penalty because more than five years have passed. If you opened one in 2022 and turned 59½ in 2024, you cannot withdraw earnings penalty-free yet; you must wait until 2027.

The five-year rule applies to each Roth IRA separately if you have multiple accounts, but the IRS treats all your Roth IRAs as one for this purpose. If you have satisfied the five-year rule in one Roth IRA, you have satisfied it for all of them.

Roth conversions and the pro-rata rule

If you converted money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, that conversion has its own five-year rule. You can withdraw the amount you converted without penalty after five years, even if you are under 59½. The five-year clock starts on January 1 of the year you did the conversion.

Conversions are tracked separately from regular contributions. If you converted $50,000 in 2022 and turned 55 in 2027, you can withdraw that $50,000 penalty-free because five years have passed. Any earnings on that converted money still follow the normal rules: penalty-free only after 59½ and five years of account ownership.

The pro-rata rule affects people with both traditional and Roth IRAs. If you have pre-tax money in a traditional IRA and you convert some of it to a Roth, the IRS treats all your IRAs as one pool for tax purposes. This can create unexpected tax bills on conversions. Consult a tax professional before converting if you have a traditional IRA balance.

Inherited Roth IRAs and beneficiary withdrawals

If you inherit a Roth IRA from someone other than your spouse, you cannot treat it as your own. You must withdraw the entire balance within ten years (the SECURE Act rule that took effect in 2023). You can take the money out in any pattern you want—all at once, in chunks, or spread over the ten years—but the account must be empty by December 31 of the tenth year after the owner's death.

Contributions and conversions in an inherited Roth can be withdrawn tax-free at any time. Earnings are tax-free only if the original owner had owned the account for at least five tax years before death. If the five-year rule was not met, you owe income tax on the earnings portion, though not the 10% penalty (because you are a beneficiary, not the account owner).

If your spouse left you a Roth IRA, you can treat it as your own and follow the normal withdrawal rules. This is usually the best option because it gives you more flexibility.

Withdrawals and required minimum distributions

Unlike traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs do not require you to take withdrawals at any age during your lifetime. You can leave the money untouched for as long as you live. This makes Roths useful for leaving money to heirs.

After you die, your beneficiaries must withdraw the balance within ten years. The account itself does not disappear, but it must be emptied by the deadline. Beneficiaries can take the money whenever they want during those ten years; there is no requirement to take a certain amount each year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I withdraw more than my contributions?

The IRS assumes you withdraw contributions first. Once you have withdrawn all your contributions, any additional withdrawal is treated as earnings. If you are under 59½ and do not meet an exception, you owe a 10% penalty plus income tax on the earnings portion.

Can I withdraw money to pay off credit card debt?

You can withdraw your contributions for any reason. If you need to withdraw earnings, credit card debt does not may have access to as one of the five exceptions, so you would owe the 10% penalty plus income tax on the earnings.

Do I have to report Roth withdrawals to the IRS?

Your IRA custodian reports distributions to the IRS on Form 1099-R. You report them on your tax return. If you withdraw only contributions, there is usually no tax owed, but you still report the withdrawal. If you withdraw earnings, you report the taxable portion.

Can I put the money back if I change my mind?

You can redeposit money you withdrew, but only within 60 days and only once per year. This is called a rollover. If you miss the 60-day window, the withdrawal is permanent and you cannot undo it. The redeposited amount counts as a new contribution, subject to annual contribution limits.

What if I need money but do not want to withdraw from my Roth?

Some brokerages allow you to borrow against your Roth IRA balance, though this is rare and comes with fees. A more common option is to take a loan from a traditional IRA (Roths do not allow loans), or to withdraw from a taxable brokerage account instead and leave your Roth untouched to grow.