Editing 401(k) (section)

==Taxation==
There are two main types corresponding to the same distinction in an [[Individual Retirement Account]] (IRA); variously referred to as traditional vs. Roth,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roth Comparison Chart|url=https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-comparison-chart}}</ref> or [[tax deferred|tax-deferred]] vs. tax exempt, or EET<ref>{{Cite web|title=OECD Glossary of Terms EET|url=https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=5225}}</ref> vs. TEE.<ref>{{Cite web|title=OECD Glossary of Terms TEE|url=https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=5304}}</ref>

=== Traditional ===
The tax-saving benefits from Traditional accounts (as measured by the difference in outcomes vs a normally taxed account) are the sum of two benefit-factors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2019/05/25/how-to-properly-frame-401-k-benefits|title=How To Properly Frame 401(k) Benefits}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zenodo.org/records/8206825|title=Excel spreadsheet calculates benefit factors}}</ref> 1) A possible benefit (or cost) is from the eventual withdrawal multiplied by the difference in tax rates between contribution and withdrawal. The hope is that the retirement rate will be lower, for a benefit. Effective tax rates are used to incorporate the impact of contributions and draws on the saver's qualification for benefits from other income-tested programs. 

2) Everyone always receives the same benefit as from a Roth account - the benefit from permanently tax-free profits on after-tax savings. The conceptual understanding{{cn|date=September 2024}} is that the contribution's tax reduction is the government investing its money alongside the saver's, for him to invest as he likes. They become co-owners of the account. The government's share of the account (funding plus the tax-free profits earned by it) at withdrawal fully funds the account's withdrawal tax calculated at the contribution's tax rate. So the contribution's tax reduction is never a benefit, and profits are never taxed. The withdrawal tax is conceptually an allocation of principal between owners, not a 'tax', and there is no benefit 'from deferral'.

For pre-tax contributions, the employee still pays the total 7.65% payroll taxes (social security and medicare). If the employee made after-tax contributions to the 401(k) account, these amounts are commingled with the pre-tax funds and simply add to the 401(k) basis. When distributions are made, the taxable portion of the distribution will be calculated as the ratio of the after-tax contributions to the total 401(k) basis. The remainder of the distribution is tax-free and not included in gross income for the year.

=== Roth ===
{{Main|Roth 401(k)}}
Beginning in the 2006 tax year, employees have been allowed to designate contributions as a Roth 401(k) deferral. Similar to the provisions of a [[Roth IRA]], these contributions are made on an after-tax basis.

For accumulated after-tax contributions and earnings in a designated Roth account (Roth 401(k)), "qualified distributions" can be made tax-free. To qualify, distributions must be made more than 5 years after the first designated Roth contributions ''and'' not before the year in which the account owner turns age {{frac|59|1|2}}, unless an exception applies as detailed in IRS code section 72(t). In the case of designated Roth contributions, the contributions being made on an after-tax basis means that the taxable income in the year of contribution is not decreased as it is with pre-tax contributions. Roth contributions are irrevocable and cannot be converted to pre-tax contributions at a later date. (In contrast to Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs), where Roth contributions may be recharacterized as pre-tax contributions.) Administratively, Roth contributions must be made to a separate account, and records must be kept that distinguish the amount of contribution and the corresponding earnings that are to receive Roth treatment.

Unlike the Roth IRA, there is no upper-income limit capping eligibility for Roth 401(k) contributions. Individuals who find themselves disqualified from a Roth IRA may contribute to their Roth 401(k). Individuals who qualify for both can contribute the maximum [[statutory]] amounts into either or a combination of the two plans (including both catch-up contributions if applicable). Aggregate statutory annual limits set by the IRS will apply.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-401k-and-profit-sharing-plan-contribution-limits|title=Retirement Topics - 401(k) and Profit-Sharing Plan Contribution Limits}}</ref>