by Mat Sorensen | Feb 14, 2023 | IRA/LLCs
My article on IRA/LLCs for self-directed IRA investors was published by the California Lawyers Association, Section on Business Law, eBulletin. In the article I outline the benefits of an IRA/LLC, how to properly set-up an IRA/LLC, how the documents need to be restrictive over and above a standard LLC set-up, and discuss the cases where self-directed IRA owners have improperly operated the IRA/LLC.
An IRA/LLC is an investment structure whereby an IRA invests capital into a newly created limited liability company (“LLC”). The IRA owns the LLC units just like your IRA can own Coca-Cola corporation stock. This IRA/LLC structure has been popular amongst real estate investors and other investors who regularly invest in alternative assets with their retirement account. A common IRA/LLC structure is one where the IRA invests a designated amount of cash into the LLC in exchange for 100% of the membership units of the LLC. The LLC then in turn acquires the intended investment asset. For example, a rental property. An IRA/LLC can also be formed with numerous IRAs owning the LLC with the ownership allocated between the different IRAs based on the dollars invested.
Read the rest of the article on the California Lawyers Association website, here.
by Mat Sorensen | Jul 8, 2019 | IRA/LLCs
Many self-directed IRA investors use an IRA/LLC (aka “checkbook-controlled IRA”) to hold their self-directed IRA investments. For an overview, see my video here. When using the IRA/LLC structure, the name of the LLC is on title to the assets, and the LLC’s bank account receives the income. As a result of this structure, the self-directed IRA owner may be asked by a title company, property management company, or other third-party to complete an IRS Form W-9 form for the IRA/LLC. Form W-9 is the document these parties request in order to issue 1099’s for rental income or for sale proceeds for real estate, stock, or other assets sold by the LLC. Form W-9 can be tricky and needs to be handled differently when you have a single-member IRA/LLC (i.e. when the IRA owns the LLC 100%) than when the LLC has two or more owners (aka “partnership”). It is important that the W-9 is completed properly so that the IRS does not confuse whether the LLC is owned by the IRA or by the IRA owner personally.
Single-Member IRA/LLC
The W-9 can be tricky to complete in the single-member IRA/LLC situation. Many IRA owners will include the LLC EIN in Part I of the form or will provide the owner’s SSN. Both of those answers are incorrect. I have provided a sample W-9 form for “ABC Investments, LLC” below:
Let’s go through each line to explain the responses. I’ll start on line 1.
- Name: In the instance of a single-member IRA/LLC, the IRS considers the LLC to be disregarded, which means that the LLC is not a separate taxable entity and instead the tax reporting goes directly to the owner. In this instance, the owner of the LLC is the IRA. Consequently, the name on line 1 should be the name of your IRA. If you have a self-directed IRA with our company, that name would be something like, “Directed Trust Company FBO John Doe IRA.”
- Business Name: Line 2 is where you will list the name of the LLC. So, for example, if your IRA/LLC is called “ABC Investments, LLC,” then you would provide that name on line 2.
- Tax Classification Box: This is the section that causes confusion and often results in incorrect selections. In this section you would check the first box, “Individual/sole proprietor, single-member LLC.” When the IRA owns the LLC 100%, the LLC is considered a single-member LLC.
- Exemptions: IRA/LLCs and IRAs are an exempt payee, and as a result, you should include Code 1 on the first blank space on line 4. See line 4 instruction on Code 1 for more details.
- Address: On line 5 and 6 you will include the mailing address for the LLC. Do not include your IRA custodian’s address as any 1099s for the IRA will be sent to the IRA custodian’s address. While most 1099s and tax reporting forms generated from a W-9 do not result in a reporting or tax obligation for the IRA, it is best that the IRA owner, who is responsible for the account and decisions, receive the 1099s at their address.
- Address (Cont’d): See line 5 response information above.
- List Account Number (Optional): You may include the IRA account number with your IRA custodian on line 7, but this is optional and is not required. If you have multiple IRAs with the same custodian, it would be helpful to also provide your account number for the specific accounts involved. Otherwise, if needed, the IRA is identifiable by the name line 1.
Part I
The next section is called Part I, and is the section where a social security number or employer identification number is used. This section is often completed incorrectly. The correct response is the EIN of party on Line 1. In this instance, Line 1 is the IRA. Most IRAs should not have their own EIN, and you should not obtain an EIN for the purpose of a W-9. You may have an EIN for your IRA because you have Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) for your IRA (which is less common). However, most self-directed IRA custodians do not have an EIN for their IRA. Instead, what you should use is the reporting EIN of your IRA custodian. All IRA custodians have an EIN that is used for their customer accounts, and this EIN can be obtained by contacting your IRA custodian.
Most IRA/LLC owners have an EIN for their LLC and some will use that EIN in Part I. While that is the correct response in the multi-member IRA/LLC (“partnership”) context, it is not the correct response for the single member IRA/LLC. Another incorrect response on Part I is to use the social security number of the IRA owner. This is also incorrect as you do not personally own the LLC. An incorrect response on Part I doesn’t cause a prohibited transaction or disqualify the IRA, but it could create tax reporting confusions with the IRS.
Finally, the manager of the LLC would sign on Part II.
Multi-Member IRA/LLC
If your IRA/LLC has more than one owner, it is considered a multi-member IRA/LLC. Most multi-member IRA/LLCs are taxed as partnerships and as a result, the W-9 for a multi-member IRA/LLC is different from the single-member IRA/LLC.
The multi-member IRA/LLC is far more straightforward. I have provided a sample W-9 below. The important items for the W-9 in this instance are as follows:
- Line 1 is the name of the LLC: In a multi-member IRA/LLC, the entity files a tax return and is recognized at the LLC level by the IRS.
- Line 2 is blank as line 1 is the LLC name and they are the same.
- Check the box limited liability company and then indicate letter “P” for partnership.
- Skip the exemption code since the LLC itself has its own tax status (partnership usually). Even though it may be owned by IRAs the exemption doesn’t apply at the LLC level.
- Include the LLC mailing address.
- Continued mailing address.
- There is no need to list the account numbers of the IRAs here as the taxable entity itself is the LLC – not the IRAs – and there isn’t an account number for the LLC.
Part I
The LLC’s EIN should be used and provided in the box for employer identification number. Since a multi-member LLC is taxable itself as an entity (partnership return), it provides its own EIN for reporting uses on the W-9. The IRA custodian’s EIN is not used in this instance.
by Mat Sorensen | Sep 4, 2018 | IRA/LLCs
Many self-directed IRA investors use an IRA/LLC to make and hold their self-directed IRA investments. In essence, an IRA/LLC (aka “checkbook-controlled IRA”) is an LLC owned 100% by an IRA. For a summary and description of an IRA/LLC, please refer to my video here. While most self-directed investors are using the IRA/LLC to invest in real estate or other non-publicly traded assets, there are many instances where an IRA/LLC owner would like to invest the cash from their IRA/LLC checking account into stocks or other publicly-traded investments. This may arise with portions of cash that are not yet large enough to make a desired self-directed investment, or when the IRA/LLC is between investments, such as after the sale of an asset or investment and before a new self-directed investment may be found. Or, it could simply arise because the account owner finds a publicly traded opportunity that they would like to pursue using the IRA/LLC account funds and structure.
I. Can My IRA/LLC Establish a Brokerage Account to Buy Stocks?
Yes, an IRA/LLC may have a brokerage account to buy stocks or other publicly traded assets. This account must be established in the name of the LLC. The brokerage account cannot have a margin account whereby account trades on credit. A margin account typically requires the personal guarantee of the underlying IRA/LLC owner, and this would amount to an extension of credit prohibited transaction. Additionally, any profits due from the trading on credit, even if you could get around a personal guarantee, would be subject to unrelated business income tax (UBIT).
II. What Are the Pros and Cons of Having a Brokerage Account with an IRA/LLC That I Should Know About?
1. Pro
Uninvested or accumulating cash from an income producing asset often times sit without earning any income in an IRA/LLC. By having a brokerage account with an IRA/LLC, the cash could be invested into stocks or other publicly traded investments, but could still be somewhat liquid in the event that funds are needed for a self-directed investment.
2. Con
Most brokerage firms do not have a specific account option for IRA/LLCs. As a result, most brokerage firms will simply treat the brokerage account as an LLC brokerage account. The problem with this is that they will send the IRS and your LLC tax reporting via IRS From 1099-B for trading income. While I’ve had many clients receive and ignore this, because the LLC is owned by their IRA, it does raise concern of an IRS audit for failure to report the 1099-B.
3. Potential Solution
Establish a business brokerage account in the name of the LLC but don’t get a margin account. We have seen clients use E-Trade and Interactive Brokers successfully for this. TD Ameritrade used to offer a specific IRA/LLC brokerage account but now requires customers to just establish an IRA with them instead.
III. What are the Options?
A second option to establishing a brokerage account with your IRA/LLC is to simply return funds from the LLC back to the self-directed IRA. This is not taxable. It is a return of investment funds or profits to the IRA. Then transfer funds from the self-directed IRA to a brokerage IRA as a trustee-to-trustee transfer. This is also not taxable. Now, you can buy stocks with the IRA funds in the brokerage account. When you would like the funds back in the IRA/LLC for a self-directed investment, you would send funds from the brokerage IRA back to the self-directed IRA as a trustee-to-trustee transfer, and would then invest the funds from the self-directed IRA to the IRA/LLC. While this involves more steps, its cleaner in the end as the brokerage IRA will be set-up with no tax reporting to the IRS on trading income. In the end, both options are viable, but self-directed investors should understand the differences and requirements for each option before proceeding with a brokerage account with their IRA/LLC funds.
by Mat Sorensen | Aug 27, 2018 | IRA/LLCs
Business owners and investors doing business in multiple states often ask the question of whether their company, that is set up in one state needs to be registered into the other state(s) where they are doing business. This registration from your state of incorporation/organization into another state where you also do business is called a foreign registration. For example, let’s say I’m a real estate investor in Arizona and end up buying a rental property in Florida. Do I need to register my Arizona LLC that I use to hold my real estate investments into Florida to take ownership of this property? The answer is generally yes, but after reviewing a few states laws on the subject I decided to outline the details of when you need to register your LLC or Corporation into another state where you are not incorporated/organized. (Please note that the issue of whether state taxes are owed outside of your home state when doing business in multiple states is a different analysis).
In analyzing whether you need to register your out of state company into a state where you do business or own property it is helpful to understand two things: First, what does the state I’m looking to do business in require of out of state companies; and Second, what is the penalty for failure to comply.
When Do I Need to Register Foreign?
First, a survey of a few state statutes on foreign registration of out of state companies shows that the typical requirement for when an out of state company must register foreign into another state is when the out of state company is deemed to be “transacting business” into the other state. So, the next question is what constitutes “transacting business”? The state laws vary on this but here are some examples of what constitutes “transacting business” for purposes of foreign registration filings.
- Employees or storefront located in the foreign registration state.
- Ownership of real property that is leased in the foreign registration state. Note that some states (e.g. Florida) state that ownership of property by an out of state LLC does not by itself require a foreign registration (e.g. a second home or maybe land) but if that property was rented then foreign registration is required.
Here is an example of what does not typically constitute “transacting business” for foreign registration requirements.
- Maintaining a bank account in the state in question.
- Holding a meeting of the owners or management in the state in question.
So, in summary, the general rule is that transacting business for foreign registration requirements occurs when you make a physical presence in the state that results in commerce. Ask, do I have employees or real property in the state in question that generates income for my company? If so, you probably need to register. If not, you probably don’t need to register foreign. Note that there are some nuances between states and I’ve tried to generalize what constitutes transacting business so check with your attorney or particular state laws when in question.
What is the Penalty if I Don’t Register Foreign?
Second, what is the penalty and consequence for failing to file a foreign registration when one was required? This issue had a few common characteristics among the states surveyed. Many company owners fear that they could lose the liability protection of the LLC or corporation for failing to file a foreign registration when they should have but most states have a provision in their laws that states something like the following, “A member [owner] of a foreign limited liability company is not liable for the debts and obligations of the foreign limited liability company solely by reason of its having transacted business in this state without registration.” A similar provision to this language was found in Arizona, California and Florida, but this provision is not found in all states that I surveyed. This language is good for business owners since it keeps the principal asset protection benefits of the company in tact in the event that you fail to register foreign. On the other hand, many states have some other negative consequences to companies that fail to register foreign. Here is a summary of some of those consequences.
- The out of state company won’t be recognized in courts to sue or bring legal action in the state where the business should be registered as a foreign company.
- Penalty of $20 per day that the company was “transacting business” in the state when it should have been registered foreign into the state but wasn’t. This penalty maxes out at $10,000 in California. Florida’s penalty is a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1,000 per year of violation. Some states such as Arizona and Texas do not charge a penalty fee for failure to file.
- The State where you should have registered as a foreign company becomes the registered agent for your company and receives legal notices on behalf of your company. This is really problematic because it means you don’t get notice to legal actions or proceedings affecting your company and it allows Plaintiff’s to sue your company and to send notice to the state without being required to send notice to your company. Now, presumably, the state will try to get notice to your company but what steps the states actually takes and how much time that takes is something I couldn’t find. With twenty to thirty day deadlines to respond in most legal actions I wouldn’t put much trust in a state government agency to get me legal notice in a timely manner nor am I even certain that they would even try.
- In addition to the statutory issues written into law there are some practical issues you will face if your out of state company is not registered into a state where you transact business. For example, some county recorders in certain states won’t allow title to transfer into your out of state company unless the LLC or corporation is registered foreign into the state where the property is located. It is also common to run into insurance and banking issues for your company until you register foreign into the state where the income generating property, employee, or storefront is located.
In summary, you should register your company as a foreign company in every state where you are “transacting business”. Generally speaking, transacting business occurs when you have a storefront in the foreign state, employees in the foreign state, or property that produces income in the foreign state. Failure to file varies among the states but can result in penalties from $1,000 to $10,000 a year and failure to receive legal notices and/or be recognized in court proceedings. Bottom line, if you are transacting business outside of your state of incorporation/organization you should register as a foreign entity in the other state(s) to ensure proper legal protections in court and to avoid costly penalties for non-compliance.
by Mat Sorensen | Apr 5, 2016 | IRA/LLCs
I hear a radio ad every week that says, “there is a loophole that allows you to use your IRA to buy physical gold “tax-free” and that you can EVEN store this gold in your home.” If these radio ads were on T.V., there’d probably be an image of Scrooge McDuck swimming in gold at his McMansion. These ads cause much concern as they give some misleading information. The good news is that you really can use your IRA to invest in gold. In fact, I have many clients who like to buy actual physical gold with their IRAs. And we’re not talking about gold funds or gold ETFs, but actual solid gold. You can also own silver, platinum, and palladium with your IRA so long as those metals meet certain legal requirements. Here’s the catch though and what the radio ads are missing, you can only own precious metals that meet certain legal requirements and you cannot personally store the metals. Don’t count on someone who sells precious metals to be an expert on IRA rules. They make money when you buy precious metals and they have no training or license to properly advise you, so get your legal and tax advice from a competent lawyer or tax adviser.
LEGAL RULES FOR IRA OWNED PRECIOUS METALS
Precious metals have been a popular investment for retirement plans since the financial market collapse in 2008. Most standard IRAs with financial institution custodians will typically only offer precious metals through funds or other complex structures whereby the IRA does not directly own the precious metals. A self-directed IRA can hold actual precious metals as long as those metals are not considered collectibles under law and as long as they are properly stored.
Only precious metals which meet the requirements of IRC § 408(m)(3) may be owned by an IRA. All other metals or coins are considered collectible items and cannot be held by an IRA. IRC § 408(m)(2)(C), and (D).
There are two categories of approved precious metals. The first category are specifically approved coins, such as American Gold or Silver eagles. The second category is bullion (e.g bars, or coin form bullion) that is gold, silver, platinum, or palladium, AND that meets certain purity requirements. The purity requirements are outlined below.
- Gold, meeting minimum fineness requirements of 99.5%.
- Silver, meeting minimum fineness requirements of 99.9%.
- Platinum, meeting minimum fineness requirements of 99.95%.
- Palladium, meeting minimum fineness requirements of 99.95%
Precious metals must be stored with a “bank” (eg. bank, credit union, or trust company). Personal storage of precious metals owned by an IRA is not allowed. A broker-dealer, third-party administrator, or any company not licensed as a bank, credit union, or trust company may not store precious metals owned by an IRA. IRS Private Letter Ruling 200217059.
There has been much confusion about owning precious metals with an IRA and there is confusion over some “loophole” that allows you to store them in your home. Our advice is against home storage, for tax code reasons and for security reasons. We’ve outlined the tax reasons more fully in a prior blog article you can check out here. In general though, our advice is that if your self-directed account owns metals directly through your custodian account then those metals will be stored with the custodian or with a “bank” whom the custodian uses for customers. If the metals are bought with an IRA owned LLC, then the metals of the LLC are subject to the storage rules and this can be satisfied by the LLC opening up a safe deposit box with a bank and by physically storing the metals there.
If an IRA purchases precious metals that do not meet the specific requirements of IRC § 408(m)(3), then the precious metals are deemed collectible items. As a result, they are considered distributed from the IRA at the time of purchase. IRC § 408(m)(1). Similarly, if the storage requirement is violated, then the precious metals are also deemed distributed as of the date of the storage violation. IRS Private Letter Ruling 20021705. The consequence of distribution is that the value of the amount involved is deemed distributed and is subject to the applicable taxes and penalty.
Go for the gold, or silver, or the other approved metals with your IRA. But make sure the metals meet the code requirements and that they are properly stored.
This article is an excerpt from Chapter 12: Precious Metals of The Self Directed IRA Handbook by Mat Sorensen
by Mat Sorensen | Jan 26, 2016 | IRA/LLCs
The recent case of Niemann v. Commissioner involves a successful real estate investor who unknowingly used his self-directed IRA owned LLC (aka, checkbook control IRA) in a way that caused a prohibited transaction under IRC § 4975. While the Tax Court’s holding and decision focused on other tax matters, the Court did outline the history of the case and the prohibited transactions that occurred and that disqualified Niemann’s IRA. Here are the pertinent facts regarding Niemann’s self directed IRA investments.
CASE FACTS
- Neimann formed Real Estate Rabbit, LLC with his IRA as the sole member and himself as manager.
- Neimann used Real Estate Rabbit, LLC for numerous real estate investments including buying homes at auction and slipping them for a profit. Real Estate Rabbit, LLC also bought mineral rights investments and held notes.
- Neimann personally engaged in real estate investments in his own name and in the name of an LLC he personally owned called Magic, LLC. Neimann intended for Magic, LLC to be a multi-member LLC to be owned by himself, his personal LLC, and his IRA/LLC. This LLC was not properly established nor was it properly operated. He learned about it from a seminar and engaged a non-lawyer (“vendor”) to set up the LLC.
- Neimann transferred properties from his Real Estate Rabbit, LLC (his IRA/LLC) to himself personally and to his personally owned LLC. These transfers caused a prohibited transaction and resulted in the entire distribution of Neimann’s self directed IRA.
It is quite clear from the case and from the Court’s analysis that Neimann was not intending to unfairly avoid tax nor was he attempting to improperly engage in a prohibited transactions. In fact, his real estate transactions were very successful. And if you were a successful real estate investor looking to illegally avoid taxes, you wouldn’t transfer properties from your IRA owned LLC (that pays no taxes on gains) to yourself personally (where you do pay taxes on the gains). If you were a tax cheat, you’d do the opposite and would transfer properties with gains from yourself personally to your IRA. It is quite clear instead, that Neimann was unaware of the rules and as a result he moved his real estate investments around between his LLCs and his personal name as he would with any property he owned. These transfers were made without regard to IRA rules which require IRA investments to be held separately from personal assets and which restrict transactions between the IRA (and IRA/LLC) and the IRA owner personally.
Neimann conceded with the Court and the IRS that he engaged in a prohibited transaction when his IRA owned LLC (Real Estate Rabbit, LLC) transferred property to himself personally and to his personally owned LLC.
LEARN THE RULES AND SEEK OUT QUALIFIED LICENSED PROFESSIONALS
This case illustrates a critical point that self-directed IRA investors must first become acquainted with the self-directed IRA rules before they enter into real estate, LLC, or other transactions with their IRA. Neimann was a successful investor and a former engineer but he either received poor advice or he sought no professional legal or tax advice in the process.
Learning how to self-direct your IRA is like learning a new board game. At first, it takes some time to learn what you can and cannot do but once you understand the rules for the investments you intend to make it becomes second nature and you can proceed without having to consult the “rulebook” or a lawyer, or CPA, or other licensed advisor. So, if you’re new to self directing your IRA, make sure you’ve received competent advice from licensed professionals. Don’t rely on something you’ve heard at a seminar or by someone trying to sell you an investment. Instead, seek a specific consult with a licensed attorney or CPA who is competent in the rules effecting your self-directed IRA.
