The Pension Protection Act, signed into law on August 17, 2006, is designed to address the nation-wide problem of under-funded pension plans. The law penalizes noncompliant companies and encourages employee contributions, but many of the changes directly impact taxpayers of all ages, regardless of retirement status.

“Taxpayers will benefit from many of the act’s provisions, some of which come in the form of tax breaks, but individuals cannot take full advantage of the tax breaks until the new laws are fully understood,” said Michael Smith, Managing Authorized Taxpayer Representative at tax services firm FSI Tax Corp.

The following is a rundown of the most important tax code changes and how they will likely affect taxpayers, as well as retirees.

1. Direct IRA Tax Return Deposits

Taxpayers can now have their tax returns deposited directly into their IRA accounts. The IRS already offers taxpayers the option to automatically deposit returns into checking and saving accounts. By adding IRA accounts, legislators hope taxpayers will contribute more funds toward their retirement accounts.

2. 529 College Savings Plans

Many temporary tax laws enacted by the 2001 tax cuts were made permanent by the Pension Protection Act. This includes the ability to make withdrawals from 529 college savings plans without suffering tax penalties.

“Tax-free college savings withdrawals may seem inappropriate in a pension law, but this provision is welcomed by parents who would otherwise resort to tapping their IRAs to fund their children’s education,” said Smith.

3. Saver’s Credit

Another 2001 tax break that was set to expire this year is the Saver’s Credit, a tax credit matching up to $2,000 for lower-income workers who put money into their retirement accounts. This tax break benefits workers who earn less than $25,000 because pre-tax contributions lower the taxpayer’s reportable income and the Saver’s Credit provides additional tax relief with its matching funds.

4. Increased Contribution Levels

In 2001, the IRS temporarily raised employee-sponsored retirement plan contribution levels from $2,000 to $4,000 this year, $5,000 in 2008 and then adjusted by inflation. The higher limits were set to expire in 2010, but the act made them a permanent increase.

This change, also intended to encourage increased contribution amounts, applies to 401(k)s, IRAs, 403(b)s, 457s and catch-up contributions for workers aged 50 and older.

5. Direct Rollovers from a 401(k) to a Roth IRA

Employees who move from one workplace to another were previously permitted to transfer their 401(k)s to traditional IRAs, both of which require taxes to be paid once money is withdrawn. Only then was the individual allowed to transfer the account into a Roth IRA.

The law now permits former employees to transfer their employer-funded retirement accounts directly into a Roth IRA, a popular option due to the fact that contributions are made after taxes are taken from earnings, which means that there are no taxes due upon withdrawing funds.

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