403(b) Rollover

A 403(b) rollover allows you to transfer your retirement savings from a 403(b) plan into an IRA or other retirement plan when you change jobs or retire. A 403(b) direct rollover can be simple, but an indirect rollover can result in taxes and penalties if you miss its 60-day deadline.

Terry Turner, Financial writer for Annuity.org
  • Written By
    Terry Turner

    Terry Turner

    Senior Financial Writer and Financial Wellness Facilitator

    Terry Turner is a senior financial writer for Annuity.org. He holds a financial wellness facilitator certificate from the Financial Wellness Foundation and the National Wellness Institute, and he is an active member of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE®).

    Read More
  • Edited By
    Lamia Chowdhury
    Lamia Chowdhury

    Lamia Chowdhury

    Financial Editor

    Lamia Chowdhury is a financial editor at Annuity.org. Lamia carries an extensive skillset in the content marketing field, and her work as a copywriter spans industries as diverse as finance, health care, travel and restaurants.

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  • Updated: September 23, 2022
  • This page features 3 Cited Research Articles
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APA Turner, T. (2022, September 23). 403(b) Rollover. Annuity.org. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.annuity.org/retirement/403b/rollover/

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What Is a 403(b) Rollover?

If you have a 403(b) retirement plan through your employer — and leave your job or retire — you have the option of rolling over your savings into an individual retirement account (IRA). This is called a 403(b) rollover.

What’s a 403(b) Plan?
A 403(b) plan is similar to a 401(k). But where a 401(k) is typically offered by an employer in a private, for-profit company, a 403(b) plan is offered by public schools and certain charities to their employees. A 403(b) plan lets employees defer part of their salaries into individual accounts — with no state or federal income taxes on the money until they withdraw it.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service

When It Makes Sense to Rollover Your 403(b) Into an IRA

There are several reasons why you may want to consider rolling over your 403(b) to an IRA. The biggest reasons involve convenience and maximizing the return on your retirement investments.

Best Reasons for Rolling Over a 403(b) Into an IRA or 401(k)
Convenience over your retirement planning
Rolling over multiple retirement accounts into a single IRA gives you a single statement for all your retirement savings. It allows you to monitor and manage your portfolio in one place rather than spread out among multiple plans from several past employers.
Lower investment fees
IRAs tend to have lower investment fees than either 401(k) or 403(b) plans. Fee structures differ between plans, so it’s worthwhile to compare the overall costs between them and consider the long-term costs when deciding whether to rollover your 403(b) into an IRA.
More investment options
Any IRA tends to offer more options for investment. For example, 403(b) plans are not allowed to offer you the option to buy individual stocks or put your money into a real estate investment trust (REIT).

How Does a 403(b) Rollover Work?

There are two ways that a 403(b) rollover works — through direct or indirect transfers.

Direct vs. Indirect Transfers
Direct transfer
In a direct transfer, you tell your 403(b)-plan administrator where you want the money to go. The administrator then transfers the money directly into your new IRA or other retirement account.
Indirect transfer
With an indirect transfer, you have the 403(b)-plan administrator send the money from your account to you. You then have 60 days to redeposit the money in your new retirement account.

What Do You Need to Do to Roll Over Your 403(b)?

The first thing you need to do to roll over your 403(b) is to decide where you want to put your money.

You’ll then need to decide whether you want to do a direct or indirect rollover. Direct rollovers tend to be the better option because they don’t risk tax penalties. If you choose an indirect rollover, your plan will have to withhold 20% of your savings for federal income tax upfront.

After you’ve made your decision, you simply need to authorize your plan administrator to make the transfer.

You may have to fill out and sign a distribution request form. You may also have to get a letter from the plan custodian at your job to confirm that your savings will be deposited into an eligible retirement account.

You can usually contact your employer’s human resources department to make the arrangement. The plan’s administrator will do the rest.

What Are the Rules for Rolling Over a 403(b)?

The plans that you’re allowed to roll over your savings into depend on the type of 403(b) that you have — either traditional or Roth. A traditional 403(b) is pre-tax — meaning, the money you contribute to the plan isn’t taxed until you start making withdrawals. Contributions to a Roth 403(b) are taxed at the time you make them — but your withdrawals are not subject to income tax.

You can only roll a traditional 403(b) plan into a traditional IRA or other pre-tax retirement plan. And you can only roll over a Roth 403(b) into another Roth-style account.

Plans You Can Roll Over Your 403(b) Into

If you switch jobs, you can also roll over your 403(b) savings into certain other employer-sponsored retirement plans that your new job may offer.

For instance, if you take a new job with a traditional 401(k) plan, you can roll over your old traditional 403(b) savings into the new 401(k). This applies to several different types of retirement plans.

Plans You Can and Cannot Roll Over a 403(b) Plan Into
Plan Type
Traditional 403(b)
Roth 403(b)
403(b) (pre-tax, with a new employer)
Yes
No
457(b) Plan (government retirement)
Yes
No
Designated Roth Account — 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b)
No
Yes
Qualified Plan (pre-tax)
Yes
No
Roth IRA
No
Yes
SEP IRA
Yes
No
Simple IRA
Yes
After two years
No
Traditional IRA
Yes
No
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service

Will You Incur Penalties for Rolling Over Your 403(b) Into an IRA?

You will incur penalties — and must pay income taxes — if you wait too long to roll over an indirect transfer.

Your 403(b) plan will also withhold 20% of your savings for federal income taxes if you make an indirect rollover. This does not apply to direct rollovers.

If you miss the 60-day deadline to move the money into your new account with an indirect rollover, you will also have to pay a 10% penalty if you are younger than 59 1/2.

The IRS may waive the 60-day deadline if the deposit was delayed by circumstances beyond your control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 403(b) plan?
A 403(b) plan — also called a tax-sheltered annuity plan — is a type of retirement plan similar to a 401(k). While 401(k) plans are typically employer-sponsored at private, for-profit businesses, 403(b) plans are provided to certain public-school employees, ministers, and employees of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.
Can I roll my 403(b) into a Roth IRA?
It depends. You can if you have a Roth 403(b) plan. You cannot roll a pre-tax or traditional 403(b) plan into a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs and Roth 403(b) plans tax your contributions to the account when you make them. Traditional IRAs and 403(b) plans are pre-tax, meaning they don’t tax your contributions until you withdraw them. Simply put, you can roll over a Roth account to another Roth account or a traditional account to another traditional one. But you can’t typically mix and match.
What should I do with my 403(b) after a job change?
After a job change, you can decide to keep your 403(b) account where it is with your former employer, roll it over into an eligible retirement account at your new employer or roll it over into an IRA.
How long do you have to rollover a 403(b) from a previous employer?
If you choose to make an indirect rollover of a 403(b) plan, you have 60 days to complete the transfer. If you miss the deadline, you face a 10% penalty and income taxes on your savings.
Please seek the advice of a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Last Modified: September 23, 2022
Terry Turner, Financial writer for Annuity.org
Written By Terry Turner Senior Financial Writer and Financial Wellness Facilitator
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Lamia Chowdhury
Edited By Lamia Chowdhury Financial Editor
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  1. U.S. Internal Revenue Service. (2022, February 18). IRC 403(b) Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/irc-403b-tax-sheltered-annuity-plans
  2. U.S. Internal Revenue Service. (2022, June 16). Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/rollovers-of-retirement-plan-and-ira-distributions
  3. U.S. Internal Revenue Service. (n.d.). Rollover Chart. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/rollover_chart.pdf