Coverdell ESAs: The tax-advantaged way to fund elementary
This article organizes the original guidance on coverdell esas: the tax-advantaged way to fund elementary and secondary school costs into clear sections for easier reading and reference.
Overview
This opening section presents the main context from the original post.
With school letting out you might be focused on summer plans for your children (or grandchildren). But the end of the school year is also a good time to think about Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)—especially if the children are in grade school or younger.
One major advantage of ESAs over another popular education saving tool, the Section 529 plan, is that tax-free ESA distributions are not limited to college expenses; they also can fund elementary and secondary school costs. That means you can use ESA funds to pay for such qualified expenses as tutoring and private school tuition.
Other benefits
This section keeps the original guidance focused on other benefits.
Here are some other key ESA benefits:
- Although contributions are not deductible, plan assets can grow tax-deferred.
- You remain in control of the account—even after the child is of legal age.
- You can make rollovers to another qualifying family member.
A sibling or first cousin is a typical example of a qualifying family member, if he or she is eligible to be an ESA beneficiary (that is, under age 18 or has special needs).
Limitations
This section keeps the original guidance focused on limitations.
The ESA annual contribution limit is $2,000 per beneficiary. The total contributions for a particular ESA beneficiary cannot be more than $2,000 in any year, no matter how many accounts have been established or how many people are contributing.
However, the ability to contribute is phased out based on income. The phaseout range is modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $190,000–$220,000 for married couples filing jointly and $95,000–$110,000 for other filers.
You can make a partial contribution if your MAGI falls within the applicable range, and no contribution if it exceeds the top of the range.
If there is a balance in the ESA when the beneficiary reaches age 30 (unless the beneficiary is a special needs individual), it must generally be distributed within 30 days. The portion representing earnings on the account will be taxable and subject to a 10% penalty.
But these taxes can be avoided by rolling over the full balance to another ESA for a qualifying family member.
Would you like more information about ESAs or other tax-advantaged ways to fund your child’s—or grandchild’s—education expenses? Contact us.
Related Resources
These resources connect the article topic with related Bowers service pages and approved professional reading.
FAQ
The questions below summarize the main points already covered in the article.
What is the main focus of Coverdell ESAs: The tax-advantaged way to fund elementary and secondary school costs?
The article focuses on coverdell esas: the tax-advantaged way to fund elementary and secondary school costs and organizes the original guidance into sections for easier review.
What topics does the article cover first?
The article begins with other benefits and then continues through the remaining points in the original post.
Which additional areas are included?
Additional sections include limitations.
Does the post include action items or reminders?
Yes. The original post includes listed items that have been kept in list format for easier scanning.
Was the original post wording changed?
The revision keeps the author wording and updates the structure so the post is easier to read online.