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60-Day Rollover Deadline Calculator
Enter the day you received your 401(k) or IRA distribution. Get the exact IRS deadline, how many days you have left — and a warning if day 60 lands on a weekend.
For a mailed check, that's the day the check arrived — not the date printed on it.
The rule, in one sentence
The 60-day rollover rule:when a retirement-plan distribution is paid to you, the IRS gives you 60 calendar days from the day after you receive the funds to redeposit the full amount into an eligible retirement account (IRC §402(c)(3)) — or it generally becomes taxable income, plus a possible 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you're under 59½.
43%
of rollover savers are forced to receive or forward a paper check (Capitalize rollover research)
42%
of rollovers take two months or longer end-to-end — longer than the entire 60-day window runs once funds are in your hands (Capitalize rollover research)
$18,500
the IRS user fee for a private letter ruling if you miss the deadline without a self-certifiable reason (Rev. Proc. 2026-4; Rev. Proc. 2020-46 self-certification is free)
60-day rollover deadline — the questions everyone asks
- When does the 60-day rollover clock start?
- The 60 days are counted from the day AFTER you receive the distribution — for a mailed check, the day it arrives in your hands, not the date printed on it. The deadline is the 60th calendar day following receipt, counting weekends and holidays.
- What happens if I miss the 60-day rollover deadline?
- The unrolled amount generally becomes ordinary taxable income for the year, plus a 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you're under 59½ and no exception applies — separating from service in or after the year you turn 55 is the big exception for 401(k) money (it doesn't cover IRAs). But don't concede yet: the IRS lets you self-certify a late rollover, free, under 12 qualifying reasons (Rev. Proc. 2020-46) — including a lost or uncashed check. Your new custodian can accept the rollover on that basis, though the IRS can still review it on audit. The alternative, a private letter ruling, carries an $18,500 IRS user fee (as of 2026).
- Does the deadline extend if day 60 falls on a weekend or holiday?
- Don't count on it. Some tax professionals read federal law (IRC §7503) as moving a deadline that lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday to the next business day — but the IRS has never confirmed this for rollovers. In private rulings where day 60 fell on a weekend, the IRS instead granted case-by-case hardship waivers, and custodians don't process weekend deposits anyway. Treat the prior business day as your real deadline.
- Does the 60-day rule apply to a direct rollover?
- No. In a direct (trustee-to-trustee) rollover the money moves between custodians without being distributed to you, so no 60-day clock ever starts and nothing is withheld. The rule only applies when the distribution is paid to you — which is also why 20% mandatory withholding hits indirect 401(k) rollovers.
- How many 60-day rollovers can I do per year?
- IRA-to-IRA (and Roth-to-Roth) 60-day rollovers are limited to one per rolling 12 months across ALL your IRAs combined. The limit does not apply to 401(k)-to-IRA rollovers, direct trustee-to-trustee transfers, or Roth conversions.
The date is the easy half
Most blown rollovers aren't missed dates — they're transfers that stall quietly at the custodian while the clock runs. nesthelm builds a free custodian-specific plan: the exact steps, the phone script, and reminders at 14, 7, 3, and 1 days before your deadline.
Educational information only — not tax, legal, or investment advice, and no advisory or fiduciary relationship is created. Deadline math assumes the standard 60-day window under IRC §402(c)(3); your situation may qualify for different treatment (disaster relief, qualified plan loan offsets, first-time homebuyer re-contributions). Verify with a CPA before acting. See also: the 60-day rollover rule, explained.