Form 5305-A

(Rev. April 2017)

Department of the Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service 

Traditional Individual Retirement Custodial Account

(Under section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code) 

Do not file 

with the Internal

Revenue Service 

Name of depositor Date of birth of depositor 

Address of depositor 

Check if amendment . . . ▶

Name of custodian Address or principal place of business of custodian 

The depositor named above is establishing a traditional individual retirement account under section 408(a) to provide for his or her retirement and 

for the support of his or her beneficiaries after death. 

The custodian named above has given the depositor the disclosure statement required by Regulations section 1.408-6. 

The depositor has assigned the custodial account dollars ($ ) in cash. 

The depositor and the custodian make the following agreement. 

Article I 

Except in the case of a rollover contribution described in section 402(c), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), 408(d)(3), or 457(e)(16), an employer contribution to a 

simplified employee pension plan as described in section 408(k), or a recharacterized contribution described in section 408A(d)(6), the custodian will 

accept only cash contributions up to $5,500 per year for 2013 through 2017. For individuals who have reached the age of 50 by the end of the year, the 

contribution limit is increased to $6,500 per year for 2013 through 2017. For years after 2017, these limits will be increased to reflect a cost-of-living 

adjustment, if any.

Article II 

The depositor’s interest in the balance in the custodial account is nonforfeitable. 

Article III 

1. No part of the custodial account funds may be invested in life insurance contracts, nor may the assets of the custodial account be commingled 

with other property except in a common trust fund or common investment fund (within the meaning of section 408(a)(5)). 

2. No part of the custodial account funds may be invested in collectibles (within the meaning of section 408(m)) except as otherwise permitted by 

section 408(m)(3), which provides an exception for certain gold, silver, and platinum coins, coins issued under the laws of any state, and certain bullion. 

Article IV 

1. Notwithstanding any provision of this agreement to the contrary, the distribution of the depositor’s interest in the custodial account shall be made 

in accordance with the following requirements and shall otherwise comply with section 408(a)(6) and the regulations thereunder, the provisions of 

which are herein incorporated by reference. 

2. The depositor’s entire interest in the custodial account must be, or begin to be, distributed not later than the depositor’s required beginning date, 

April 1 following the calendar year in which the depositor reaches age 701/2. By that date, the depositor may elect, in a manner acceptable to the 

custodian, to have the balance in the custodial account distributed in: 

(a) A single sum or 

(b) Payments over a period not longer than the life of the depositor or the joint lives of the depositor and his or her designated beneficiary. 

3. If the depositor dies before his or her entire interest is distributed to him or her, the remaining interest will be distributed as follows: 

(a) If the depositor dies on or after the required beginning date and: 

(i) The designated beneficiary is the depositor’s surviving spouse, the remaining interest will be distributed over the surviving spouse’s life 

expectancy as determined each year until such spouse’s death, or over the period in paragraph (a)(iii) below if longer. Any interest remaining after the 

spouse’s death will be distributed over such spouse’s remaining life expectancy as determined in the year of the spouse’s death and reduced by 1 for 

each subsequent year, or, if distributions are being made over the period in paragraph (a)(iii) below, over such period. 

(ii) The designated beneficiary is not the depositor’s surviving spouse, the remaining interest will be distributed over the beneficiary’s remaining 

life expectancy as determined in the year following the death of the depositor and reduced by 1 for each subsequent year, or over the period in 

paragraph (a)(iii) below if longer. 

(iii) There is no designated beneficiary, the remaining interest will be distributed over the remaining life expectancy of the depositor as

determined in the year of the depositor’s death and reduced by 1 for each subsequent year. 

(b) If the depositor dies before the required beginning date, the remaining interest will be distributed in accordance with paragraph (i) below or, if 

elected or there is no designated beneficiary, in accordance with paragraph (ii) below. 

(i) The remaining interest will be distributed in accordance with paragraphs (a)(i) and (a)(ii) above (but not over the period in paragraph (a)(iii),

even if longer), starting by the end of the calendar year following the year of the depositor’s death. If, however, the designated beneficiary is the

depositor’s surviving spouse, then this distribution is not required to begin before the end of the calendar year in which the depositor would have 

reached age 701/2. But, in such case, if the depositor’s surviving spouse dies before distributions are required to begin, then the remaining interest will 

be distributed in accordance with paragraph (a)(ii) above (but not over the period in paragraph (a)(iii), even if longer), over such spouse’s designated 

beneficiary’s life expectancy, or in accordance with paragraph (ii) below if there is no such designated beneficiary. 

(ii) The remaining interest will be distributed by the end of the calendar year containing the fifth anniversary of the depositor’s death. 

4. If the depositor dies before his or her entire interest has been distributed and if the designated beneficiary is not the depositor’s surviving spouse, 

no additional contributions may be accepted in the account. 

Cat. No. 11820G Form 5305-A (Rev. 4-2017) 

Account number 
Form 5305-A (Rev. 4-2017) Page 2 

5. The minimum amount that must be distributed each year, beginning with the year containing the depositor’s required beginning date, is known as 

the “required minimum distribution” and is determined as follows. 

(a) The required minimum distribution under paragraph 2(b) for any year, beginning with the year the depositor reaches age 701/2, is the

depositor’s account value at the close of business on December 31 of the preceding year divided by the distribution period in the uniform lifetime table 

in Regulations section 1.401(a)(9)-9. However, if the depositor’s designated beneficiary is his or her surviving spouse, the required minimum 

distribution for a year shall not be more than the depositor’s account value at the close of business on December 31 of the preceding year divided by 

the number in the joint and last survivor table in Regulations section 1.401(a)(9)-9. The required minimum distribution for a year under this paragraph (a) 

is determined using the depositor’s (or, if applicable, the depositor and spouse’s) attained age (or ages) in the year. 

(b) The required minimum distribution under paragraphs 3(a) and 3(b)(i) for a year, beginning with the year following the year of the depositor’s

death (or the year the depositor would have reached age 701/2, if applicable under paragraph 3(b)(i)) is the account value at the close of business on 

December 31 of the preceding year divided by the life expectancy (in the single life table in Regulations section 1.401(a)(9)-9) of the individual specified 

in such paragraphs 3(a) and 3(b)(i). 

(c) The required minimum distribution for the year the depositor reaches age 701/2 can be made as late as April 1 of the following year. The 

required minimum distribution for any other year must be made by the end of such year. 

6. The owner of two or more traditional IRAs may satisfy the minimum distribution requirements described above by taking from one traditional IRA 

the amount required to satisfy the requirement for another in accordance with the regulations under section 408(a)(6). 

Article V 

1. The depositor agrees to provide the custodian with all information necessary to prepare any reports required by section 408(i) and Regulations 

sections 1.408-5 and 1.408-6. 

2. The custodian agrees to submit to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and depositor the reports prescribed by the IRS. 

Article VI 

Notwithstanding any other articles which may be added or incorporated, the provisions of Articles I through III and this sentence will be controlling. 

Any additional articles inconsistent with section 408(a) and the related regulations will be invalid. 

Article VII 

This agreement will be amended as necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code and the related regulations. Other amendments may be 

made with the consent of the persons whose signatures appear below. 

Article VIII 

Article VIII may be used for any additional provisions. If no other provisions will be added, draw a line through this space. If provisions are added, 

they must comply with applicable requirements of state law and the Internal Revenue Code and may not imply that they have been reviewed or preapproved by the IRS. 

Depositor’s signature Date 

Custodian’s signature Date 

Witness’ signature Date 

(Use only if signature of the depositor or the custodian is required to be witnessed.) 

General Instructions 

Section references are to the Internal 

Revenue Code unless otherwise noted. 

Purpose of Form 

Form 5305-A is a model custodial account 

agreement that meets the requirements of 

section 408(a) However, only Articles I 

through VII have been reviewed by the IRS. A 

traditional individual retirement account 

(traditional IRA) is established after the form is 

fully executed by both the individual 

(depositor) and the custodian. To make a 

regular contribution to a traditional IRA for a 

year, the IRA must be established no later 

than the due date of the individual’s income 

tax return for the tax year (excluding 

extensions). This account must be created in 

the United States for the exclusive benefit of 

the depositor and his or her beneficiaries. 

Do not file Form 5305-A with the IRS. 

Instead, keep it with your records. 

For more information on IRAs, including the 

required disclosures the custodian must give 

the depositor, see Pub. 590-A, Contributions 

to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), 

and Pub. 590-B, Distributions from Individual 

Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).

Definitions 

Custodian. The custodian must be a bank or 

savings and loan association, as defined in 

section 408(n), or any person who has the 

approval of the IRS to act as custodian. 

Depositor. The depositor is the person who 

establishes the custodial account. 

Traditional IRA for Nonworking 

Spouse 

Form 5305-A may be used to establish the 

IRA custodial account for a nonworking 

spouse. 

Contributions to an IRA custodial account 

for a nonworking spouse must be made to a 

separate IRA custodial account established 

by the nonworking spouse. 

Specific Instructions 

Article IV. Distributions made under this 

article may be made in a single sum, periodic 

payment, or a combination of both. The 

distribution option should be reviewed in the 

year the depositor reaches age 701/2 to ensure that the requirements of section 408(a)

(6) have been met. 

Article VIII. Article VIII and any that follow it 

may incorporate additional provisions that are 

agreed to by the depositor and custodian to 

complete the agreement. They may include, for 

example, definitions, investment powers, voting 

rights, exculpatory provisions, amendment and 

termination, removal of the custodian, 

custodian’s fees, state law requirements, 

beginning date of distributions, accepting only 

cash, treatment of excess contributions, 

prohibited transactions with the depositor, etc. 

Attach additional pages if necessary. 

Form 5305-A (Rev. 4-2017)