If assets in a 529 are used for something other than qualified education expenses, you’ll have to pay both federal income taxes and a 10 percent penalty on the earnings. (An interesting side note is that if the beneficiary gets a full scholarship to college, the penalty for taking the cash is waived.)

How are non-qualified distributions from a 529 plan taxed?

Distributions from a 529 plan may be paid directly to the educational institution, to the beneficiary or to the account owner. Either the account owner or the beneficiary will have to pay income tax on the earnings portion of a non-qualified distribution plus a 10% tax penalty.

Can you reimburse yourself from 529?

You can choose to pay bills first and then reimburse yourself from the 529 account, or you can pull money from the 529 account and then use it to pay bills from your bank or brokerage account. This path also provides flexibility when paying smaller bills like those for books or off-campus room and board.

Can 529 plans be transferred to another child?

529 education savings plan accounts can be transferred from one beneficiary to another eligible member of the family or rolled over into other 529 accounts for the same beneficiary or an eligible family member. You cannot change the beneficiary of a 529 account funded with custodial assets.

Can you take a nonqualified withdrawal from a 529 account?

You can take a nonqualified withdrawal from a 529 account up to the amount of a scholarship; although you will pay taxes on the earnings, you won’t pay the additional 10% penalty that’s imposed on a nonqualified withdrawal.

Is there penalty for taking money out of 529 plan?

If you take a distribution from your child’s 529 plan and use some or all of it to cover nonqualified expenses, you will owe not just taxes but, in most cases, an additional 10% penalty on the taxable portion of those earnings.

When to recontribution from a 529 savings plan?

If a distribution from a 529 plan is later refunded by an eligible educational institution, a recontribution can be made to the 529 plan. The recontribution must be made no more than 60 days after the date of the refund. The recontributed amount cannot exceed the amount of the refund. Source: Savingforcollege.com, Avoid these 529 withdrawal traps .

Can you take money out of a 529 If your child has a scholarship?

If your child gets a scholarship, you can withdraw that amount from a 529 without paying a penalty, even if the money isn’t used for education.