[buzzard13]

How much do I get taxed on if I take money out early, like 20,000

[ebaines]

If you are under age 55 then the tax will be:

1. Ordinary income tax on the $20K withdrawal. The actual amount of tax owed depends on your tax bracket, but remember that since the $20K is added to your other sources of income this may put you into a higher tax bracket than you are normally in.
2.State/local income tax, as appropriate for where you live.
3. 10% early withdrawal penalty, or $2K.

Depending on your tax braket and amount of state/local income tax this may add up to $8K or so.

When you take the withdrawal the administrator will automatically withhold 20% for income taxes. This is similar to how your employer withholds a certain amout from your pay check - it's a down payment on taxes that you eventually figure out when you file your income tax return at the end of the year. So be sure to retain some of the money so you have sufficient funds to pay your tax bill next April.