Execute a mega backdoor Roth through your employer’s 401(k)
Written confirmation that your plan permits after-tax contributions and in-plan Roth conversion (or in-service distribution), a payroll election set to a specific figure, conversions executed on a rhythm so earnings never accumulate, and the result verified against the W-2 and the 1099-R.
Not on sale yet
Included with every copy
- Your own copy — keep it forever
- Gets better over time — free updates included
- Run it on web and mobile
- Invite a partner to go through it with you — you share the same progress
- 1 knowledge checks to test what you've learned
- The playbook's community — ask questions, get additions, and see how other buyers improve it, right on the step
Who it's for
High-earning US W-2 employees who already max the 401(k) elective deferral limit, fund a Roth IRA via the backdoor method, and whose employer-sponsored 401(k) plan mentions after-tax contributions in its Summary Plan Description.
About this playbook
The mega backdoor Roth lets you contribute far beyond the elective deferral limit by routing after-tax 401(k) money into Roth treatment. This playbook walks you through confirming your plan supports the strategy, calculating exactly how much room you have, setting up the election, and executing conversions on a schedule that avoids taxable earnings. You end with reconciled tax forms and a plan for contingencies like ACP test refunds or a mid-year plan amendment. It does not cover the standard backdoor Roth IRA, solo 401(k) mega backdoor Roths, or the tax implications of converting accumulated earnings. Each phase relies on your specific plan document, so the guide is built around an interrogation script you run against your plan administrator.
What you'll do, step by step
Free preview — these steps are open to read in full before you buy.
Phase 1: Confirm your plan allows after-tax contributions and Roth conversion
0/4Before you contribute a dollar, you need two facts in writing: whether the plan accepts after-tax (non-Roth) contributions and how — not whether — the plan lets you convert that money to Roth. This phase gives you the script to get those answers from your plan administrator and the SPD.
- 20 min
- 15 min
- 15 min
- 15 min
Phase 2: Calculate your after-tax contribution headroom
4 stepsPhase 3: Set up after-tax contributions in payroll
3 stepsPhase 4: Execute the Roth conversion
4 stepsPhase 5: Reconcile tax forms at year-end
3 stepsPhase 6: Handle contingencies and failure modes
3 stepsDetails
What you need first
You are already maxing the elective deferral limit ($23,500 in 2025). You have access to your plan’s Summary Plan Description or benefits portal. Your employer offers a 401(k) that you participate in. You have a Roth IRA (optional, for the rollover-out route).
Tags
What people who used it say
Only buyers who got through at least half the steps can leave a review.
No reviews yet. The first ones appear once buyers get through at least half the steps.
Common questions
About the creator
I write playbooks about savings and long-term investing. Step by step, in the order things actually happen.
Similar playbooks
