5305-A

Traditional Individual Retirement Custodial Account

Agency
IRS
Revision
Rev. April 2017
Fillable fields
10
Pages
2
Official source
IRS form page
Checked
October 21, 2026
Fill 5305-A online
Page 1 of form 5305-A

Form 5305-A: Traditional Individual Retirement Custodial Account

Form 5305-A is a model custodial account agreement that, in the words of its instructions, meets the requirements of section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. The instructions say a traditional individual retirement account (traditional IRA) is established after the form is fully executed by both the individual, called the depositor, and the custodian. The account has to be created in the United States for the exclusive benefit of the depositor and his or her beneficiaries.

Only Articles I through VII have been reviewed by the IRS. Article VIII is open space for additional provisions the depositor and the custodian agree to. The instructions also say Form 5305-A may be used to establish the IRA custodial account for a nonworking spouse.

The form is not filed with the IRS. It says "Do not file Form 5305-A with the IRS. Instead, keep it with your records." This is the April 2017 revision, so the dollar limits it prints are for 2013 through 2017. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.

What's on Form 5305-A

Header

The depositor's name, date of birth and address, the account number, a box to check if this is an amendment, and the custodian's name and address. A line records the cash amount the depositor assigns to the account.

Article I: contributions

Apart from certain rollover contributions, employer contributions to a simplified employee pension plan and recharacterized contributions, the custodian accepts only cash contributions up to the yearly limit the form prints.

Articles II and III: the account

Article II says the depositor's interest is nonforfeitable. Article III bars investing in life insurance contracts and in collectibles, except certain gold, silver and platinum coins, coins issued under state law and certain bullion.

Article IV: distributions

When distributions have to start, the choice of a single sum or payments over life expectancy, what happens after the depositor's death, and how the required minimum distribution is figured.

Articles V to VII: reports and amendments

Article V covers the information the depositor provides and the reports the custodian submits. Article VI says which articles control. Article VII covers amendments.

Article VIII and signatures

Open space for additional provisions, then signature and date lines for the depositor, the custodian and, only if a signature has to be witnessed, a witness.

How to fill out Form 5305-A

  1. 1

    Depositor details

    Enter the depositor's name, date of birth and address, and the account number at the top of page 1.

  2. 2

    Custodian details

    Enter the custodian's name and address or principal place of business. Check the box marked "Check if amendment" only when this form amends an existing agreement.

  3. 3

    Amount assigned

    Fill in the cash amount the depositor assigns to the custodial account, in words and in figures, on the line in the opening paragraph.

  4. 4

    Review Article IV

    The instructions say distributions under this article may be made in a single sum, periodic payment, or a combination of both, and that the option should be reviewed in the year the depositor reaches age 70½.

  5. 5

    Article VIII

    Add any agreed provisions, such as definitions, investment powers, voting rights, the custodian's fees or state law requirements, and attach pages if needed. If none, draw a line through the space.

  6. 6

    Sign and date

    The depositor and the custodian sign and date page 2. The form says to use the witness line only if a signature is required to be witnessed.

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Where it goes, timing and limits

Where it goes

Nowhere. The form says "Do not file Form 5305-A with the IRS. Instead, keep it with your records."

Timing

The instructions say that 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).

Limits in this revision

Article I lists $5,500 per year for 2013 through 2017, or $6,500 for individuals who reached age 50 by the end of the year. The form says later years are adjusted for cost of living, if any.

Required beginning date

In this revision, Article IV puts the required beginning date at April 1 following the calendar year in which the depositor reaches age 70½.

Added provisions

Provisions added in Article VIII have to comply with state law and the Internal Revenue Code, and the form says they may not imply that the IRS reviewed or pre-approved them.

More information

The instructions point to Pub. 590-A and Pub. 590-B for more on IRAs, including the disclosures the custodian gives the depositor.

Related forms

Who completes Form 5305-A?

  • Depositors

    The instructions define the depositor as the person who establishes the custodial account. The depositor's name, date of birth and address go at the top of page 1, and the depositor signs on page 2.

  • Custodians

    The instructions say the custodian is 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.

  • Nonworking spouses

    The instructions say Form 5305-A may be used to establish the IRA custodial account for a nonworking spouse. Contributions for that spouse go to a separate IRA custodial account established by the nonworking spouse.

  • Beneficiaries

    Article IV sets how the remaining interest is distributed after the depositor's death to a surviving spouse, to another designated beneficiary, or when there is no designated beneficiary.

  • The IRS gets reports, not the form

    Under Article V, the custodian agrees to submit to the IRS and the depositor the reports prescribed by the IRS. The agreement itself stays with the records.

The form is an agreement between the person opening the traditional IRA and the custodian that holds it. Nobody sends it to the IRS.

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Questions about Form 5305-A

Do I send Form 5305-A to the IRS?

No. The form says "Do not file Form 5305-A with the IRS. Instead, keep it with your records."

Who fills out Form 5305-A?

The depositor, who establishes the account, and the custodian. The instructions say the traditional IRA is established once both have fully executed the form.

Which parts did the IRS review?

The instructions say only Articles I through VII have been reviewed by the IRS. Article VIII holds any additional provisions.

Can it be used for a nonworking spouse?

The instructions say yes. Contributions for a nonworking spouse go to a separate IRA custodial account established by that spouse.

What contribution limits does this revision show?

The April 2017 revision lists $5,500 per year for 2013 through 2017, or $6,500 for individuals who reached age 50 by the end of the year, with cost-of-living adjustments, if any, for later years.

What can the account not invest in?

Article III says no part of the funds may be invested in life insurance contracts or in collectibles, apart from the exception in section 408(m)(3) for certain coins and bullion.