House tax bill would likely force Peter Thiel to pull $5 billion from his

Billionaire Peter Thiel and others with huge retirement account balances are in lawmakers’ crosshairs.

House Democrats unveiled a tax package on Monday that would force distributions from one’s nest egg if the value of individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans and other retirement stashes exceed $10 million.

Thiel, a PayPal co-founder, owns a Roth IRA that was worth $5 billion in 2019, according to a ProPublica report published in June, based on tax return data. The IRA was worth less than $2,000 two decades earlier.

The House legislation would require Thiel to withdraw all but $20 million, nearly emptying the account, according to tax experts.

Roth IRAs are a type of after-tax account. Contributions are taxed upfront; investment earnings are tax-free, unless the owner withdraws funds after 59½ years old.

Based on the bill’s current language, Thiel, 53, would owe income tax on his investment growth — meaning he’d likely owe tax on nearly $5 billion, according to Ed Slott, an accountant and IRA expert based in Rockville Centre, New York.

(This example assumes the IRA is his only retirement account and that the account is still worth $5 billion.)

“The whole thing was written in response to Peter Thiel,” Slott said of the House legislation. “Because he fits the profile: He’s in his 50s and has $5 billion.”

Thiel didn’t immediately return a request for comment from CNBC.

His situation illustrates the tax impact new distribution rules may have on Americans with so-called mega IRAs.

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The House proposal is one of several changes to the tax code Democrats are aiming at the wealthy to raise money for up to $3.5 trillion of spending on education, paid leave, child care, health care and climate measures. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the tax package Wednesday, setting it up for a vote in the full chamber.

“IRAs were designed to provide retirement security to middle-class families, not allow the super wealthy to avoid paying taxes,” according to Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chair of the Senate Finance Committee.

Current law requires withdrawals from certain retirement accounts based on age. A 2019 law also created distribution rules for inherited IRAs and 401(k) plans.

The House legislation would add to those rules, asking wealthy savers of all ages to withdraw a large share of aggregate retirement balances annually. They’d potentially owe income tax on the funds.

The formula is complex, based on factors like account size and type of account (pretax or Roth). Here’s the general premise: accountholders must withdraw 50% of accounts valued at more than $10…