Roth IRA withdrawal guidelines. With a Roth IRA, you can always withdraw your contributions without tax or penalty before you turn 59½ since you've already paid tax on them.Generally, an early distribution is allocated to your Roth IRA contributions first, then to your conversions and rollovers on a first-in, first-out basis. You'd only have to wait until Jan. You can't withdraw earnings until you hit 59.5. Roth IRAs must meet the 5-year aging rule before withdrawals from earnings can be taken tax- and penalty-free. Roth IRAs allow for after-tax contributions and potentially tax-free withdrawals in retirement. See when to start taking RMDs. Roth IRA contributions can be withdrawn at any time without federal income tax or penalty. You may incur similar tax penalties under state law.