1. Traditional vs. Roth Contributions
It’s common for 401(k) accounts to include both pre-tax (traditional) and post-tax (Roth) contributions. These are treated differently for tax purposes. A traditional 401(k) transfer won’t cause taxes if sent to another pre-tax retirement account. In contrast, a Roth 401(k) portion retains its tax-free treatment and must be transferred directly into the alternate payee’s Roth account to avoid taxes.
When drafting your QDRO, make sure it separately identifies and divides Roth and traditional subaccounts. If not, the plan administrator may default everything to a pre-tax treatment—causing unexpected tax consequences.

