If a taxpayer's pension includes previous gross income contributions, what is the treatment of those distributions?

When a taxpayer's pension includes contributions that have already been taxed as gross income, the treatment of those distributions follows specific tax principles. The correct choice indicates that there are various scenarios depending on the specifics of the contributions and the rules governing pension distributions.

Typically, contributions made to a pension plan can either be pre-tax or post-tax. If a taxpayer has made contributions to their pension using after-tax dollars (previous gross income contributions), they are entitled to exclude these contributions from taxable income upon withdrawal. This means that the portion of the pension representing these contributions is not subject to taxation again when distributed.

In addition, the full amount of the pension could potentially be taxed if all contributions were pre-tax. However, when there are mixed contributions (both taxed and untaxed), the taxation of distributions is calculated in a way that reflects the cost basis of those contributions.

Thus, the statement that they can be fully taxed, excluded up to the cost, and cannot be excluded encompasses the various possibilities depending on the nature of the contributions and the structure of the pension plan. Therefore, "All of the choices listed above" captures the complexity of the situation, recognizing that the treatment of distributions can differ based on the taxpayer's financial history and the details of their pension contributions.