What balance Due I use “Current End of Day” or 12/31

L1: What balance Due I use “Current End of Day” or 12/31
Hello , I am going to Pull the trigger on My SEPP Today or tomorrow have forms in front of Me. I am going to use Amortization method. Can I use closing Balance Today or 12/31 which We all Know was Bad !!
Also ? There is a discrepancy on the interest page, It tells me 3.69% for Jan 2019 then below it says 3.47%
Can I still use 3.69 %
Thanks for Your Help
2019-01-16 15:27, By: High Tech Red Neck, IP: [2601:588:8400:3c0:b022:5c4e:cd7d:7773]

L2: What balance Due I use “Current End of Day” or 12/31
The max rate is the highest of the two months PRIOR TO the month of your first distribution. You could not use the January rate even if it was higher than 3.69. You can use 3.69 and it IS the highest rate you could use.
Generally, you would want to use the highest eligible closing balance that you can document. You do not have to use the 12/31 balance although that is easier to document. You could use yesterday’s balance but would need to make a screen print of it that shows the date of the balance in order to have your documentation in order.
Better recheck everything before taking that distribution, since you apparently missed the fact that the January rate cannot be used for a January initial distribution regardless of what it is. The rate for either of the two months prior to January provides two calculations, each with the possibility of being the highest rate.
2019-01-16 15:56, By: Alan S, IP: [72.24.226.251]

L3: What balance Due I use “Current End of Day” or 12/31
Normally you would have been able to use the highest balance in the past 3-6 months.
However, the regulations state that that balance must be “reasonable”. The significant decline in Dec may allow the IRS to not allow you to use Oct or Nov balances which were probably much higher, depending upon your portfolio.
2019-01-16 17:40, By: dlzallestaxes, IP: [173.59.46.223]