IRA to a ROTH IRA, and back again?

[Brat]

I think I over-did it and may need to recharacterize some (or all) of my conversion back to it's former home.

I converted 'in kind' , that is I moved mutual fund shares from the IRA to the ROTH IRA. Both accounts are at the same house. So... when I move it back do I structure this in terms of value or shares? If I moved 100 shares of LotsAFund and it increased in value 5% while in the ROTH do I recharacterize 100 or 95?

[BigMoneyJim]

When I converted and then recharacterized my entire Roth balance was from the coversion, so I put it all back (in kind both ways). I assume you have to transfer assets + earnings back, but I'm not sure.

If it were possible to leave your 5% earnings in the Roth while recharacterizing the rest you will have never paid and will never pay income tax (or capital gains tax) on those earnings, so I bet the IRS thought of that and covered it.

All my dividends and cap gains distributions are reinvested, as are many in mutual funds in IRAs. So one might even have more shares than before the conversion and if I'm right can't just transfer back the original shares without the shares gained by reinvesting since the conversion.