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I have not received any income in 2017, so I was hoping to withdraw from my 401k and report it in 2017 so that I pay less from the withdrawal being taxable income.

But since it is almost the end of 2017, I doubt that I would receive the cash within 2017.

Even if I end up receiving the cash in 2018, can I still report it as 2017 income if I make the request in 2017?

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    Call your 401(k) administrator and ask them. Typically, the date of the withdrawal is the date the check is cut, not the day it was mailed or the day it was received or cashed.
    – Dilip Sarwate
    Commented Dec 24, 2017 at 5:07
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    If you don’t really need it, you could alternatively move it into a Roth IRA (or a Roth 401(k)). That way, you would still report it as income in 2017, but future interest is also tax free, and you can still access it tax free anytime.
    – Aganju
    Commented Dec 24, 2017 at 14:30

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"Report income from day requested or received?"

Neither. The administrator will send you a 1099 reflecting the date the check is cut. The year is long over, but this Q&A may help another member in the future.

In general, if you need to make the request manually, it's good to plan for this at least 2 weeks ahead of any deadline. Online transactions will occur far faster. My transfer requests are usually effective the next business day.

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