Yes. A surviving spouse, and only a surviving spouse, may elect to roll over an eligible rollover distribution to an IRA, or, beginning in 2002, another qualified plan, §403(b) plan, or governmental §457 plan. Once the assets are in the surviving spouse's account, the surviving spouse is treated as the owner for all purposes, including the minimum distribution requirements. Thus, a surviving spouse would not be required to begin receiving distributions from the account until April 1 of the year following the year in which the surviving spouse attains age 70½. And, distributions after the surviving spouse's death can be based on a designated beneficiary's life expectancy, thus allowing a much longer time period for distributions.

In the case of an inherited IRA, a surviving spouse may elect to treat it as the spouse's own without actually having to make a rollover distribution to another IRA. The election can be made by redesignating the account as an account in the name of the surviving spouse as the IRA owner, making contributions to the IRA, or not making distributions that would be required if the IRA were the decedent's.