SUPPLEMENT TO THE PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1997
OF ALLSTATE LIFE OF NEW YORK
SEPARATE ACCOUNT A
The following information is added to the Federal Tax Matters Section of your
prospectus.
Roth Individual Retirement Annuities
Section 408A of the Code permits eligible individuals to make nondeductible
contributions to an individual retirement program known as a Roth Individual
Retirement Annuity. Roth Individual Retirement Annuities are subject to
limitations on the amount that can be contributed and on the time when
distributions may commence. "Qualified distributions" from Roth Individual
Retirement Annuities are not includible in gross income. "Qualified
distributions" are any distributions made more than five taxable years after the
taxable year of the first contribution to the Roth Individual Retirement
Annuity, and which are made on or after the date the individual attains age 59
1/2, made to a beneficiary after the owner's death, attributable to the owner
being disabled or for a first time home purchase (first time home purchases are
subject to a lifetime limit of $10,000). "Nonqualified distributions" are
treated as made from contributions first and are includible in gross income to
the extent such distributions exceed the contributions made to the Roth
Individual Retirement Annuity. The taxable portion of a "nonqualified
distribution" may be subject to the 10% penalty tax on premature distributions.
Subject to certain limitations, a traditional Individual Retirement Account or
Annuity may be converted or "rolled over" to a Roth Individual Retirement
Annuity. The taxable portion of a conversion or rollover distribution is
includible in gross income, but is exempted from the 10% penalty tax on
premature distributions.
Please retain this Supplement for future reference.
January 1, 1998
