This article will mention some of the IRA distributions penalties that you will face upon early distribution time. In case you don't wait the requirement amount of time, usually up until the age of 59 years and a half, you will incur in a penalty to your distribution amount. This amount is usually practiced in the form of a fixed percentage by its base, however, there are additional taxes in this case.
Now, first of all, you should know that there are no penalty free IRA distributions. All of them will apply some sort of fee to your contributed money if you attempt to perform an early withdrawal and in some cases there may be an added tax afterwards regardless. However you are advised that there are certain ways of tapping into the IRA contributions without incurring in penalties.
For example, you can make a 60 day loan from your IRA account without having to pay any penalties or fees, at least while you return the money before the end of the 60 days. This allows you to use IRA distributions without penalty in very short term applications while still having it in near full effect for IRA calculations. Of course, there are also other exceptions like first time house buyers, case of disability, etcetera, but these are exceptions that only apply in few cases.
The actual IRA distributions penalty is applied in different ways. Traditional IRA for example will have you charged a 10% penalty, along with an added tax for withdrawal without qualified reason. On the other hand, the funds in a Roth IRA for less than five years will apply you a tax based on the earnings (Rather than to contributions).
However, for Roth IRA applications of five more years the no penalty practice applies for when you go over 59 and half years old. Of course, all these forms of IRA are taxable, although the Roth IRA applications will be deductible over the earning, not contributions.
This should give you a few notions of how the Distribution penalties are applied and how you can try and avoid them, but that was never exactly the IRA application purpose so you should avoid it. Remember that as a retirement fund you should look ahead and not at the current moment except in a grave moment of need, otherwise eventually there could be nothing for you to rely on.