Roth conversion

I have a traditional IRA with about $25k in it now. I’m in my 40s. I’m looking to convert it to a Roth to take advantage of my current low tax bracket, and I’d like to pay by having the amount added to my taxable income for 2026 and paying taxes on it when filing taxes in spring 2027.

1. Am I correct in thinking that I can avoid the 10% penalty for distributions if I pay this way, instead of using the funds in the account to pay?

2. I’ve seen articles advising that Roth conversions should be done in December, to have the taxes seem like they are spread over the previous year. Would this be advantageous? And what would happen if I do the conversion now instead?