IRA Contribution Limits 2026: Roth & Traditional Phase-Outs
2026 IRA contribution limits: $7,500 base, $1,100 catch-up, plus the exact Roth and Traditional MAGI phase-out ranges by filing status. See where you land.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax rules change periodically, always check current IRS guidance or consult a qualified tax professional.
Two numbers get most of the attention: the $7,500 you can put in and the extra $1,100 if you are 50 or older. The numbers that actually decide whether you can fund a Roth or write off a Traditional contribution are the income phase-outs, and those are easy to miss.
This guide covers both. First the flat 2026 limits, then the MAGI ranges that determine your real eligibility, broken out by filing status and whether a workplace plan covers you.
2026 IRA Contribution Limits at a Glance
For the 2026 tax year, the base IRA contribution limit is $7,500, up from $7,000 in 2025. If you are 50 or older, a $1,100 catch-up contribution brings your ceiling to $8,600.
| Contributor | Base Limit | Catch-Up (50+) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $7,500 | — | $7,500 |
| 50 or older | $7,500 | $1,100 | $8,600 |
One point trips people up every year: this limit is the combined maximum across all your IRAs, not a per-account figure. If you have both a Traditional and a Roth IRA, $7,500 total is the cap for both together. Opening a second account does not buy you a second limit.
For comparison, the 2026 401(k), 403(b), and 457 elective deferral limit is $24,500, a separate bucket that sits alongside your IRA. Maxing a workplace plan does not reduce what you can put in an IRA, though as you will see below, being covered by that plan can affect your Traditional deduction.
What changed from 2025
The IRA base limit rose $500 (from $7,000 to $7,500) and the catch-up rose $100 (from $1,000 to $1,100), both driven by the annual cost-of-living adjustment. The Roth and Traditional income ranges also moved up, except the married-filing-separately bands, which are fixed by statute and never get a COLA.
Roth IRA Income Phase-Out Ranges for 2026
Roth IRAs come with an income ceiling. Below the range you can contribute the full amount, inside the range your limit shrinks on a sliding scale, and above it you cannot contribute directly at all.
| Filing Status | Full Contribution Below | Phase-Out Range (MAGI) | No Contribution Above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single / Head of Household | $153,000 | $153,000–$168,000 | $168,000 |
| Married Filing Jointly | $242,000 | $242,000–$252,000 | $252,000 |
| Married Filing Separately | — | $0–$10,000 | $10,000 |
These 2026 figures come from IRS Notice 2025-67 and the IRS newsroom release 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500. The single range rose $3,000 and the joint range $6,000 from 2025.
The married-filing-separately range is the harsh one. It runs from $0 to $10,000 and gets no inflation adjustment, so almost anyone who lived with their spouse and files separately is either partially or fully phased out of a direct Roth contribution.
If your MAGI lands inside the range, your allowed contribution is reduced proportionally rather than cut to zero. That interpolation is where a lot of readers give up and guess. The Tax47 calculator applies the same phase-out math live, so you can watch your allowed amount move as your income changes.
Traditional IRA Deduction Phase-Outs for 2026
Here is the distinction most articles blur: anyone with earned income can contribute to a Traditional IRA at any income level. The phase-out does not touch your ability to contribute. It only limits whether that contribution is tax-deductible.
And it only kicks in if you (or your spouse) are covered by a workplace retirement plan, like a 401(k). If neither of you is covered, your Traditional contribution is fully deductible no matter how much you earn.
| Your Situation | Phase-Out Range |
|---|---|
| Single / HoH, covered by a workplace plan | $81,000–$91,000 |
| MFJ, you are covered by a workplace plan | $129,000–$149,000 |
| MFJ, you are NOT covered but your spouse IS | $242,000–$252,000 |
| MFS, covered by a workplace plan | $0–$10,000 |
| Not covered, spouse not covered | Fully deductible at any income |
These ranges also come from IRS Notice 2025-67 and the IRS newsroom release.
The third row is the one competitors gloss over. If you do not have a workplace plan but your spouse does, your deduction phases out on the higher $242,000 to $252,000 band, not the tighter covered-worker ranges. Many people in this situation assume they cannot deduct at all, or that they get the full deduction, and both guesses can be wrong.
Below the range you deduct the whole contribution. Inside it, the deduction shrinks. Above it, you can still contribute the full $7,500 but you deduct none of it, which sets up the backdoor Roth move discussed later.
What Counts as MAGI (and Why It Is Not Your Salary)
Every range above is measured against your modified adjusted gross income, not your paycheck. MAGI is not a number that appears on your W-2, which is why so many people misjudge where they fall.
Start with adjusted gross income, the figure near the bottom of the first page of your return. AGI is your total income minus specific adjustments like Traditional IRA contributions, student loan interest, and HSA contributions.
MAGI then adds some of those items back. For IRA purposes the common add-backs include the Traditional IRA deduction itself, student loan interest, and foreign earned income exclusions. For most wage earners without these items, MAGI lands close to AGI, and both sit below gross salary once pre-tax 401(k) and health premiums come out.
So don’t just eyeball your salary against these tables. A $170,000 salary with strong 401(k) and HSA contributions can produce a MAGI comfortably inside the Roth range. Run your actual numbers.
Roth vs. Traditional: Which Limit Should Drive Your Decision
The two accounts trade tax timing. A Traditional deduction lowers your taxable income now, and you pay tax on withdrawals in retirement. A Roth gives no deduction today, but qualified withdrawals later are tax-free.
If you expect a higher tax rate in retirement than today, the Roth’s tax-free growth tends to win. If you want the deduction now and expect a lower rate later, the Traditional case is stronger. Your current marginal bracket is a useful starting point for that call.
If your income is over the Roth limit
Earners above the Roth ceiling often use a backdoor Roth: make a nondeductible Traditional IRA contribution, then convert it to a Roth. It is a legitimate and common route, but it interacts with existing pre-tax IRA balances (the pro-rata rule) in ways that can create a surprise tax bill. Talk to a tax professional before running one.
See Where You Land With Tax47
The phase-out ranges are ranges for a reason: the answer for anyone inside them is a partial number, not a yes or no. Interpolating that by hand is where the mistakes happen.
Tax47 applies retirement-contribution deduction logic as you build your return, and the Tax Break Finder flags the retirement-contributions deduction when you qualify. You assemble your real W-2, 1099, and Schedule C figures, and the estimated refund updates live as your MAGI shifts across the curve. Browse the full set of free tax tools or download the app to model it against your own numbers.
Sources & References
- IRS newsroom — 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 — Official 2026 contribution limits and phase-out announcement.
- IRS Notice 2025-67 (PDF) — 2026 amounts relating to retirement plans and IRAs, including all MAGI phase-out ranges.
- IRS — Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits — Combined-limit rule and deductibility basics.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax rules change periodically, always check current IRS guidance or consult a qualified tax professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IRA contribution limit for 2026?
The 2026 IRA contribution limit is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, thanks to a $1,100 catch-up contribution. That limit is the combined maximum across all your Traditional and Roth IRAs.
What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?
For 2026 the Roth IRA contribution phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of MAGI for single and head-of-household filers, and between $242,000 and $252,000 for married filing jointly. Married filing separately phases out between $0 and $10,000.
Can I still contribute to a Traditional IRA if I earn too much?
Yes. Anyone with earned income can contribute to a Traditional IRA. Income only limits your deduction, and only if you or your spouse are covered by a workplace retirement plan.
What is the Traditional IRA deduction phase-out for 2026 if I have a 401(k)?
If you are covered by a workplace plan in 2026, the deduction phases out between $81,000 and $91,000 of MAGI for single and head-of-household filers, and between $129,000 and $149,000 for married filing jointly.
Is the $7,500 limit per account or total?
It is the total across all your Traditional and Roth IRAs combined. Splitting money between two accounts does not raise the ceiling.
What is MAGI and how is it different from my salary?
MAGI is your modified adjusted gross income. It starts from your adjusted gross income and adds back certain deductions, and it is the figure the phase-outs use, not your gross salary.
When is the deadline to contribute for 2026?
You generally have until the federal tax filing deadline in April 2027 (Tax Day) to make a 2026 IRA contribution, not December 31, 2026.