2026 IRA Contribution Limit
For 2026, the IRA Contribution Limit is $7,500 (Annual contribution limit) and +$1,100 (Catch-up contribution limit, age 50 and over).
Effective 2026-01-01Source: Notice 2025-67 (IRS)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual contribution limit | $7,000 | $7,500 | +$500 (+7.1%) |
| Catch-up contribution limit, age 50 and over | +$1,000 | +$1,100 | +$100 (+10.0%) |
Who it applies to
This is a per-person annual ceiling. Section 219 limits the amount of an individual's deductible qualified retirement contributions for a taxable year, so the $7,500 belongs to the person rather than to any single account, and holding more than one IRA does not raise it. The further $1,100 is available to individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year. Whether a given contribution is deductible is a separate question, which Notice 2025-67 answers through the applicable amounts under section 219(g): those turn on filing status and on whether the taxpayer, or the taxpayer's spouse, is an active participant in a qualified plan. Limits the same notice sets for workplace plans, such as the elective deferral limitation under section 402, are different figures and are not part of this one.
What changed this year, and why
For 2026 the deductible amount under section 219, which limits the amount of an individual's deductible qualified retirement contributions for a taxable year, is increased from $7,000 to $7,500. The amount for individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year is increased from $1,000 to $1,100. Both had stood unchanged for 2025, so Notice 2025-67 moves the two together. The same notice also raises the applicable amounts under section 219(g), which decide whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible for a taxpayer who is an active participant in a workplace plan.
Common questions
- How much can I contribute to an IRA for 2026?
- For 2026 the deductible amount under section 219 is $7,500. Notice 2025-67 states it as a limit on an individual's deductible qualified retirement contributions for a taxable year, so it caps the year rather than each account. An individual who has attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year may add a further $1,100 on top of that. Both amounts rose for 2026.
- How much did the IRA contribution limit go up for 2026?
- Notice 2025-67 states the deductible amount under section 219 as increased from $7,000 to $7,500, and the addition for individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year as increased from $1,000 to $1,100. Both figures had held still for 2025, so 2026 is the year both steps up. The notice gives the two endpoints and applies its rounding rules to reach them.
- What is the IRA catch-up contribution for 2026?
- It is $1,100, up from $1,000. Notice 2025-67 states this as the deductible amount under section 219 for individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year. It is added on top of the $7,500 rather than replacing it, and the notice gives one figure here, with no separate amount by filing status.
- Is the $7,500 limit per IRA or for all of my IRAs together?
- Section 219 limits the amount of an individual's deductible qualified retirement contributions for a taxable year, so $7,500 is stated at the level of the person and the year rather than the account. Opening a second or a third IRA does not create another $7,500. Notice 2025-67 publishes the amount and cites the provision it belongs to; it sets no separate account-level ceiling.
- Do my workplace retirement plan contributions count against the IRA limit?
- Notice 2025-67 lists the limitation on the exclusion for elective deferrals under section 402 and the deductible amount under section 219 as separate limitations, each adjusted on its own for 2026. The $7,500 IRA figure is the section 219 amount. A workplace plan deferral is measured against its own limitation, and the notice states no combined ceiling covering both.
- Is my IRA contribution deductible if I am covered by a plan at work?
- The $7,500 is a contribution ceiling, not a deductibility test. Notice 2025-67 separately raises the applicable amounts under section 219(g), which phase out the deduction for taxpayers who are active participants in a qualified plan, by filing status and by adjusted gross income. It also sets a separate applicable amount for an IRA contributor who is not an active participant but is married to someone who is.
- Which tax year does the $7,500 limit apply to?
- Notice 2025-67 publishes these as the amounts for 2026, and section 219 states its limit for a taxable year. So $7,500, and $1,100 for those who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year, are the 2026 figures, while $7,000 and $1,000 remain the amounts published for 2025. The notice does not change a year already published.
- Where does the 2026 IRA contribution limit come from?
- Notice 2025-67, titled 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living. The IRA figures sit in the group of retirement-related amounts the notice adjusts using a variation of the ordinary cost-of-living methodology, after the applicable rounding rules are taken into account. The deductible amount and the age 50 addition both come from section 219.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The IRA contribution planner takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
The extra amount once you reach 50
Once you reach age 50, the IRS allows you to contribute an additional catch-up amount on top of the regular annual limit. For 2026, individuals age 50 or older may contribute an extra $1,100, bringing their total contribution capacity to $8,600. This catch-up provision recognizes that older savers may need extra time to build retirement assets as they approach retirement age. The catch-up amount is not a separate type of contribution but rather an allowance that permits higher contributions to your IRA. To qualify, you must be at least age 50 by the end of the tax year. Both traditional and Roth IRAs are eligible for the catch-up contribution. Keep in mind that the total of all your IRA contributions for the year cannot exceed the applicable limit, whether that is the standard $7,500 or the catch-up amount of $8,600 if you meet the age requirement. The catch-up provision helps older workers who may be behind on retirement savings build up their accounts more quickly in the years just before they retire.
in 2026, the IRA contribution limit is increased to $7,500 ($8,600 for individuals age 50 or older)
Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (IRS)
You cannot contribute more than you earned
The IRA contribution limit applies to what the IRS defines as compensation, which is generally what you earn from working. This includes wages, salaries, tips, professional fees, bonuses, and other amounts you receive for providing personal services. It also includes commissions, self-employment income, nontaxable combat pay, military differential pay, taxable alimony and separate maintenance payments, and taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments. However, certain items are excluded, such as conservation reserve program payments and amounts you exclude from income like foreign earned income. The compensation requirement means you cannot contribute more to your IRA than you actually earned during the year, even though the annual limit is $7,500. If you are age 50 or older, you can make an additional catch-up contribution of $1,100. But if your compensation is less than the contribution limit, your maximum contribution is limited to your compensation amount.
What Is Compensation? Generally, compensation is what you earn from working. For a summary of what compensation does and doesn’t include, see Table 1-1. Compensation includes all of the items discussed next (even if you have more than one type). Wages, salaries, etc. Wages, salaries, tips, professional fees, bonuses, and other amounts you receive for provid- ing personal services are compensation.
Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (IRS)
Why a workplace plan can take the deduction away
If you or your spouse is covered by an employer retirement plan at work, your ability to deduct traditional IRA contributions may be reduced or eliminated based on your income. The deduction phaseout rules apply when you are covered by an employer retirement plan and did not receive any social security retirement benefits. Your IRA deduction may be reduced or eliminated depending on your filing status and modified adjusted gross income. The phaseout begins when your income rises above a certain amount and is eliminated altogether when it reaches a higher amount. These income thresholds vary depending on your filing status, such as single, married filing jointly, or married filing separately. If your spouse is covered by a plan but you are not, different phaseout rules may apply to you. Even if your deduction is reduced or eliminated due to the phaseout, you may still be able to make nondeductible contributions to your traditional IRA up to the annual limit of $7,500 (or $7,500 plus $1,100 catch-up if age 50 or older).
Covered by a retirement plan. If you are covered by an employer retirement plan and you didn’t receive any social security retirement benefits, your IRA deduction may be reduced or eliminated depending on your filing status and modified AGI, as shown in Table 1-2.
Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (IRS)
How late you can still contribute for a year
You do not have to wait until December 31 to make your IRA contribution for a tax year. Instead, you have until the due date of your federal income tax return for that year, which is typically April 15 of the following year. This deadline does not include any filing extensions you may have requested. For example, contributions for the 2026 tax year can be made until April 15, 2027 (or the next business day if April 15 falls on a weekend or holiday). If you miss this deadline, you cannot make a contribution for that tax year, even if you have not yet filed your return. The contribution counts for the prior tax year only if you designate it as such when you make it. This gives taxpayers extra time beyond the calendar year to fund their retirement accounts and potentially reduce their tax liability for the year.
You can open a traditional IRA at any time. However, the time for making contributions for any year is limited. See When Can Contributions Be Made, later.
Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (IRS)
The 6% tax on contributing too much
A 6% excise tax applies to any excess contribution to a Roth IRA. Excess contributions are amounts you contribute that exceed the annual contribution limits or that are not properly allocated to the correct tax year. This penalty is designed to discourage overfunding retirement accounts beyond the limits set by Congress. The 6% tax applies each year the excess remains in your account, meaning the penalty continues annually until you correct the error. You can withdraw the excess contribution and any earnings on it before the due date of your tax return (including extensions) to avoid the penalty for that year. If you fail to remove the excess, the 6% tax applies again the following year on the same amount, creating a compounding penalty. The excess contribution tax must be reported on Form 5329, and you should monitor your contributions carefully to ensure you do not exceed the applicable limits for your age and situation.
A 6% excise tax applies to any excess contribution to a Roth IRA.
Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (IRS)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Notice 2025-67 (IRS)
- Annual contribution limit
The deductible amount under section 219(b)(5)(A), which limits the amount of an individual’s deductible qualified retirement contributions for a taxable year is increased from $7,000 to $7,500.
- Catch-up contribution limit, age 50 and over
The deductible amount pursuant to section 219(b)(5)(B)(ii) for individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the taxable year is increased from $1,000 to $1,100.