How Much Can I Contribute to an IRA in 2026?

Workplace 401(k) limits are separate. For which account to fund first, see 401(k) vs IRA.

This is education, not tax advice.

2026 IRA contribution limits#

You cannot put $7,500 into a traditional IRA and another $7,500 into a Roth IRA. The cap is shared across both.

There is no age limit on regular IRA contributions for 2020 and later (you still need eligible compensation, with spousal IRA rules on a joint return).

2026 Roth IRA income phase-outs#

Roth IRA contribution eligibility phases out with modified AGI. Per the IRS 2026 COLA announcements:

Above the top of the range, you generally cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA. Indirect strategies (sometimes called a backdoor Roth) are a tax-planning topic with traps—get advice if that is your situation; this page is the direct-contribution ceiling.

Traditional IRA deductibility#

Having a workplace plan does not block IRA contributions, but it can limit whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible. Deductibility phase-outs are separate IRS tables that change with COLA. Check the current year’s IRS IRA pages before you assume the contribution lowers taxable income.

Excess contributions#

Contributing above the limit can trigger a 6% excise tax each year the excess remains. The IRS explains corrective options on the IRA limits page—fix it early, not at audit time.

How IRAs fit the rest of the plan#

Pair IRA funding with an emergency fund, Roth vs traditional tax timing, and savings-by-age benchmarks.

Calendar playbook: from January to the tax deadline#

IRA contributions count for a tax year if you make them by the filing deadline (usually mid-April of the following year, without extensions). A practical timeline:

• January–March — Confirm prior-year W-2s and whether you still have room under the shared traditional+Roth cap. Many people fund the prior year in this window while doing current-year payroll deferrals separately.
• April — Last call for prior-year IRA deposits if you file on time. Mark the tax year on the contribution form your custodian uses; wrong-year coding creates fix-it paperwork.
• May–December — Focus on current-year limits. If you get a raise mid-year, you can increase automatic transfers without assuming you already maxed on January 2.
• After a job change — Compensation might drop; you cannot contribute more than taxable compensation for the year even if the dollar limit is $7,500 or $8,600.

Roth phase-outs use modified AGI for the same tax year as the contribution. A Roth contribution in April for the prior year still looks at that year’s income, not the year you write the check.

Traditional vs Roth at the 2026 cap#

The $7,500 / $8,600 limit is shared, but the accounts behave differently:

• Traditional IRA — May be deductible, partially deductible, or non-deductible depending on workplace plan coverage and income. A non-deductible traditional contribution still grows tax-deferred; you need Form 8606 discipline to avoid double taxation later.
• Roth IRA — No deduction now; qualified withdrawals can be tax-free later. Direct Roth contributions disappear above the phase-out ranges—see the table above—unless you use permitted strategies with professional guidance.
• Splitting — You can contribute to both traditional and Roth in one year as long as the combined dollars stay under the cap (and compensation rules are met).

If you are choosing Roth versus traditional at the margin, run through Roth vs traditional with current bracket, expected retirement bracket, and whether you already hold large pre-tax balances. The limit is the same either way; the tax timing is not.

Mistakes that cost more than the catch-up#

• Excess contributions — The 6% excise tax per year on unresolved excess is painful on a $500 overage left for three years. Fix with timely withdrawal or recharacterization per IRS rules.
• Forgetting the spouse — A non-working spouse may qualify for a spousal IRA on a joint return if the working spouse has enough compensation. Two IRAs mean two limits, not one shared pot.
• Roth when ineligible — Contributing above the phase-out without a allowed strategy creates excess-contribution headaches.
• Skipping the match to fund IRA first — Workplace 401(k) match is often 50–100% instant return; IRA limits do not replace match math in 401(k) vs IRA.
• Confusing IRA with 401(k) — You can generally do both, but deductibility and Roth eligibility differ. Track each bucket separately.

Self-employed readers: SEP-IRA and solo 401(k) limits are different IRS caps—not the $7,500 IRA ceiling. This article is the personal IRA limit; business structures need their own worksheet.

Sources#

• IRS, 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026; IRA limit increases to $7,500.
• IRS, IRA contribution limits.
• IRS, IRAs.