2025 2026 401k 403b 457 IRA FSA HSA Contribution Limits

Retirement account contribution limits are adjusted for inflation each year. Most contribution limits and income limits are projected to go up in 2026.

Before the IRS publishes the official adjustments for the next year in late October or early November, I calculate them based on the published inflation numbers by the same method the IRS uses, as stipulated by law. I’ve maintained a track record of 100% accuracy ever since I started doing these calculations.

2025 2026 401k/403b/457/TSP Elective Deferral Limit

The 401k/403b/457/TSP contribution limit is $23,500 in 2025. It will go up by $1,000 to $24,500 in 2026.

If you are age 50 or over by December 31, the catch-up contribution limit is $7,500 in 2025. It will go up by $500 to $8,000 in 2026.

If your age is 60 through 63 by December 31, you have a higher catch-up limit of $11,250 in 2025. It will go up by $250 to $11,500 in 2026.

If your prior year’s wages from the employer were over $145,000, your 2025 catch-up contribution must go to a Roth subaccount in the plan. The threshold will go up by $5,000 to $150,000 in 2026. The IRS has postponed enforcing this rule for 2025, but it will start enforcing it in 2026.

Employer match or profit-sharing contributions aren’t included in these limits. If you work for multiple employers in the same year or if your employer offers multiple plans, you have one single employee contribution limit for 401k, 403b, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) across all plans.

The 457 plan limit is separate from the 401k/403b/TSP limit. You can contribute the maximum to both a 401k/403b/TSP plan and a 457 plan.

2025 2026 Annual Additions Limit

The limit on total contributions from both the employer and the employee to all defined contribution plans by the same employer is $70,000 in 2025. It will increase to $72,000 in 2026.

The age-50-or-over catch-up contribution is separate from this limit. If you work for multiple employers in the same year, you have a separate annual additions limit for each unrelated employer.

2025 2026 SEP-IRA Contribution Limit

If you have self-employment income, you can contribute a percentage of your self-employment income to a SEP-IRA. The SEP-IRA contribution limit is always the same as the annual additions limit for a 401k plan. It’s $70,000 in 2025, and it will increase to $72,000 in 2026.

Because the SEP-IRA doesn’t allow employee contributions, unless your self-employment income is well above $200,000, you have a higher contribution limit if you use a solo 401k. See Solo 401k When You Have Self-Employment Income.

2025 2026 Annual Compensation Limit

The maximum annual compensation that can be considered for making contributions to a retirement plan is always 5x the annual additions limit. Therefore the annual compensation limit is $350,000 in 2025. It will increase to $360,000 in 2026.

2025 2026 Highly Compensated Employee Threshold

If your employer limits your contribution because you’re a Highly Compensated Employee (HCE), the minimum compensation to be counted as an HCE is $160,000 in 2025. It will stay the same at $160,000 in 2026.

2025 2026 SIMPLE 401k and SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limit

Some smaller employers offer a SIMPLE 401k or a SIMPLE IRA plan instead of a regular 401k plan. SIMPLE 401k and SIMPLE IRA plans have a lower contribution limit than standard 401k plans. The contribution limit for SIMPLE 401k and SIMPLE IRA plans is $16,500 in 2025. It will go up to $17,000 in 2026.

Employers with fewer than 25 employees and larger employers that contribute more to the plan have a higher contribution limit. The regular contribution limit to their SIMPLE plans is $17,600 in 2025. It will go up to $18,500 in 2026.

If you are 50 or over by December 31, the catch-up contribution limit in a SIMPLE 401k or SIMPLE IRA plan is $3,500 in 2025 ($3,850 at smaller employers) for ages 50-59 and 64 and over, and $5,250 for ages 60 through 63. It will be $4,000 in 2026 for ages 50-59 and 64 and over, and $5,000 for ages 60 through 63. The IRS may keep the catch-up limit for ages 60 through 63 at $5,250 in 2026.

Employer contributions to a SIMPLE 401k or SIMPLE IRA plan aren’t included in these limits.

2025 2026 Traditional and Roth IRA Contribution Limit

You need taxable compensation (“earned income”) to contribute to a Traditional or Roth IRA but there’s no age limit. The Traditional IRA or Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,000 in 2025. It will increase by $500 to $7,500 in 2026.

If you are age 50 or over by December 31, the catch-up limit is $1,000 in 2025. It will increase by $100 to $1,100 in 2026.

The IRA contribution limit is shared between the Traditional IRA and the Roth IRA. If you contribute the maximum to a Roth IRA, you can’t contribute the same maximum again to a Traditional IRA, and vice versa.

The IRA contribution limit and the 401k/403b/TSP or SIMPLE contribution limit are separate. You can contribute the respective maximum to both a 401k/403b/TSP/SIMPLE plan and a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA.

2025 2026 Deductible IRA Income Limit

The income limit for taking a full deduction for your contribution to a Traditional IRA while participating in a workplace retirement plan in 2025 is $79,000 for single filers and $126,000 for a married couple filing jointly. The deduction completely phases out when your income goes above $89,000 for singles and $146,000 for married filing jointly.

The full-deduction income limits will go up in 2026 to $81,000 for single filers and to $129,000 for a married couple filing jointly. The deduction will completely phase out when your income goes above $91,000 for singles and $149,000 for married filing jointly.

When you’re not covered in a workplace retirement plan but your spouse is, the income limit for taking a full deduction for your contribution to a Traditional IRA is $236,000 in 2025. The deduction completely phases out when your joint income goes above $246,000.

The full-deduction income limit will go up to $242,000 in 2026. The deduction completely phases out when your joint income goes above $252,000.

There’s no income limit if neither you nor your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan.

When you exceed the income limit for taking a deduction for contributing to a Traditional IRA, consider contributing to a Roth IRA instead.

2025 2026 Roth IRA Income Limit

The income limit for contributing the maximum to a Roth IRA depends on your filing status. The income limit in 2025 is $150,000 for singles and $236,000 for married filing jointly. These limits will go up to $153,000 for singles and $242,000 for married filing jointly in 2026.

You can’t contribute anything directly to a Roth IRA when your income goes above $165,000 in 2025 for singles and $246,000 for married filing jointly. These income limits will go up to $168,000 for singles and $252,000 for married filing jointly in 2026.

Your contribution eligibility is prorated in the income phase-out range. When you exceed the income limit for contributing to a Roth IRA, consider doing the backdoor Roth. See Backdoor Roth: A Complete How-To.

2025 2026 Healthcare FSA Contribution Limit

The Healthcare FSA contribution limit is $3,300 per person in 2025. It will go up to $3,400 in 2026.

Some employers allow carrying over some unused amount to the following year. The maximum amount that can be carried over to the following year is set to 20% of the contribution limit in the current tax year. As a result, the carryover limit is $660 per person in 2025. It will go up to $680 in 2026.

2025 2026 HSA Contribution Limit

You need to have a High Deductible Health Plan with no other coverage to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Not all high-deductible health insurance is HSA-eligible, but the 2025 Trump tax law made all Bronze plans from an ACA marketplace HSA-eligible starting in 2026.

Medicare or your spouse having a general-purpose healthcare FSA counts as having other coverage, which makes you ineligible to contribute to an HSA.

You don’t need taxable compensation (“earned income”) to contribute to an HSA.

The HSA contribution limit in 2025 is $4,300 for single coverage and $8,550 for family coverage. These limits will go up in 2026 to $4,400 for single coverage and $8,750 for family coverage. The new limits were announced previously in the spring. See HSA Contribution Limits.

Those who are 55 or older by December 31 can contribute an additional $1,000. If you are married and both of you are 55 or older by December 31, each of you can contribute the additional $1,000, but the contributions must go into separate HSAs in each person’s name.

2025 2026 Saver’s Credit Income Limit

You may be eligible to receive a Retirement Savings Contributions Credit (“Saver’s Credit”) of up to $2,000 per person when you contribute to a retirement account or an ABLE account.

The income limits for receiving the credit in 2025 for married filing jointly are $47,500 (50% credit), $51,000 (20% credit), and $79,000 (10% credit). These limits will go up in 2026 to $48,500 (50% credit), $52,500 (20% credit), and $80,500 (10% credit).

The limits for singles are half of the limits for married filing jointly. The 2025 limits are $23,750 (50% credit), $25,500 (20% credit), and $39,500 (10% credit). The 2026 limits will be $24,250 (50% credit), $26,250 (20% credit), and $40,250 (10% credit).

The 2025 Trump tax law reduced the scope of the Saver’s Credit. It will apply only when you contribute to an ABLE account starting in 2027. Contributions to retirement accounts will no longer qualify after 2026.

All Together

	2025	2026 (Projected)	Increase
401k, 403b, or 457 plan employee contributions limit	$23,500	$24,500	$1,000
401k, 403b, or 457 plan ages 50-59 and 64+ catch-up contributions limit	$7,500	$8,000	$500
401k, 403b, or 457 plan ages 60-63 catch-up contributions limit	$11,250	$11,500	$250
SIMPLE plan contributions limit	$16,500	$17,000	$500
SIMPLE plan contributions limit at eligible employers	$17,600	$18,500	$900
SIMPLE plan ages 50-59 and 64+ catch-up contributions limit	$3,500	$4,000	$500
SIMPLE plan ages 50-59 and 64+ catch-up contributions limit at eligible employers	$3,850	$4,000	$150
SIMPLE plan ages 60-63 catch-up contributions limit	$5,250	$5,000 or $5,250	-$250 or None
Maximum annual additions to all defined contribution plans by the same employer	$70,000	$72,000	$2,000
SEP-IRA contribution limit	$70,000	$72,000	$2,000
Highly Compensated Employee definition	$160,000	$160,000	None
Annual Compensation Limit	$350,000	$360,000	$10,000
Traditional and Roth IRA contribution limit	$7,000	$7,500	$500
Traditional and Roth IRA age 50+ catch-up contribution limit	$1,000	$1,100	$100
Deductible IRA income limit, single, active participant in a workplace retirement plan	$79,000 – $89,000	$81,000 – $91,000	$2,000
Deductible IRA income limit, married, active participant in a workplace retirement plan	$126,000 – $146,000	$129,000 – $149,000	$3,000
Deductible IRA income limit, married, spouse is an active participant in a workplace retirement plan	$236,000 – $246,000	$242,000 – $252,000	$6,000
Roth IRA income limit, single	$150,000 – $165,000	$153,000 – $168,000	$3,000
Roth IRA income limit, married filing jointly	$236,000 – $246,000	$242,000 – $252,000	$6,000
Healthcare FSA Contribution Limit	$3,300	$3,400	$100
HSA Contribution Limit, single coverage	$4,300	$4,400	$100
HSA Contribution Limit, family coverage	$8,550	$8,750	$200
HSA, age 55 catch-up	$1,000	$1,000	None
Saver’s Credit income limit, married filing jointly	$47,500 (50%) $51,000 (20%) $79,000 (10%)	$48,500 (50%) $52,500 (20%) $80,500 (10%)	$1,000 (50%) $1,500 (20%) $1,500 (10%)
Saver’s Credit income limit, single	$23,750 (50%) $25,500 (20%) $39,500 (10%)	$24,250 (50%) $26,250 (20%) $40,250 (10%)	$500 (50%) $750 (20%) $750 (10%)

Source: IRS Notice 2024-80, author’s calculations.

2025 2026 Tax Brackets and Standard Deduction

I also calculated the 2026 income tax brackets, standard deduction, capital gains tax brackets, and the gift tax exclusion limit. Please read 2026 Tax Brackets, Standard Deduction, Capital Gains, etc.