2026 Roth IRA Contribution Limits
The 2026 limit is $500 higher than in 2025. Your total across all traditional and Roth IRAs can’t exceed these IRS contribution limits.
| Tax year | Under age 50 | Age 50 or older |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| 2026 | $7,500 | $8,600 |
The extra amount for people 50 and older is called a catch-up contribution. It rises to $1,100 in 2026, up from $1,000 in 2025.
Your limit also can’t be more than your taxable compensation, which is generally money you earn by working, like wages or self-employment income. If you earn $5,000 in 2026, the most you can contribute is $5,000.
Because the limit is shared, money you put in a traditional IRA reduces your Roth room. For example, if you’re under 50 and add $3,000 to a traditional IRA in 2026, you can add up to $4,500 to a Roth IRA.
How Your Income Affects Your Roth IRA Contribution
Even if you have enough earnings, a high income can shrink your Roth IRA contribution limit. The IRS measures this with your modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI.
Your adjusted gross income (AGI) is your total income minus certain adjustments. MAGI starts with your AGI and adds some of those amounts back. Here are the 2026 IRS income limits by filing status.
| Filing status | Full contribution | Reduced contribution | No contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single or head of household | Under $153,000 | $153,000–$168,000 | $168,000 or more |
| Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse | Under $242,000 | $242,000–$252,000 | $252,000 or more |
| Married filing separately (lived with spouse any time during the year) | Not available | $0–$10,000 | $10,000 or more |
If you file separately but lived apart from your spouse all year, use the single or head of household row.
Here’s what each column means for you:
- In the full range, you can contribute $7,500 ($8,600 if 50 or older), up to what you earned from work.
- In the reduced range, your limit shrinks as your income rises.
- In the no contribution range, you can’t contribute directly to a Roth IRA that year.
For example, a single filer under 50 with $160,500 MAGI is halfway through the $15,000 range, so their limit is cut in half to $3,750.
The married filing separately range isn’t adjusted for inflation, so it stays the same each year. For 2025, the reduced ranges were $150,000–$165,000 for single and head of household filers and $236,000–$246,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Other Rules That Affect How Much You Can Contribute
Once you know your limit, a few more rules shape how you can use it.
There’s No Age Limit
You can contribute to a Roth IRA at any age, as long as you have taxable compensation. Roth IRAs also have no required minimum distributions for the original owner, so you’re never forced to start withdrawing.
A Spouse Without Earnings Can Still Contribute
If you file a joint return, a spouse with no taxable compensation can contribute based on the other spouse’s earnings. Each of you can put in up to the annual limit. Your combined contributions can’t exceed the taxable compensation on your joint return.
Rollovers Don’t Count Toward the Limit
Moving money from another retirement account into a Roth IRA through a rollover doesn’t use up any of your annual limit.
Contributions Aren’t Tax-Deductible
You can’t deduct Roth IRA contributions on your tax return. That makes it worth knowing the tax rate on IRA withdrawals before you choose between account types. If your income is lower, your contribution may also qualify you for the Saver’s Credit.
Keep in mind, the IRS taxes excess contributions at 6% per year for each year the extra money stays in your IRA. An excess contribution is any amount over your limit. It can happen if you put in more than the annual cap, contribute to several IRAs without adding them up, or contribute when your income is above the Roth limit.
Roth IRA Contribution Deadline
You generally have until your tax filing due date to contribute for that year, and extensions don’t push it back. That means 2026 contributions are due by April 15, 2027.
