Updated October 1, 2026. Quick answer: The total 401(k) limit for 2026, counting your own deferrals plus employer matching and other employer contributions, is $72,000, or 100% of your pay if less. Catch-up contributions sit on top of it: $80,000 at 50 and older and $83,250 at ages 60 to 63. IRS Notice 2025-67 raised the defined contribution plan limit under section 415(c)(1)(A) to $72,000.
More IRS forms and schedules, read line by line: Form 5330 instructions.
The 2026 overall limit
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Overall limit, all additions to one employer’s plans | $72,000 |
| Limit with the age 50 catch-up (computed) | $80,000 |
| Limit with the ages 60 to 63 catch-up (computed) | $83,250 |
| Employee deferral limit | $24,500 |
| Pay counted toward the limit | $360,000 maximum |
Notice 2025-67 says “The limitation for defined contribution plans under section 415(c)(1)(A) is increased in 2026 from $70,000 to $72,000.” The IRS limit page states “The annual additions paid to a participant’s account cannot exceed the lesser of: 100% of the participant’s compensation, or $72,000 in 2026”.
What counts toward the $72,000
The IRS lists the pieces: “elective deferrals (but not catch-up contributions) employer matching contributions employer nonelective contributions allocations of forfeitures”. Your deferrals, the employer match and any profit-sharing deposit all share the one limit. The mega backdoor Roth calculator shows how people size contributions near it.
A worked example
A worker with a high salary defers the full $24,500 and receives $15,000 in employer match and profit sharing, an illustration and not a source figure. Total additions are $39,500, which leaves $32,500 of room under the overall limit. A 50-year-old can add the $8,000 catch-up on top, without using any of that room.
Catch-up sits outside the overall limit
The IRS limit page says the $8,000 catch-up and, for ages 60 to 63, the $11,250 amount are available if the plan allows them (“$8,000 in 2026 to traditional and safe harbor 401(k) plans”). The IRS news release says “For 2026, this higher catch-up contribution limit remains $11,250 instead of the $8,000 noted above.” See catch-ups outside the 415(c) limit for how they interact.
Common mistakes
- Treating $24,500 as the total. It is only the employee deferral limit.
- Counting the employer match outside the $72,000. It is inside.
- Counting catch-up inside the $72,000. It is on top.
- Ignoring a second employer. Plans of related employers share one overall limit.
Related: catch-ups outside the 415(c) limit, the mega backdoor Roth calculator, the 2027 401(k) limits page, the 2026 retirement numbers hub, the 2026 401(k) limits, and the 2026 catch-up limits.
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Answer againSources
- IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf
- IRS, Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-401k-and-profit-sharing-plan-contribution-limits
- IRS news release IR-2025-111 (Nov. 13, 2025), 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 1, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the plan administrator or the agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.