Updated September 30, 2026. Quick answer: For 2026 you can put at most $7,500 into all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined ($8,600 if you are 50 or older), or your taxable compensation if that is less. The Roth part is phased out for income between $153,000 and $168,000 if single, and between $242,000 and $252,000 if married filing jointly. The IRS had not posted a 2027 limit on the page this was read from.
The 2026 limit, one pot for both IRA types
The IRS states the general limit this way: “For 2026, the total contributions you make each year to all of your traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs can’t be more than:” “$7,500 ($8,600 if you’re age 50 or older), or” “If less, your taxable compensation for the year”. The limit is shared. Money put into a traditional IRA counts against the same $7,500 as money put into a Roth IRA.
The $8,600 is the base plus the catch-up. Notice 2025-67 raises the catch-up for people 50 and older: “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.” Worked out: $7,500 + $1,100 = $8,600, the figure the IRS page prints.
Limit by year
| Year | Under 50 | Age 50 or older |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $7,500 | $8,600 |
| 2025 | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| 2024 | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| 2023 | $6,500 | $7,500 |
All eight figures are on the IRS contribution-limits page, which sets out 2026, then 2025 and 2024, then 2023 as separate limits. “For 2025 and 2024, the total contributions you make each year to all of your traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs can’t be more than:” “$7,000 ($8,000 if you’re age 50 or older), or”.
Who can contribute the full amount: income phase-out
Income can cut the Roth limit. The IRS says: “In addition to the general contribution limit that applies to both Roth and traditional IRAs, your Roth IRA contribution may be limited based on your filing status and income.” The 2026 ranges come from Notice 2025-67: “For singles and heads of household, the income phase-out range is between $153,000 and $168,000, increased from between $150,000 and $165,000.”
| Filing status | 2025 phase-out range | 2026 phase-out range |
|---|---|---|
| Single or head of household | $150,000 to $165,000 | $153,000 to $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly (or qualifying widow(er)) | $236,000 to $246,000 | $242,000 to $252,000 |
| Married filing separately | $0 to $10,000 | $0 to $10,000 |
The joint range is stated in the same notice: “the adjusted gross income phase-out range for taxpayers making contributions to a Roth IRA is between $242,000 and $252,000 for married couples filing jointly, increased from between $236,000 and $246,000.” The separate-return range is not indexed: “For a married individual filing a separate return, the phase-out range is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment and remains between $0 and $10,000.” How a partial contribution is figured inside a range is on the Roth IRA income limits page.
Spousal IRAs and working at any age
A spouse with little or no pay can still be covered: “If you file a joint return, you may be able to contribute to an IRA even if you didn’t have taxable compensation as long as your spouse did.” “Each spouse can make a contribution up to the current limit; however, the total of your combined contributions can’t be more than the taxable compensation reported on your joint return.” On age, the IRS page says “For 2020 and later, there is no age limit on making regular contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs.”
If you put in too much
A contribution above the limit is an excess contribution. “Excess contributions are taxed at 6% per year for each year the excess amounts remain in the IRA.” To avoid it the IRS page says you must withdraw “the excess contributions from your IRA by the due date of your individual income tax return (including extensions); and” “any income earned on the excess contribution.” The form is explained on the Form 5329 page.
What about 2027
The IRS contribution-limits page this article was read from carries a review date of 23-Sep-2026 and lists 2026 as the current year, with no 2027 row. Cost-of-living limits for the next year are set by an IRS notice, and none is quoted here. For the 2027 status of the all-IRA limit see the IRA contribution limit page.
Common mistakes
- Treating the Roth and traditional limits as two separate $7,500 allowances. They are one combined limit.
- Using last year’s income range. The 2026 single range is $153,000 to $168,000, up from $150,000 to $165,000.
- Forgetting the compensation test: the limit is the smaller of the dollar cap and taxable compensation.
Related: the IRA contribution limit, Roth IRA income limits, the backdoor Roth pro-rata calculator, and every IRA, RMD and beneficiary guide.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
Compare vetted advisors for Roth planning
If your portfolio is $250,000 or more, this connects you (free, with no obligation to hire anyone) with 2 to 3 vetted advisors.
Before you start, what actually happens. The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you.
WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
See how an advisor fits your IRA plan
Price the destination before you decide. The matching service below introduces you to advisers who pay to meet you.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- IRS, Retirement Topics: IRA Contribution Limits (page last reviewed 23-Sep-2026): https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-ira-contribution-limits
- IRS Notice 2025-67 (2026 cost-of-living adjustments for retirement plans and IRAs): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf
Read from the IRS documents linked above on September 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.