Updated October 9, 2026. Quick answer: the 2026 Thrift Savings Plan elective-deferral limit for federal employees and uniformed-service members is $24,500, matching the private-sector 401(k) limit, per TSP Bulletin 25-3. The age-50 catch-up is $8,000, the age-60-63 super catch-up is $11,250, and the combined Annual Additions Limit (your own contributions plus agency/service automatic and matching contributions) is $72,000. All four figures are the exact IRS amounts from Notice 2025-67, published to tsp.gov within days of the IRS notice each year. The 2027 figures are not yet announced; the IRS notice is expected late October to mid-November 2026.
The 2026 limits for this plan: the 2026 TSP limits, the 2026 401(k) contribution limits and the 2026 457(b) limit.
The confirmed 2025 and 2026 TSP limits
| 2025 | 2026 | Projected 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elective deferral limit | $23,500 | $24,500 | $25,500 (Milliman, Aug 13, 2026) |
| Catch-up, age 50-59 and 64+ | $7,500 | $8,000 | $8,500 (Milliman, Aug 13, 2026) |
| Catch-up, ages 60-63 | $11,250 | $11,250 | $11,750 (Milliman, Aug 13, 2026) |
| Annual additions limit (§415(c)) | $70,000 | $72,000 | $75,000 (Milliman, Aug 13, 2026) |
Why the TSP always matches the 401(k) figures
TSP elective deferrals are explicitly listed under 26 U.S.C. §402(g)(3), the same statutory limit that governs 401(k) and 403(b) plans, so the TSP does not set its own number; it republishes the IRS figure. The Annual Additions Limit (§415(c)) works the same way as a 401(k)’s combined employee-plus-employer cap, with agency automatic (1%) and matching (up to 4%) contributions counted against it for FERS employees. TSP.gov typically issues its own bulletin restating the new limits within days of the IRS’s annual Notice.
The rates are already settled. Only the thresholds are still moving.
That is enough to plan against. A Roth conversion, a deferred bonus or a gain taken in 2027 can be sized today against the 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% rates the statute already fixes, without waiting for the Revenue Procedure. If you want someone to price that decision against your own income rather than a projection, this is the point to ask.
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Sources
The 2026 TSP limits on this page were checked against TSP Bulletin 25-3 (November 19, 2025) and IRS Notice 2025-67 on September 29, 2026.
- TSP Bulletin 25-3, "2026 TSP Contribution Limits": 2026 elective deferral, catch-up, and annual-additions figures.
- IRS Notice 2025-67: underlying §402(g)/§414(v)/§415(c) figures TSP republishes.
- IRS Newsroom, "401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026": the IRS announcement of the 2026 retirement plan limits.
2027 projection: Milliman, August 13, 2026.
Statute: 26 U.S.C. §402(g)(3), §414(v), §415(c).
Related
General information, not tax or legal advice. This page will be updated with the official 2027 figure the day it is announced.