IRA contribution limits change almost every year, and it is easy to miss the update if you are not looking for it. If you contributed the maximum amount last year without checking, you may be able to put away more this year, or in some cases, less than you think if your income has changed. Here is what applies for 2026.

Who can contribute

There is no age limit on contributing to an IRA. What matters is earned income: you or your spouse must have it, and you cannot contribute more than you actually earned in the year. If your household income is below the annual limit, your maximum contribution is capped at your earned income instead.

If you have a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or both, the combined total you can contribute across all of them in a year is the same single limit. You cannot contribute the full limit to each separately.

2026 contribution limits

  • Under age 50: $7,500 per year
  • Age 50 or older: $8,600 per year, which includes the catch-up contribution available once you reach 50

These limits apply across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined, not per account.

Roth IRA income limits for 2026

Roth IRA eligibility phases out at higher income levels, based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Here is how that breaks down by filing status:

Single filers

  • MAGI under $153,000: full $7,500 contribution
  • MAGI from $153,000 up to $168,000: partial contribution, reduced on a sliding scale
  • MAGI $168,000 or more: not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA

Married filing jointly

  • MAGI under $242,000: full $7,500 contribution
  • MAGI from $242,000 up to $252,000: partial contribution
  • MAGI $252,000 or more: not eligible

Married filing separately

  • MAGI under $10,000: partial contribution only
  • MAGI $10,000 or more: not eligible

This last one catches people off guard. Because of how the rule is written, there is no full-contribution tier at all for married couples filing separately, only a very narrow partial range.

Traditional IRA: a different set of rules

Unlike a Roth, your income does not affect whether you can contribute to a traditional IRA. It can affect whether that contribution is tax deductible, and that depends on whether you or your spouse are covered by a retirement plan at work. Those deduction phase-out ranges are their own separate set of numbers, and they are specific enough to your filing status and workplace coverage that it is worth confirming the exact figures with a tax advisor rather than relying on a general rule of thumb.

If you contribute more than you are allowed

Excess contributions happen more often than you would expect, usually when income changes mid-year and pushes someone past a Roth threshold they did not know they had crossed. If this happens to you, it is fixable, but it needs to be addressed before your tax filing deadline to avoid an ongoing penalty. If you think you may have over-contributed, do not wait until next year to sort it out.

The bigger question behind the numbers

Knowing the limit is one thing. Deciding whether a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or some combination actually fits your situation is a different question, and it depends on where you expect your tax rate to be now versus in retirement, what else you are already contributing to through work, and how it fits alongside the rest of your financial plan. The contribution limit tells you the ceiling. It does not tell you the right strategy.

If you want help figuring out which approach fits your situation, a complimentary planning review is a good place to start.