401(k) and IRA contribution limits for 2026

For 2026 you can put $24,500 into a 401(k) and $7,500 into an IRA, and the two limits are separate. At 50 or older the totals rise to $32,500 and $8,600. At 60 to 63 the 401(k) total is $35,750. The IRS published these figures in Notice 2025-67 on November 13, 2025. As of October 7, 2026, the IRS has not released 2027 limits, which usually come in the fall.

The 2026 limits at a glance

The IRS catch-up page confirms the $11,250 figure for employees who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year. It replaces the $8,000 catch-up. It does not add to it.

The maximum for a 62-year-old saving in both accounts is $35,750 + $8,600 = $44,350. For a 52-year-old it is $32,500 + $8,600 = $41,100. For a 35-year-old it is $24,500 + $7,500 = $32,000.

Two limits that have different jobs

The $24,500 caps what you defer from your own pay. A second cap, under section 415(c), covers everything that goes into your account in a year: your deferrals, employer match and profit sharing, and after-tax money. For 2026 the IRS says it is the lesser of 100% of your pay or $72,000, or $80,000 with the standard catch-up and $83,250 at ages 60 to 63. Your employer match does not use up any of your $24,500.

The deferral limit follows you, not the plan. The IRS says you add up elective deferrals across every plan you take part in. If you change jobs mid-year, both payrolls will let you reach $24,500 on their own, and you can end up over. The IRS tells you to notify the plan administrator before April 15 of the next year to have the excess paid back. An excess left in the plan stays taxable in the year contributed.

IRA income limits: what they limit

A 401(k) has no income limit on who may contribute. IRAs have two separate sets of income ranges, and they limit different things. These are the 2026 ranges from the IRS announcement, measured on modified adjusted gross income.

Inside a range the benefit shrinks. Above the top it is gone. The traditional IRA ranges apply only when you or your spouse has a workplace plan. Without one, your traditional IRA contribution is deductible at any income. Above the Roth range you can still contribute to a traditional IRA, just without the deduction.

The IRA limit is one pool. The IRS says total contributions to all your traditional and Roth IRAs cannot exceed $7,500 ($8,600 at 50 or older), and cannot exceed your taxable compensation. Excess amounts left in the account face a 6% excise tax each year until removed. To choose between Roth and traditional money, see Roth vs traditional retirement accounts.

The Roth catch-up rule for higher earners

SECURE 2.0 requires some savers to make their catch-up contributions as Roth, meaning after tax. The IRS says that if your prior-year wages from the plan sponsor exceeded $150,000 (the figure applied to 2025 wages for 2026 catch-ups), your catch-up must go in as Roth where the plan offers it. The test uses Social Security (FICA) wages in Box 3 of your W-2, not your total income.

The dates are easy to get wrong. The requirement itself applies beginning in 2026: if your prior-year wages from the plan sponsor were over $150,000, your 2026 catch-up must go in as Roth. The detailed final regulations (IR-2025-91, September 15, 2025) apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026. For 2026, plans follow a reasonable, good-faith reading of the law, so the mechanics can differ slightly from plan to plan until then. The rule only reaches your catch-up amount, not the first $24,500.

A sensible order for the money

1. 401(k) up to the full employer match. On a $70,000 salary with a 50% match on the first 6%, you put in $4,200 and the employer adds $2,100. See money tasks ranked by dollars per hour for that math.
2. An IRA, if you want to pick your own investments and fees, and your income is under the relevant range.
3. More into the 401(k), up to the limit for your age.

This is an ordering rule, not advice for your situation. If your plan has an unusually high-cost fund menu, or you carry card debt above 20%, the order changes. For how a traditional deferral changes this year's tax, use the tax bracket headroom tool.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (Notice 2025-67), Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.
2. Retirement topics: Catch-up contributions, Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.
3. Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits, Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.
4. Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits, Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.
5. Treasury, IRS issue final regulations on new Roth catch-up rule (IR-2025-91), Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.
6. COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions, Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 2026.