WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has announced that employees in 401(k) and 403(b) plans will be able to contribute up to $24,500 next year. The IRS announced this and other changes in Notice 2025-67, posted on IRS.gov. This guidance provides cost‑of‑living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2026.
| Item | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
| 401(k), 403(b), 457 Elective Deferral Limit | $24,500 | $23,500 | $23,000 |
| Catch-Up Contribution Limit (age 50-59 & 64 and older)* | $8,000 | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Enhance Catch-Up Contribution Limit (age 60-63)* | $11,250 | $11,250 | N/A |
| Annual Compensation Limit | $360,000 | $350,000 | $345,000 |
| Required Roth Catch-Up Compensation Limit** | TBD | $150,000 | N/A |
| Defined Contribution Limit | $72,000 | $70,000 | $69,000 |
| Defined Benefit Limit | $290,000 | $280,000 | $275,000 |
| Definition of Highly Compensated Employee | $160,000 | $160,000 | $155,000 |
| Key Employee | $235,000 | $230,000 | $220,000 |
| IRA Contribution Limit | $7,500 | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| IRA Catch-Up Contributions (age 50 and older)* | $1,100 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
*age as of 12/31/2026
Highlights of Changes for 2026
The limit on contributions by employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan increased to $24,500.
The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50-59 and 64 and over who participate in these plans increased from $7,500 in 2025 to $8,000 in 2026.
The enhanced catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 60-63 as of 12/31/2026 who participate in these plans remained the same at $11,250.
**New for 2026 Roth catch- up requirement– Beginning on 01/01/2026, individuals who made $150,000 in FICA wages in 2025 from the Plan Sponsor are required to have their catch-up contributions be Roth contributions. Under previous guidance, the threshold was $145,000 but was increased to $150,000.
The annual compensation limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan increased to $360,000 from the 2025 limit of $350,000.
The income ranges for determining eligibility to make deductible contributions to traditional Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), to contribute to Roth IRAs and to claim the Saver’s Credit all increased for 2026.
Taxpayers can deduct contributions to a traditional IRA if they meet certain conditions. If during the year either the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse was covered by a retirement plan at work, the deduction may be reduced, or phased out, until it is eliminated, depending on filing status and income. (If neither the taxpayer nor the spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work, the phase-outs of the deduction do not apply.) Here are the phase‑out ranges for 2026:
- For single taxpayers covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is increased to between $81,000 and $91,000, up from between $79,000 and $89,000.
- For married couples filing jointly, if the spouse making the IRA contribution is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is increased to between $129,000 and $149,000, up from between $126,000 and $146,000.
- For an IRA contributor who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan and is married to someone who is covered, the phase-out range is increased to between $242,000 and $252,000, up from between $236,000 and $246,000.
- For a married individual filing a separate return who is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment and remains between $0 and $10,000.
The income phase-out range for taxpayers making contributions to a Roth IRA is increased to between $153,000 and $168,000 for singles and heads of household, up from between $150,000 and $165,000. For married couples filing jointly, the income phase-out range is increased to between $242,000 and $252,000, up from between $236,000 and $246,000. The phase-out range for a married individual filing a separate return who makes contributions to a Roth IRA is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment and remains between $0 and $10,000.
The income limit for the Saver’s Credit (also known as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit) for low- and moderate-income workers is $80,500 for married couples filing jointly, up from $79,000; $60,375 for heads of household, up from $9,250; and $40,250 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up from $39,500.
Key employee contribution limits Increase for 2026
The limit on annual contributions to an IRA increased to $7,500. The additional catch-up contribution limit for individuals aged 50 and over is increased to $1,100.
