Every year, the IRS announces updated contribution limits and income thresholds for Individual Retirement Accounts, or IRAs. The IRA contribution limit is not changing in 2018, but the income limits for Roth IRA contributions and the traditional IRA tax deduction are increasing. Here’s a guide to help determine your 2018 IRA and 401(k) contribution and deduction limitations.
The 2018 IRA contribution limit $5,500, the same as it was last year. In fact, the last time the limit was increased was in 2013, when it grew by $500 to the current level.
On October 19, 2017 the IRS announced that 401(k) contribution limits will increase by $500. In 2018, employees who participate in the employer sponsored plan will be able to contribute as much as $18,500 per year, up from $18,000.
The income ranges for determining eligibility to make deductible 2018 IRA and 401(k) contribution limitations to traditional Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), to contribute to Roth IRAs and to claim the saver’s credit all increased for 2018.
Taxpayers can deduct contributions to a traditional IRA if they meet certain conditions. It’s best to contact your tax professional for clarification. If during the year either the taxpayer or their 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 their 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 2018:
For single taxpayers covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is $63,000 to $73,000, up from $62,000 to $72,000.
For married couples filing jointly, where the spouse making the IRA contribution is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is $101,000 to $121,000, up from $99,000 to $119,000.
For an IRA contributor who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan and is married to someone who is covered, the deduction is phased out if the couple’s income is between $189,000 and $199,000, up from $186,000 and $196,000.
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 $0 to $10,000.
The income phase-out range for taxpayers making contributions to a Roth IRA is $120,000 to $135,000 for singles and heads of household, up from $118,000 to $133,000. For married couples filing jointly, the income phase-out range is $189,000 to $199,000, up from $186,000 to $196,000. 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 $0 to $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 $63,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $62,000; $47,250 for heads of household, up from $46,500; and $31,500 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up from $31,000.
