IRA, SIMPLE and SEP Rules at a Glance: Contribution Limits, Income Limits and Rollover Options for 2025 and 2026
Here are IRA contribution limits, income limits and rollover rules for Roth, traditional, SIMPLE and SEP IRAs at a glance.
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Did you max out your 2025 IRA contribution limit? If not, plan carefully to get the most out of your retirement accounts. You still have until April 15, 2026, to make a contribution to your Roth and traditional IRAs for 2025 before you start using your 2026 limit. Read on for 2025 and 2026 contribution limits.
IRAs have become even more valuable tools for retirement savings in the years since employers began moving away from traditional pensions. As companies shifted to defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s, workers needed new ways to save for their future, increasing the importance of savings opportunities outside the scope of employment.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) established the IRA account, and by 1975, workers who had no access to employer-sponsored retirement plans could contribute up to $1,500 per year. Over the years, the number of people eligible to contribute to an IRA has grown, as have the types of IRAs available.
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By mid-2023, 55.5 million (or 42.2%) U.S. households reported owning individual retirement accounts (IRAs), according to a 2023 ICI report on The Role of IRAs in US Households’ Saving for Retirement. IRA accounts held $14.5 trillion at the end of June 2025, over one-third of total retirement assets of $40 trillion.
The following tables provide a quick overview of contribution limits, income thresholds, and rollover rules for Roth, traditional, SIMPLE and SEP IRAs. For deeper planning advice and detailed regulations, follow the links provided in each section.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | 2026 Age 50 or older | 2025 Age 50 and older |
|---|---|---|
$8,600 | $8,000 | |
$8,600 | $8,000 | |
n/a | n/a |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
$7,500 | $7,000 | |
$7,500 | $7,000 | |
25% of your total compensation, up to $75,000 | 25% of your total compensation, up to $70,000 | |
$360,000 | $350,000 |
Filing status | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | 2026 Contribution limit | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | 2025 Contribution limit |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Row 1 - Cell 2 | Row 1 - Cell 4 | ||
Single | less than $153,000 | Full contribution-$7,500 | less than $150,000 | Full contribution-$7,000 |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | more than $153,000 but less than $168,000 | Partial contribution | more than $150,000 but less than $165,000 | Partial contribution |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | more than $168,000 | Not eligible | more than $165,000 | Not eligible |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | Row 5 - Cell 2 | For 2025: | Row 5 - Cell 4 |
Married (filing joint returns) | less than $242,000 | Full contribution-$7,500 | less than $236,000 | Full contribution-$7,000 |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | more than $242,000 but less than $252,000 | Partial contribution | more than $236,000 but less than $246,000 | Partial contribution |
| Row 8 - Cell 0 | more than $252,000 | Not eligible | more than $246,000 | Not eligible |
| Row 9 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | Row 9 - Cell 2 | For 2025: | Row 9 - Cell 4 |
Married (filing separately) | less than $10,000 | Partial contribution | less than $10,000 | Partial contribution |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | more than $10,000 | Not eligible | more than $10,000 | Not eligible |
Consider the backdoor Roth option if your income exceeds the limit.
If you earn too much to contribute to a Roth IRA, all may not be lost. You can still access these accounts indirectly through a backdoor Roth IRA.
Creating a backdoor Roth IRA is a two-step process. First, you open a traditional IRA using after-tax dollars instead of the pre-tax money you usually fund these accounts with. Then, you convert the traditional IRA to a Roth, but because none of the contributions were deductible, no income tax is owed on the conversion.
While there are no income limits for setting up a nondeductible IRA or making a Roth conversion, contributions through the back door have the same annual limit in 2025 and 2026. For more information, read Backdoor Roth IRAs: Good for Wealthy Retirees? and get up-to-speed on the pro-rata rule and how to manage withdrawals.
Filing status | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | Deduction limit |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Row 1 - Cell 3 | ||
Single | less than $81,000 | less than $79,000 | Full deduction up to the amount of your contribution limit |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | more than $81,000 but less than $91,000 | more than $79,000 but less than $89,000 | Partial deduction |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | more than $91,000 | more than $89,000 | No deduction |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | For 2025: | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
Married (filing joint returns) | less than $129,000 | less than $126,000 | Full deduction up to the amount of your contribution limit |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | more than $129,000 but less than $149,000 | more than $126,000 but less than $146,000 | Partial deduction |
| Row 8 - Cell 0 | more than $149,000 | more than $146,000 | No deduction |
| Row 9 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | For 2025: | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
Married (filing separately) | less than $10,000 | less than $10,000 | Partial deduction |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | more than $10,000 | more than $10,000 | No deduction |
Filing Status | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) | Deduction limit |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Row 1 - Cell 3 | ||
Single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er) | Any amount | Any amount | Full deduction up to the amount of your contribution limit |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | For 2025: | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
Married filing jointly- both spouses are not covered by a plan at work | Any amount | Any amount | Full deduction up to the amount of your contribution limit |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | For 2025: | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
Married filing jointly with a spouse who is covered by a plan at work | less than $242,000 | less than $236,000 | Full deduction up to the amount of your contribution limit |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | more than $242,000 but less than $252,000 | more than $236,000 but less than $246,000 | Partial deduction |
| Row 8 - Cell 0 | more than $252,000 | more than $246,000 | No deduction |
| Row 9 - Cell 0 | For 2026: | For 2025: | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
Married filing separately with a spouse who is covered by a plan at work | less than $10,000 | less than $10,000 | Partial deduction |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | more than $10,000 | more than $10,000 | No deduction |
A non-deductible IRA
A non-deductible IRA isn’t a type of retirement account; it refers to nondeductible contributions that you make to a traditional IRA. It’s a retirement savings strategy for those whose income exceeds the limits to make deductible IRA contributions or to contribute to a Roth IRA. You will need to file a Form 8606 for every year you made nondeductible IRA contributions
But be aware that making nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA will complicate your life when it comes time to withdraw funds from your IRA. Why? Because each withdrawal from that traditional IRA will be a combination of your nondeductible contributions, your tax-deductible contributions and all their earnings. And as you take distributions, the ratio will change. How to Calculate Tax-Free and Taxable IRA Withdrawals can give you a clearer picture of how the process works.
SEP Plan criteria for eligible employees and contribution limits
Requirement for equal contributions. SEP plans provide some flexibility to employer owners when cash flow is tight. There's no requirement or obligation for the business owner to make contributions each year, but when they do the percentage of income contributed to a SEP IRA must be the same across all eligible employees, including the owner.
Eligibility to contribute to a SEP IRA. Unlike other retirement plans, there are specific criteria for being eligible to have a SEP IRA as an employee.
You must:
- Be age 21 or older
- Meet the 3-of-5 rule, meaning you've been employed full time by the company for any period of time during at least 3 of the last 5 year
- Earn the minimum annual compensation from the SEP IRA-sponsoring employer. For 2026 that is $800 and $750 for 2025.
A company may exclude the following from its SEP IRA:
- Employees that are covered by a union collective bargaining agreement for retirement benefits
- Employees who are not U.S. residents and do not receive US wages.
Account type | Catch-up contribution (50-59 and 64 and over | Catch-up contribution (50-59 and 64 and over | |
|---|---|---|---|
SIMPLE IRA / SIMPLE 401(k): or employers with more than 25 but less than 100 employees: | $17,000 | $4,000 | $5,250 (no change from 2025) |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | 2025 limits | Row 1 - Cell 2 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
SIMPLE IRA / SIMPLE 401(k) | $16,500 | $3,500 | $5,250 |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | Row 3 - Cell 1 | Row 3 - Cell 2 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
SIMPLE IRA-for employers with 25 or fewer employees: | SIMPLE employee deferral under 50 | SIMPLE employee age 50-59 and 64+ catchup | SIMPLE employee age between ages 60 and 63 catchup |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | 2026 limits | Row 5 - Cell 2 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
| Row 6 - Cell 0 | $18,100 | $3,850 ($21,950 total limit) | $5,250 ($23,350 total limit) |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | 2025 limits | Row 7 - Cell 2 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
| Row 8 - Cell 0 | $17,600 | $3.850 | $3,850 |
SIMPLE Employer (Mandatory) Contribution Limits
SIMPLE IRAs operate differently than other IRAs. And it's important to note that employees cannot make SIMPLE IRA contributions on their own behalf. SEP IRA contributions are made by the employer/business owner rather than by individuals/employees, and contribution amounts are determined by the business, subject to IRS limits.
Another unique feature of a SIMPLE IRA plan is that the percentage of income contributed by an employer/owner to a SIMPLE IRA must be the same for all eligible employees, including the owner. For the 2025 tax year, the deadline to contribute to a SIMPLE IRA is April 15, 2026, or the business's tax filing deadline, including extensions up to October 15, 2026.
An employer must contribute to a plan and can choose either of the following SIMPLE IRA employer match rules:
- Make a non-elective contribution of at least 2% of compensation for all eligible employees. You may limit these non-elective contributions to eligible employees earning at least $5,000, although you do not have to do so. Maximum compensation for 2026 is $360,000 and $350,000 for the 2025 tax year.
- Make a matching contribution of 100% up to the first 3% of compensation. Employees only get this matching contribution if they contribute to the plan.
- Allow additional nonelective contributions to SIMPLE IRA plans. Section 116 of the SECURE Act 2.0 allows employers to make additional contributions to their employees “in a uniform manner,” as long as the contribution does not exceed either up to 10 percent of compensation or $5,000, whichever is less.
SIMPLE IRA deadlines
SIMPLE IRAs have set-up deadlines and contribution deadlines.
Setup deadline: A plan cannot have an effective date later than October 1 for current-year contributions.
Contribution deadline: Employers must make contributions by the business's tax-filing deadline. They must deposit salary deferral contributions from employees no later than 30 business days after the end of the month they were deferred.
Employers are required to make annual contributions to a SIMPLE IRA plan. At minimum, an employer must either match employee contributions, up to 3% of compensation (and no less than 1%), or contribute up to 2% of compensation for all eligible employees, regardless of whether the employee contributes.
Roll From: | Roll To: Roth IRA | Traditional IRA | SIMPLE IRA | A SEP-IRA | Designated Roth Account (401(k), 403(b) or 457(b) | 403(b) (pre-tax) | Qualified Plan (pre-tax) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roth IRA | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Yes | Yes | Yes , after two years | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
SIMPLE IRA | Yes, after two years | Yes, after two years | Yes | Yes, after two years | No | Yes, after two years | Yes, after two years |
A SEP-IRA | Yes | Yes | Yes, after two years | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Here are some important rules and limitations about rollovers:
Number of rollovers: the once-per-year rollover rule. You can only make one 60-day indirect rollover, where you receive a check from an IRA and deposit it into another IRA within 60 days, from all of your IRAs (including Traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs) within a 12-month period.
Three exceptions to the once-per-year rollover rule. This rule doesn't apply to: (1) trustee-to-trustee transfers — direct transfers of funds between IRA custodians, (2) rollovers to/from qualified plan — rollovers from or to 401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc. and (3) Roth conversions — converting a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
Rollovers from pre-tax accounts to a Roth IRA. If you rollover funds from a traditional, SIMPLE or SEP IRA to a Roth IRA, you will have to include the rollover amount on your tax return and pay income taxes.
Limitations on rollover to SIMPLE IRAs. Rollovers into a SIMPLE IRA from traditional and SEP IRAs, as well as employer-sponsored retirement plans, applies only to contributions made after December 18, 2015. Contributions made prior to that date are ineligible to rollover into a SIMPLE IRA.
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