How much can you contribute to an IRA in 2026?

IRA contribution limits have gone up by $500 for a total of $7,500 that you can contribute to a Roth or traditional IRA in 2026. This is important, because this is the first increase that we've had in 2 years. If you didn’t make a contribution by the end of the previous calendar year, you can still do so up to the tax deadline of the current year, which is generally every April 15. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity

For the first time ever, catch-up contributions have gone up by $100 for a total of $1,100. So someone 50 and older can contribute $8,600 in 2026. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity

Roth IRA income limits have gone up for a single person by $3,000 to $153,000. That means if you make below $153,000 (that’s your modified gross income), you can contribute $7,500. If you're single making between $153,000 and $168,000, you could make a partial contribution. If you make more than $168,000, you're not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA. For married couples, the limit increased by $6,000. Married couples filing jointly can make the full $7,500 contribution if they are earning less than $242,000. Couples are eligible for a partial contribution to a Roth if they earn between $242,000 and $252,000. If a couple makes over $252,000, they cannot contribute to a Roth IRA. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity

First is flexibility. Since you're making after-tax contributions, you can withdraw those contributions at any point, penalty- and tax-free. Second, your earnings have the potential to grow tax-free. Withdrawals, as long as they meet certain conditions, can also be withdrawn tax-free in retirement.² Finally, there are no required minimum distributions, which allows your money to grow tax-free during your lifetime. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity

When deciding between a traditional¹ IRA vs. a Roth IRA² there are 3 things to consider: tax benefits, income limits, and withdrawals. For taxes, if you think your income will be higher in retirement, you might want to consider a Roth IRA, where you’re not getting any tax benefit right now, but you’d have the benefit of potential tax-free withdrawals in retirement. If you think your income will be lower in retirement, it might be more beneficial to contribute to a traditional IRA to get a tax deduction now, if you're eligible, to reduce your taxable income. For income: Your first requirement to even be able to contribute to an IRA is to have earned income. Second, your income determines whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA or deduct contributions to a traditional IRA. And when it comes to withdrawals, traditional IRAs have required minimum distributions (RMDs), which means that at age 73, if you haven’t withdrawn yet, you do have to begin taking money out, and that is taxable to you. But for Roth IRAs, there is some flexibility. You can take out your contributions at any point penalty- and tax-free², because it’s already been taxed, and they do not have RMDs. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity

Yes. If you're eligible to contribute to a Roth and want to contribute to a traditional IRA, you can have both. However, the contribution limit applies to both accounts, not each. – Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity