United States · Retirement · 2006 to 2026
IRA contribution limits by year.
The traditional and Roth IRA contribution limit for every year from 2006 to 2026, with the age-50 catch-up.
Short answer: The IRA contribution limit is $7,500 for 2026 ($8,600 if you are 50 or older, because the catch-up is $1,100). It was $7,000 for 2024 and 2025, $6,500 for 2023, $6,000 for 2019 to 2022 and $5,500 for 2013 to 2018. The IRS had not published a 2027 limit when this page was checked.
Look up a year
Result
Press Look up to see the result.
IRA limits, year by year
The limit covers your total contributions to all traditional and Roth IRAs for the year, not each account. The IRS cost-of-living table lists the limit and the age-50 catch-up for 2006 through 2025, and the IRS "Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits" page gives the 2026 limit of $7,500 and $8,600 for those 50 or older. The last column adds the two and is our arithmetic.
| Year | IRA contribution limit | Age 50+ catch-up | Limit with catch-up (derived) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $7,500 | $1,100 | $8,600 |
| 2025 | $7,000 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| 2024 | $7,000 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| 2023 | $6,500 | $1,000 | $7,500 |
| 2022 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 2021 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 2020 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 2019 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 2018 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2017 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2016 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2015 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2014 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2013 | $5,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 |
| 2012 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2011 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2010 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2009 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2008 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2007 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
| 2006 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
How the limit moves
The limit does not rise every year. It stayed at $4,000 for 2006 and 2007, $5,000 from 2008 to 2012, and $5,500 for six straight years from 2013 to 2018. It reached $6,000 in 2019 and held there through 2022, then $6,500 in 2023 and $7,000 in 2024 and 2025. The 2026 limit of $7,500 is the largest step in the table, $500 above 2025. The catch-up held at $1,000 from 2006 through 2025 and became $1,100 for 2026.
Rules that apply every year
Your contribution cannot be more than the smaller of the limit and your taxable compensation for the year. The limit does not apply to rollover contributions. The IRS page also says that for 2020 and later there is no age limit on making regular contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs, while for 2019 and earlier a person aged 70 and a half or older could not make a regular contribution to a traditional IRA but could still contribute to a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA contribution may also be limited by filing status and income, and a traditional IRA deduction may be limited if you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work.
What about 2027?
The IRS announces retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments separately from its annual income tax inflation adjustments. The IRS cost-of-living page read on November 11, 2026 lists 2026 as the latest year, so this page does not show a 2027 limit. When the IRS publishes the 2027 figure it will be added here.
Worked example
A 52-year-old earned $6,000 in 2026. The limit with catch-up is $7,500 plus $1,100, which is $8,600, but compensation is only $6,000, so the most that can go into IRAs is $6,000. If the same person had $90,000 of compensation, the full $8,600 is available for 2026, spread across any combination of traditional and Roth accounts. For 2024 the same person could have put in $8,000.
Method
The 2006 to 2025 values are read from the IRS "Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Items" tables (code section 219(b)(5)(A) for the limit and 219(b)(5)(B) for the catch-up) and the 2026 values from the IRS IRA contribution limits page, all on November 11, 2026. The with-catch-up column adds the two. The calculator returns the smaller of the limit and the compensation you enter. Nothing is stored or sent.
What this does not cover
- The 2027 limit, which the IRS has not published.
- Roth income phase-outs and traditional IRA deduction limits.
- Employer plans such as 401(k) and SIMPLE IRA, which have their own limits.
- Your eligibility, tax return or the best account for you.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- IRS: Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Items (2006 to 2025 table) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- IRS: Retirement topics, IRA contribution limits (2026) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- IRS: COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe IRA limit goes up every year.
What the source saysThe IRS table shows $5,500 for each year from 2013 to 2018 and $6,000 for each year from 2019 to 2022, so the limit often stays flat for several years. [1]
-
Often assumedThe catch-up is always $1,000.
What the source saysThe IRS table shows $1,000 from 2006 through 2025. The IRS page gives $8,600 for people 50 or older in 2026, which is $7,500 plus a $1,100 catch-up. [2]
-
Often assumedEach IRA has its own limit.
What the source saysThe IRS says the total contributions you make each year to all of your traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs cannot be more than the limit or, if less, your taxable compensation for the year. [2]
- IRS: Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Items
- IRS: Retirement topics, IRA contribution limits
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the IRA contribution limit for 2026?
$7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older.
What was the IRA limit in 2025 and 2024?
$7,000 in both years, or $8,000 for people 50 or older.
What was the IRA limit in 2023?
$6,500, or $7,500 for people 50 or older.
When was the IRA limit $6,000?
For 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
What is the IRA catch-up contribution?
$1,100 for 2026. It was $1,000 from 2006 through 2025.
Is the limit per IRA or in total?
In total across all your traditional and Roth IRAs for the year.
What is the IRA limit for 2027?
The IRS had not published it when this page was checked on November 11, 2026.
Not financial or legal advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are the published amounts read from the sources below and can change; check the official source or a tax professional before you rely on a number. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.