IRA Contribution Limits and Catch-Up Contributions

For those who annually contribute to their IRA account and wish they could contribute more, there is good news. The annual contribution limit is inflation adjusted each year and is slowly increasing. Taxpayers 50 and older are allowed larger contributions through so-called “make-up” provisions (see table below).

The contribution limit for Traditional IRA Accounts for taxpayers that do not have a qualified plan with their employer is as follows.

IRA Contribution Limits

Year	2008-2012	2013 - 2017	2018
Under Age 50	5,000	5,500	Inflation Adjusted
Age 50 & Over	6,000	6,500	6,500

However, if a taxpayer is an active participant in an employer’s pension plan or a self-employed pension plan, the deductible amount will be ratably phased out if their income for the year (AGI) is within the phase out range and not allowed at all if the AGI exceeds the phase out range (see the table below). The phase-out ranges are adjusted annually for inflation.

Phase-Out Ranges

Filing Status	2016	2017
Single & Head of Household	61,000 - 71,000	62,000 - 72,000
Married Filing Jointly	98,000 - 118,000	99,000 - 119,000
Married Filing Separately	0 - 10,000	0 - 10,000

Special rule for a nonactive participant spouse - The limits for deductible IRA contributions do not apply to the spouse of an active participant. Rather, the maximum deductible IRA contribution for an individual who is not an active participant but whose spouse is an active participant, is phased out for the non-active participant if their combined AGI is between the inflation adjusted limits for the year as illustrated in the table below.

Nonactive Spouse Phase-Out Ranges

Year	2016	2017
Phase-Out Range	184,000 - 194,000	186,000 - 196,000

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