Short answer
For 2026, the 401(k) limit is $24,500 and the IRA limit is $7,500.
IRS says employees can contribute $24,500 to 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans, and the TSP in 2026. IRS also lists the IRA contribution limit at $7,500.
Start here
What you actually came to find out
Plain answers first. Sources stay below for checking details.
401(k), 403(b), 457, or TSP?
IRS lists the 2026 employee contribution limit at $24,500.
Age 50 or older?
IRS lists the general age-50 catch-up for those plans at $8,000 in 2026.
Age 60 to 63?
IRS lists the higher 2026 catch-up amount at $11,250 for eligible plan participants in that age band.
IRA?
IRS lists the 2026 IRA contribution limit at $7,500, with a $1,100 age-50 catch-up.
401(k) style plans
$24.5K
IRS lists the 2026 employee limit for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans, and the TSP.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
Age-50 catch-up
$8K
IRS lists the general catch-up amount for these plans in 2026.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
Age 60 to 63 catch-up
$11.25K
IRS lists the higher catch-up amount for eligible participants ages 60 through 63.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
IRA limit
$7.5K
IRS lists the 2026 IRA contribution limit at $7,500.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
A neutral contribution check separates the legal maximum from the cash-flow question. The tax code says what can fit. The household budget says what can actually leave the paycheck.
Neutral landscape
The shape of the question
The main workplace-plan limit comes from the IRS annual retirement limit release. For 2026, the employee limit is $24,500 for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans, and the TSP.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
Catch-up rules depend on age. IRS lists the general age-50 catch-up and a higher age-60-to-63 catch-up for eligible participants.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
IRA limits are separate. IRS lists the 2026 IRA contribution limit at $7,500 and the age-50 catch-up at $1,100.
Source trail: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
Deductibility and Roth eligibility are separate questions. IRS IRA deduction and Roth IRA sources explain those income-based layers.
Source trail: IRS: IRA Deduction Limits, IRS: Roth IRAs
Curator core
What the authorities say
These sources are here for the reader who wants to check the work. The plain-English answer stays above them.
Source 01
IRS
401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
The IRS release gives 2026 401(k), IRA, catch-up, Roth IRA income phase-out, and related retirement-plan limits.
Source framing
IRS publishes the 2026 retirement contribution limits and Roth IRA income phase-out ranges.
Strongest for: 2026 retirement account contribution and Roth income limits
Read at IRSSource 02
IRS
Retirement Topics: Contributions
The IRS contribution topic is the primary source for contribution limits and catch-up contribution rules.
Source framing
IRS publishes the annual contribution limits that shape how much can go into retirement accounts each year.
Strongest for: current contribution limits and catch-up rules
Read at IRSSource 03
IRS
401(k) Plans
The IRS page explains how 401(k) plans work, including elective deferrals, plan rules, and tax treatment.
Source framing
IRS frames a 401(k) as an employer-sponsored retirement plan with tax rules set by the Internal Revenue Code.
Strongest for: official 401(k) plan rules and vocabulary
Read at IRSSource 04
IRS
Publication 590-A: Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements
Publication 590-A is the IRS source for IRA contribution rules, nondeductible contributions, and reporting.
Source framing
IRS Publication 590-A covers traditional and Roth IRA contribution mechanics.
Strongest for: IRA contribution details and nondeductible IRA context
Read at IRSSource 05
IRS
IRA Deduction Limits
The IRS deduction limits page explains when traditional IRA deductions phase down or disappear.
Source framing
IRS ties traditional IRA deductibility to income, filing status, and workplace retirement plan coverage.
Strongest for: traditional IRA deduction limits
Read at IRSSource 06
IRS
Roth IRAs
The IRS Roth IRA page explains contribution eligibility, qualified distributions, and the Roth tax structure.
Source framing
IRS frames Roth IRAs around after-tax contributions and qualified tax-free distributions.
Strongest for: official Roth IRA rules
Read at IRSPlain-English forks
The forks people face
Most retirement questions hide a few smaller decisions. These are the practical pieces that change the plan.
Which account is receiving money?
Why it matters: 401(k)-style plans and IRAs have separate annual limits.
In real life: This fork decides the dollar cap.
What to look at: What to look at: IRS contribution limits by plan type.
How old is the saver?
Why it matters: Catch-up limits change at age 50 and can change again from age 60 through 63 for eligible plans.
In real life: This fork changes the maximum contribution.
What to look at: What to look at: IRS catch-up amounts.
Is the IRA deductible or Roth-eligible?
Why it matters: Contribution amount and tax treatment are different questions.
In real life: This fork changes the tax label.
What to look at: What to look at: IRS deduction and Roth income limits.
Does cash flow allow the contribution?
Why it matters: The legal maximum is not the same as the amount the household can afford.
In real life: This fork connects limits to the actual paycheck.
What to look at: What to look at: the plan cash-flow view.
Common questions
Quick answers
Short, plain answers for the questions people usually have next. The source trail stays available below.
What is the 401(k) limit for 2026?+
IRS lists the 2026 employee contribution limit at $24,500 for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans, and the TSP.
What is the 2026 catch-up limit for age 50 and older?+
IRS lists the general 2026 catch-up amount for those workplace plans at $8,000.
What is the 2026 catch-up limit for ages 60 through 63?+
IRS lists the higher 2026 catch-up amount at $11,250 for eligible participants in that age band.
What is the IRA contribution limit for 2026?+
IRS lists the 2026 IRA contribution limit at $7,500.
What is the IRA catch-up limit for 2026?+
IRS lists the age-50 IRA catch-up limit at $1,100 for 2026.
Do contribution limits decide tax treatment?+
No. IRS deduction limits and Roth IRA rules decide separate tax-treatment questions.
How this page is curated
This page uses the IRS 2026 retirement limit release, IRS contribution guidance, IRS 401(k) sources, IRS Publication 590-A, IRS IRA deduction limits, and IRS Roth IRA rules.
Read the planner methodologyTrust anchor
Sources used on this page
Every source named above is listed here in one place.
IRS. 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500IRS. Retirement Topics: Contributions
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-contributionsIRS. 401(k) Plans
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/401k-plansIRS. Publication 590-A: Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590aIRS. IRA Deduction Limits
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/ira-deduction-limitsIRS. Roth IRAs
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-iras
Before you act on this
This plan is educational. It is not personalized financial, tax, or insurance advice. Projections illustrate the math, they do not predict the future. Talk to your own licensed financial professional before acting on any of it.