Can i contribute to a non deductible ira

Note: For other retirement plans contribution limits, see Retirement Topics – Contribution Limits.

For 2023, the total contributions you make each year to all of your traditional IRAs  and Roth IRAs can't be more than:

  • $6,500 ($7,500 if you're age 50 or older), or
  • If less, your taxable compensation for the year

For 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the total contributions you make each year to all of your traditional IRAs  and Roth IRAs can't be more than:

  • $6,000 ($7,000 if you're age 50 or older), or
  • If less, your taxable compensation for the year

The IRA contribution limit does not apply to:

  • Rollover contributions
  • Qualified reservist repayments

Deducting your IRA contribution

Your traditional IRA contributions may be tax-deductible. The deduction may be limited if you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work and your income exceeds certain levels.

  • IRA deduction limits

Roth IRA contribution limit

In addition to the general contribution limit that applies to both Roth and traditional IRAs, your Roth IRA contribution may be limited based on your filing status and income.

  • 2023 - Amount of Roth IRA Contributions You Can Make for 2023
  • 2022 - Amount of Roth IRA Contributions You Can Make for 2022

IRA contributions after age 70½

For 2020 and later, there is no age limit on making regular contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs.

For 2019, if you’re 70 ½ or older, you can't make a regular contribution to a traditional IRA. However, you can still contribute to a Roth IRA and make rollover contributions to a Roth or traditional IRA regardless of your age.

Spousal IRAs

If you file a joint return, you may be able to contribute to an IRA even if you didn’t have taxable compensation as long as your spouse did. Each spouse can make a contribution up to the current limit; however, the total of your combined contributions can’t be more than the taxable compensation reported on your joint return. See the Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA Limit in Publication 590-A.

If neither spouse participated in a retirement plan at work, all of your contributions will be deductible.

Can I contribute to an IRA if I participate in a retirement plan at work?

You can contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA even if you participate in another retirement plan through your employer or business. However, you may not be able to deduct all of your traditional IRA contributions if you or your spouse participates in another retirement plan at work. Roth IRA contributions might be limited if your income exceeds a certain level.

Examples

  1. Danny, an unmarried college student earned $3,500 in 2020. Danny can contribute $3,500, the amount of his compensation, to his IRA for 2020. Danny's grandmother can make the contribution on his behalf.
  2. John, age 42, has a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA. He can contribute a total of $6,000 to either one or both for 2020.
  3. Sarah, age 50, is married with no taxable compensation for 2020. She and her spouse, age 48, reported taxable compensation of $60,000 on their 2020 joint return. Sarah may contribute $7,000 to her IRA for 2020 ($6,000 plus an additional $1,000 contribution for age 50 and over). Her spouse may also contribute $6,000 to an IRA for 2020.

Tax on excess IRA contributions

An excess IRA contribution occurs if you:

  • Contribute more than the contribution limit.
  • Make a regular IRA contribution for 2019, or earlier, to a traditional IRA at age 70½ or older.
  • Make an improper rollover contribution to an IRA.

Excess contributions are taxed at 6% per year for each year the excess amounts remain in the IRA. The tax can't be more than 6% of the combined value of all your IRAs as of the end of the tax year.

To avoid the 6% tax on excess contributions, you must withdraw:

  • the excess contributions from your IRA by the due date of your individual income tax return (including extensions); and
  • any income earned on the excess contribution.

See Publication 590-A for certain conditions that may allow you to avoid including withdrawals of excess contributions in your gross income.

Additional resources

  • Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
  • Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
  • IRA Deduction Limits
  • Retirement Plans FAQs regarding IRAs
  • IRA Year-End Reminders

You might not be able to deduct contributions to your traditional IRA from your taxable income if your income exceeds certain levels. The amount you can save may be limited as well, but you can still save for your retirement with contributions that you don't deduct.

You can defer taxes on the earnings and growth of your savings, just as you can with the rest of the money you've saved there. But your nondeductible contributions won't reduce your taxable income in the year you make them.

IRA Savings Build for the Future

The growth on your savings can be very good, even if you don't receive a tax break right away. That can make the contribution worthwhile in the long run if you expect to have a lower tax rate after you retire than you do now. You may want to pay taxes on earnings as you go, rather than defer taxation to a later time, if you expect your income and your tax rate to increase.

You'll pay taxes on the growth when you take your standard IRA distributions during retirement, but any savings that you didn't deduct are treated as your basis in the asset. You paid tax on that money at the time you saved it, so you won’t have to pay tax on it again later.

Note

The IRS keeps track of filers who have paid taxes on nondeductible savings by requiring that they file Form 8606 with their tax returns.

Suppose you made a $2,000 contribution one year ago that you didn't or couldn't deduct. Your account balance increases to $20,000 by the time you make a withdrawal, thanks to deductible contributions you made and investment growth.

Only $900 of that money would be taxable income to you in this case if you were to make a $1,000 withdrawal during retirement, because 10% ($2,000 divided by $20,000) was your basis. This is a return of the portion of your savings that you didn't deduct.

Contribution Limits for IRAs

Rules for IRA savings can be complex, and they adjust for inflation. It pays to review them each year.

You can put a combined total of $7,000 into traditional and Roth IRAs in 2021 or 2022 if you're age 50 or older. You can put a combined total of $6,000 into your traditional and Roth IRAs in 2021 or 2022 if you're age 49 or younger. These limits don't apply when you roll over funds from one account to another, or to qualified reservist repayments.

Note

The IRS will levy a 6% excise tax on the excess amount each year until you remove those savings if you save more than your yearly limit.

Income Restrictions for IRAs

You may not be able to deduct all that you save to a standard IRA, because you face certain income limits if you're employed by a company that offers a workplace retirement account, such as a 401(k) or 403(b). This is the case regardless of whether you choose to participate in the workplace plan. These adjusted gross income (AGI) limits increase a little each year to keep pace with inflation.

You can claim the full deduction if you're filing as single or head of household, and if your AGI is $66,000 or less as of 2021. That increases to $68,000 for tax year 2022.

You can also claim the full deduction if you're married filing jointly or a qualifying widower, and if your AGI is $105,000 or less in 2021, or $109,000 or less in 2022. You can take the full deduction if your AGI is $198,000 or less in 2021 if you're married filing jointly, and if your spouse is covered by a plan through work, but you're not. This threshold increases to $204,000 in 2022.

Note

You can claim only a partial deduction if you're married and filing a separate return, and if your AGI is less than $10,000.

Deductions are phased out from these thresholds as your income rises. You're subject to more stringent income rules if you're married and filing a separate return, although you're treated as a single payer by the IRS for these limits if you've lived apart from your spouse for the whole tax year.

Note

You can make deductible IRA contributions as long as you (or your spouse) have any earned income if neither of you can participate in a workplace plan. It doesn't matter how much you earn.

Roth IRA As an Alternative

You may still be able to save to a Roth IRA if you're covered by an employer-sponsored 401(k) and have income exceeding the limits for a regular IRA deduction. Roth IRAs have much higher income limits.

It often makes sense to make a Roth IRA contribution rather than a nondeductible IRA contribution in this case. You can't deduct either of them, but tax on the savings is deferred with a standard IRA—you'll pay taxes on that money later—while Roth IRA savings grow tax-free.

The Bottom Line

Choosing the best approach for your savings can be an ongoing process. It can depend on your age, your income, and your retirement goals. Consult a professional to help you decide the best way to achieve tax-advantaged savings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you make a nondeductible IRA contribution?

Use IRS Form 8606 to report nondeductible IRA contributions for the year when you file your annual tax return.

What's the limit for nondeductible IRA contributions?

The maximum amount you can contribute to all of your IRA accounts combined is $6,000 per year ($7,000 if you're 50 years or older) or your total taxable income, whichever is less. The limit applies whether you're contributing to a Roth or traditional IRA and whether your contributions are deductible or not.

How do I contribute to a non

Form 8606 for nondeductible contributions Any money you contribute to a traditional IRA that you do not deduct on your tax return is a “nondeductible contribution.” You still must report these contributions on your return, and you use Form 8606 to do so.

Is there an income limit to make a non

Non-Deductible IRAs and Backdoor Roth Conversion For 2021, you can't contribute if your income exceeds $144,000 as a single filer or $214,000 as a married couple filing jointly.

Can I make a non

Short answer: Yes, you can contribute to both a 401(k) and an IRA, but if your income exceeds the IRS limits, you might lose out on one of the tax benefits of the traditional IRA.

Can anyone make a non

Although any investor with earned income can make a non-deductible contribution to an IRA (up to $6,000 in 2021-2022 if under age 50) and still take advantage of tax-deferred growth, it still may not be advisable. Some people may even end up paying taxes twice.