Quick Answer
For 2026, traditional and Roth IRA contributions share a $7,500 limit, plus
Quick Answer: For 2026, traditional and Roth IRA contributions share a $7,500 limit, plus $1,100 from age 50. Roth IRAs, including Roth SEP and SIMPLE forms, require no minimum distribution before the owner's death. A customer-received rollover is normally due by the 60th day after receipt, and only a tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollover faces the one-per-year limit.
,100 from age 50. Roth IRAs, including Roth SEP and SIMPLE forms, require no minimum distribution before the owner's death. A customer-received rollover is normally due by the 60th day after receipt, and only a tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollover faces the one-per-year limit.Which Retirement Account Type Is Involved?
The account form and the employer relationship are separate facts. SEP and SIMPLE plans use individual retirement accounts, but an employer establishes and funds the arrangement.
| Account | Who establishes or funds it? | Tested operating feature |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | An individual establishes the account. | A contribution may qualify for a deduction. Employer-plan participation and income can reduce that deduction. Distributions are generally taxable. |
| Roth IRA | An individual establishes the account. | Income can reduce or eliminate contribution eligibility. Qualified distributions are tax-free, and the owner has no required minimum distribution before death. Beneficiary distribution rules apply after death. |
| SEP IRA | An employer contributes to an IRA for an employee. | The employer contribution limit uses the lesser of a compensation percentage or an annual dollar ceiling. |
| SIMPLE IRA | An eligible employer offers a salary-reduction arrangement through employee IRAs. | Employees can elect deferrals, and the employer makes matching or nonelective contributions. |
| 401(k) | An employer maintains the plan. | Employees can make elective deferrals from pay. |
| 403(b) | An eligible school, charitable organization, or church-related employer funds an annuity or custodial account. | Employee elective deferrals use the same general annual ceiling as 401(k) deferrals. |
| 457(b) | A state or local government or an eligible tax-exempt employer maintains the deferred-compensation plan. | Governmental participants may have an age-based catch-up. A special catch-up formula may apply near normal retirement age. |
Exam Tip: Gotchas
- SEP and SIMPLE plans combine an employer arrangement with individual accounts. Do not classify them as purely individual plans merely because each employee holds an IRA.
What Are the 2026 Contribution and Deferral Limits?
Use the limit for the contribution source. An employee elective-deferral ceiling and an overall plan-additions ceiling answer different questions.
| Account or plan | 2026 standard limit | 2026 catch-up or additional limit | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional and Roth IRAs combined | $7,500 | $1,100 at age 50 or older | The combined contribution cannot exceed the applicable IRA limit. Roth income eligibility can reduce the allowed Roth amount. |
| SEP IRA employer contribution | Lesser of 25% of compensation or $72,000 | Employer contribution, not employee deferral | The $72,000 figure is the annual defined-contribution ceiling. |
| SIMPLE IRA employee deferral | Generally $17,000 | Generally $4,000 at age 50 or older; $5,250 at ages 60 through 63 | Certain qualifying SIMPLE plans instead use an $18,100 deferral limit and a $3,850 general catch-up limit. |
| 401(k) and 403(b) employee deferral | $24,500 | $8,000 at age 50 or older; $11,250 at ages 60 through 63 | The separate overall defined-contribution ceiling is $72,000. |
| 457(b) standard deferral | $24,500 | For a governmental plan, $8,000 at age 50 or older; $11,250 at ages 60 through 63. If the plan provides it, a special formula applies during one or more of the last three taxable years before normal retirement age, when that formula permits the greater amount. | The standard limit is also capped at 100% of includible compensation. |
When Does Income Change an IRA Contribution?
A traditional IRA phase-out changes the deduction. A Roth IRA phase-out changes how much the individual may contribute.
| 2026 filing status and living arrangement | Roth IRA contribution phase-out |
|---|---|
| Single or head of household | $153,000 to $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly | $242,000 to $252,000 |
| Married filing separately, spouses lived together during the year | $0 to $10,000 |
| Married filing separately, spouses lived apart all year | $153,000 to $168,000 |
Exam Tip: Gotchas
- Governmental 457(b) catch-ups use the permitted greater amount. Compare the age-based limit with the special last-three-years formula when both could apply.
Which Accounts Require Minimum Distributions?
| Account | Required minimum distribution treatment |
|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | Required minimum distribution rules apply. |
| Traditional SEP and SIMPLE IRAs | Required minimum distribution rules apply. |
| 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plans | Required minimum distribution rules apply. |
| Roth IRA, including Roth SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, owned by the original owner | No required minimum distribution applies before the owner’s death. Beneficiary distribution rules apply after death. |
A required minimum distribution is the minimum amount that must leave the account for the taxable year. It is not an eligible rollover distribution and cannot satisfy a rollover request.
Exam Tip: Gotchas
- Roth SEP and SIMPLE IRAs follow the Roth IRA rule. The original owner has no required minimum distribution before death.
- A required minimum distribution cannot become a rollover. First distribute the required amount. Only an otherwise eligible amount can follow a rollover path.
Who Receives the Assets During a Transfer or Rollover?
| Movement | Actor and asset path | Timing and frequency |
|---|---|---|
| IRA trustee-to-trustee transfer | The current trustee or custodian sends the assets to the receiving trustee or custodian. The customer does not receive the distribution. | The one-per-year IRA rollover limit does not apply. |
| Customer-received IRA rollover | The IRA pays the customer, who redeposits all or part of the eligible amount into an eligible IRA or other eligible retirement plan. | Completion is normally due by the 60th day after receipt, although limited exceptions can allow more time. Only one such tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollover is allowed during any one-year period across the customer’s IRAs. |
| Direct rollover from an employer plan | The customer elects the destination, and the plan sends an eligible rollover distribution directly to that eligible retirement plan. | The customer does not receive the assets. The one-per-year IRA rollover limit does not apply. |
Exam Tip: Gotchas
- A direct custodian path can still be a rollover. A stated IRA-to-IRA trustee transfer is a transfer. An employer plan’s direct payment to an eligible retirement plan is a direct rollover.
- The one-per-year limit has a narrow scope. It applies to customer-received, tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollovers during any one-year period across the customer’s IRAs. It does not apply to trustee-to-trustee transfers or direct employer-plan rollovers.
- A customer-received rollover has a 60-day clock. Completion is normally due by the 60th day after receipt, and limited exceptions can allow more time.
What Should You Check on Exam Day?
- For 2026, apply the combined $7,500 traditional and Roth IRA limit and the $1,100 catch-up at age 50 or older.
- For a governmental 457(b) plan, use the $8,000 catch-up at age 50 or older, or $11,250 at ages 60 through 63. If the plan's special last-three-years formula applies, use the greater of it or the age-based limit.
- Apply required minimum distributions to traditional IRAs, traditional SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and employer plans. Roth IRAs, including Roth SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, have no required minimum distribution before the original owner's death. Beneficiary rules apply after death.
- For a customer-received IRA rollover, complete reinvestment into an eligible IRA or plan within 60 days, subject to limited exceptions. The one-rollover-per-year limit applies only to tax-free IRA-to-IRA rollovers across the customer's IRAs.
- Do not apply the one-per-year IRA rollover limit to a stated IRA-to-IRA trustee transfer or direct employer-plan rollover. Direct custodian movement alone does not determine the classification.