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Tax laws are forever changing. You need to stay on top of them to optimize your retirement planning. Let’s review where 2021 Individual Retirement Account (IRA) tax law leaves us.

Resources

Tax laws are forever changing. You need to stay on top of them to optimize your retirement planning. Let’s review where 2021 Individual Retirement Account (IRA) tax law leaves us.

Resources

Tax laws are forever changing. You need to stay on top of them to optimize your retirement planning. Let’s review where Individual Retirement Account (IRA) tax law leaves us.

IRA Contributions

The three IRA types are the Traditional IRA, the Nondeductible IRA, and the Roth IRA. Your annual total contribution to any or all IRAs in 2026 is $7,500 for those under age 50. This is the combined maximum across all personal IRAs, so if you have both a Traditional and a Roth IRA, you cannot exceed this limit across both accounts in a year.


Married couples filing jointly can each contribute up to $7,500 to their own IRAs, for a combined total of $15,000, even if only one spouse has income. 


For catch-up contributions, individuals aged 50 and over can contribute an additional $1,100, bringing their total annual contribution limit to $8,600. This is an increase from the prior $1,000 catch-up limit, as the SECURE 2.0 Act now indexes the catch-up amount for inflation.

Ray L. Marple, CPA

3816 S Greystone Ct Suite A Springfield, MO 65804

J.L. Jones, Esq

3816 S Greystone Ct Suite A Springfield, MO 65804

Deductibility of Traditional IRA Contributions

All of your contribution is deductible if you have no employer-sponsored retirement plan at work. The same is true if both you and your wife do not have a plan at work.


Deductibility phases out if you or your wife (or both) do have a plan at work. The phase-out range depends on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income as shown in this table Your deduction is full below this range and nondeductible above it.


If you are contributing to a non-Roth IRA, you may want to segregate your deductible and nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA and a nondeductible IRA, respectively, for ease of keeping track of what contributions were and were not deducted.

Deductibility of Traditional IRA Contributions

All of your contribution is deductible if you have no employer-sponsored retirement plan at work. The same is true if both you and your wife do not have a plan at work.


Deductibility phases out if you or your wife (or both) do have a plan at work. The phase-out range depends on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income as shown in this table Your deduction is full below this range and nondeductible above it.


If you are contributing to a non-Roth IRA, you may want to segregate your deductible and nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA and a nondeductible IRA, respectively, for ease of keeping track of what contributions were and were not deducted.

Roth IRA
Of course the Roth IRA contributions are never deductible. So, it is your ability to contribute to one that is limited by your Adjusted Gross Income. The range over which your contribution is phased out to zero is also given in the table below.


Earnings
The major advantage of an IRA is that your earnings are not taxed yearly. This allows greater growth than conventionally taxed investments. The traditional and non-deductible IRA earnings grow tax-deferred, whereas the Roth IRA earning grows tax free.


Withdrawals
For traditional IRAs, both your deductible contributions and their earnings are taxed as ordinary income. Only earnings are taxed on any non-deductible IRA contributions you make.


Roth IRA withdrawals are not taxed on withdrawal if it has been at least five years since you made the first contribution… but beware of early withdrawals made before you turn 59½. Those will be taxed and subject to a 10% penalty.

Roth IRA
Of course the Roth IRA contributions are never deductible. So, it is your ability to contribute to one that is limited by your Adjusted Gross Income. The range over which your contribution is phased out to zero is also given in the table below.


Earnings
The major advantage of an IRA is that your earnings are not taxed yearly. This allows greater growth than conventionally taxed investments. The traditional and non-deductible IRA earnings grow tax-deferred, whereas the Roth IRA earning grows tax free.


Withdrawals
For traditional IRAs, both your deductible contributions and their earnings are taxed as ordinary income. Only earnings are taxed on any non-deductible IRA contributions you make.


Roth IRA withdrawals are not taxed on withdrawal if it has been at least five years since you made the first contribution… but beware of early withdrawals made before you turn 59½. Those will be taxed and subject to a 10% penalty.

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