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IRA Deduction 2026

Anyone can contribute to a traditional IRA. Deducting it is the part with rules.

There is no income limit on contributing to a traditional IRA — the limit is on deducting it, and it depends on whether a workplace plan covers you (or your spouse). For 2026, the deduction phases out from $81,000–$91,000 MAGI for covered single filers, $129,000–$149,000 for covered joint contributors, and $242,000–$252,000 when only your spouse is covered. No coverage at all? Fully deductible at any income. This calculator applies the exact IRS formula — proportional reduction, round-up to the next $10, $200 floor — and shows what to do with the nondeductible part.

Why people use this

Anyone with a 401(k) at work and a decent raise uses it to learn the contribution-versus-deduction trap: there is no income limit on putting money in a traditional IRA, only on deducting it — and which of the four phase-out bands applies depends on plan coverage, not just income.

How it works

1. Pick your filing status — married filing separately while living together gets the never-indexed $0–$10,000 band.
2. Say whether a workplace retirement plan covers you, and (if married) your spouse — coverage, not income, decides which phase-out band applies.
3. Enter your MAGI for the year and check 50+ for the $8,600 catch-up limit.
4. Read the exact deductible amount, the nondeductible remainder, and how far you are through the phase-out band.

Common questions

What are the 2026 traditional IRA deduction limits?

The contribution limit is $7,500 ($8,600 at 50+). Deductibility phases out by MAGI only if a workplace plan is involved: $81,000–$91,000 single/head-of-household when you are covered; $129,000–$149,000 joint when the contributor is covered; $242,000–$252,000 joint when only the spouse is covered; $0–$10,000 married filing separately (fixed by statute, never indexed). Neither spouse covered: the deduction is unlimited at any income. Per IRS Notice 2025-67.

How does the phase-out math work?

Inside the band, the deduction shrinks proportionally: limit × (top of range − MAGI) ÷ width of range, rounded UP to the nearest $10, with a $200 floor near the top. Example: single, covered, $86,000 MAGI, under 50 → halfway through the $81k–$91k band → $7,500 × 0.5 = $3,750 deductible, $3,750 nondeductible. At $90,990 the formula yields under $200, so the floor gives you $200. At $91,000 it is zero.

What if my contribution is partly or fully nondeductible?

You can still contribute — you just file Form 8606 to track the after-tax basis so it is not taxed again at withdrawal. But run the comparison first: if you are under the Roth phase-out ($153k single / $242k joint in 2026), a Roth contribution is almost always better than a nondeductible traditional one — same no-deduction today, but tax-free instead of tax-deferred growth. Over the Roth limit, the nondeductible-plus-convert move is the backdoor Roth — watch the pro-rata rule if you hold other pre-tax IRA balances.

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