Traditional IRA deduction limits 2026, by income

The 2026 phase-out ranges

Modified AGI, by situation.

The IRS announced the ranges in IR-2025-111. Below the range the deduction is full; above it there is none; inside it, it shrinks in proportion.

What “covered by a plan” means

Check box 13 of your W-2.

Being covered means you were an active participant in an employer retirement plan for the year — a 401(k), 403(b), 457, pension, SEP, or SIMPLE, for example. The “Retirement plan” box in box 13 of your Form W-2 is the usual signal. In a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan, Publication 590-A says you are generally covered for a tax year if amounts are contributed or allocated to your account for the plan year that ends with or within it. The rules in Publication 590-A decide the edge cases.

Three households

Same contribution, different answers.

• Single, 401(k) at work, $75,000 of MAGI: below $81,000, so a $7,500 contribution is fully deductible.
• Married, one spouse has a 401(k), the other works without a plan, joint MAGI $180,000: the covered spouse is above $149,000 and gets no deduction; the spouse without a plan is below $242,000 and deducts in full.
• Single, covered, $86,000 of MAGI: halfway through the range, so roughly half the contribution is deductible. Publication 590-A’s worksheet gives the exact figure, with its rounding rules.

If you cannot deduct it

You can still contribute, and track the basis.

A traditional IRA contribution that is not deductible is still allowed, within the $7,500 limit ($8,600 at 50 and over). The growth is tax-deferred, and the after-tax money you put in is basis that will not be taxed again when withdrawn. Report nondeductible contributions on Form 8606 and keep copies: they show which money was already taxed. Depending on income, a Roth IRA may be the better home for after-tax money: see the Roth IRA income limits.

Deadline

Until the filing due date, without extensions.

Publication 590-A says contributions for a year can be made during the year or by the due date of that year’s return, not including extensions — for 2026, generally April 15, 2027. If you contribute between January 1 and April 15, tell the IRA provider which year the money is for. You can file your return claiming the deduction before the contribution is made, as long as it is made by the due date. For the workplace side of the same decision, see the 2026 401(k) limits.