2020 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits
As is the case every year, a New Year brings changes for retirement plan contributions and limits. Retirement plans, such as employer-sponsored plans and self-employed plans, can be affected.
Some years bring more changes than others. So what's new for 2020?
Below are the 2020 limits for the most popular retirement plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs.
Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan Limits
401(k) plans. For all employer-sponsored retirement plans — like 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan — the contribution limit for 2020 is $19,500.
401(k) catch-up. The catch-up contribution limit for employees ages 50 or older who participate in the above mentioned plans remains at $6,500 for 2020. Even if you don’t turn 50 until Dec. 31, 2018, you can make the additional $6,500 catch-up provision for the current year.
IRA plans. IRA (or Individual Retirement Account) contribution limits stayed the same from 2013 through 2018. The annual limit was $5,500, and many blame this on low-inflation problems. However, the limit increased to $6,000 in 2019 and remains the same for 2020. The catch-up provision for IRAs is unchanged at $1,000, because it is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment. This makes the maximum IRA contribution for those 50 and older $7,000 for 2020.
Traditional IRA Income Limits
If you or your spouse are covered by another retirement plan, IRAs have income limits beyond which their tax deductibility is phased out, until it disappears completely.
Here are the income range phaseouts for 2020 for those who are covered by another retirement plan — they apply strictly to deductible traditional IRAs:
- Single taxpayers — between $65,000 and $75,000
- Married filing jointly — between $104,000 and $124,000
- Married filing jointly in which the spouse making the IRA contribution is NOT covered by a pension, but the other spouse is — between $196,000 and $206,000
- Married filing separately — between $0 and $10,000
Roth IRA Income Limits
Roth IRA eligibility is also subject to phaseout based on income, but those limits are different from what they are for traditional IRAs. The income level phaseouts for 2020 are as follows:
- Single taxpayers — between $124,000 and $139,000
- Married filing jointly — between $196,000 and $206,000
- Married filing separately — between $0 to $10,000
SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRAs, and Solo 401(k) Plans
There are a few changes to contribution levels for self-employed retirement plans in 2020, compared with 2018:
SIMPLE IRA. $13,500 in 2020. The catch-up provision for taxpayers age 50 and older remains unchanged at $3,000 in 2020.
SEP IRA. Has increased to $57,000 in 2020. SEP IRA contribution maximums are based on a contribution rate of up to 25% of gross income (after subtracting out the amount of the contribution itself). That income limit has ticked up to $285,000 in 2020.
Solo 401(k). Matching the employee 401(k) limits, contributions to a Solo 401(k) are the same as the SEP IRA contribution limits. They have also increased to $57,000 in 2020. The catch-up provision for taxpayers age 50 and older remains unchanged at $6,500 in 2020.
Check your retirement income:
2020 Retirement Contribution Limits Table
| Retirement Account | 2019 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plans | $19,000 | $19,500 | Increase |
| 50+ catch-up limits for above | $6,000 | $6,500 | Increase |
| Traditional IRA plans | $6,000 | $6,000 | None |
| Roth IRA plans | $6,000 | $6,000 | None |
| 50+ catch-up limit for IRAs | $1,000 | $1,000 | None |
| SIMPLE IRA | $13,000 | $13,500 | Increase |
| 50+ catch-up limit for SIMPLE IRA | $3,000 | $3,000 | None |
| SEP IRA | $56,000 | $57,000 | Increase |
| Solo 401(k) | $56,000 | $57,000 | Increase |
| 50+ catch-up limit for Solo 401(k) | $6,000 | $6,500 | Increase |
Retirement Saver's Credit Changes
When contributing to a retirement account, whether an employer-sponsored plan or an IRA, you could be eligible for a tax credit on your income tax return. This credit is an incentive targeted at low- and moderate-income workers to encourage retirement savings.
For 2020 the AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) limit for the saver’s credit (also known as the retirement savings contribution credit) is $65,000 for couples married filing jointly and $48,750 in 2020 for heads of household.
For single individuals or those married filing separately, the limit is $32,500 for 2020, up from $32,000 in 2019.
Source: Limits on contributions and benefits.
Note: The IRS releases updated limits for the following year in October. Check back in November 2020 for the updated limits.
It’s great to see the contribution numbers going up, not that I can contribute that much in a year anyways. HaHaa.