What It Means
A Roth IRATraditional IRAAn individual retirement account where contributions may be tax-deductible, growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals are taxed as income. See more is an individual retirement account you fund with money that has already been taxed, so contributions give no deduction. Qualified withdrawals, meaning ones made at least five years after your first Roth IRA contribution and once you're 59½, disabled or deceased, come out with no income tax on the contributions or the growth. Who may contribute depends on income, and the owner never has to take required withdrawals while alive.
Try It: Check Your 2026 Roth IRA Eligibility
Enter your filing status and income to see where you stand for 2026, using the IRS phase-out ranges.
Below the range: you can contribute the full limit.
Inside the range: your limit is reduced. The IRS worksheet in Publication 590-A gives the exact amount.
At or above the top of the range: no direct Roth IRA contribution for 2026.
Other filing statuses have their own ranges in the IRS table.
How People Say It
- "I max out my Roth IRA every January."
- "Roth money comes out tax-free when I retire."
- "We earn too much for a Roth this year."
The Breakdown
Worked example. Jess is single, 34, and has modified adjusted gross incomeGross incomeThe full amount you earn before taxes and other deductions come out. For federal taxes, it's all income you receive unless a law exempts it. See more of $120,000 in 2026.
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| 2026 range for single filers | $153,000 to $168,000 |
| Jess's income | $120,000, below the range |
| Most she can put in | $7,500 |
| Tax deduction | None |
| Tax when she withdraws in retirement, if qualified | None |
What the result means. Jess pays tax on the $7,500 now, as part of her pay. If she opened her first Roth IRA in 2026, the five-year clock is met in 2031, and withdrawals after she turns 59½ come out tax-free, growth included. Were her income to rise into the range, her limit would shrink; at $168,000 or more she couldn't contribute directly that year.
The 2026 income ranges, from the IRS
| Filing statusFiling statusThe category you file your federal return under, one of five the IRS sets, which decides your tax rates and standard deduction and depends on your marital status at year end. See more | Full contribution up to | No contribution from |
|---|---|---|
| Single or head of householdHead of householdAn IRS filing status for an unmarried person who pays more than half the cost of a home where a qualifying person lives for more than half the year. See more | $153,000 | $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly | $242,000 | $252,000 |
Good to Know
The $7,500 limit ($8,600 at age 50 and up) covers all your IRAs together, traditional and Roth, and can't exceed your taxable compensation. Under the IRS ordering rules in Publication 590-B, your original contributions come out first and can be taken back at any time without tax or penalty; earnings taken out before the five-year and 59½ tests are met may be taxed and may owe the 10% additional taxEarly withdrawal penaltyThe IRS 10% additional tax on money taken from a 401(k), IRA or similar account before age 59½, unless an exception applies. See more unless an exception applies. Unlike a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA needs no required distributions during your life, according to the IRS. Check the IRS limits page each year, since the income ranges change.
FAQ
What is the Roth IRA income limit for 2026?
For single filers and heads of household, the IRS phase-out runs from $153,000 to $168,000 of modified adjusted gross income. For married couples filing jointly, it runs from $242,000 to $252,000.
Can I take money out of a Roth IRA before retirement?
Your original contributions can come out at any time without tax or penalty, since IRS Publication 590-B treats them as withdrawn first. Earnings are different: they come out tax-free only once the five-year rule is met and you're 59½, disabled or deceased.
What is the five-year rule for a Roth IRA?
A withdrawal of earnings is qualified only if it comes at least five years after your first contribution to any Roth IRA, and at 59½, disability or death. The count is explained in IRS Publication 590-B.
Do It in Buhata
Accounts
Add your Roth IRA in Accounts and make a Goal in Buhata for this year's contribution, so you can see how close you are to the limit before the deadline.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Traditional IRA
An individual retirement account where contributions may be tax-deductible, growth is tax-deferred, and withdrawals are taxed as income.
- Roth 401(k)
The Roth option inside a 401(k): you contribute after tax, and qualified withdrawals, earnings included, come out tax-free.
- Custodial Roth IRA
A Roth IRA opened by a parent or other adult for a minor who has earned income, managed by the adult until the child comes of age.
- Spousal IRA
An IRA for a married person with little or no pay of their own, funded on a joint return using the working spouse's income.
- Contribution limit
The most the IRS lets you put into a tax-advantaged account in a year, such as a 401(k), IRA or HSA, often with a higher catch-up amount at older ages.
- Early withdrawal penalty
The IRS 10% additional tax on money taken from a 401(k), IRA or similar account before age 59½, unless an exception applies.
Sources
Internal Revenue Service, "401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500"; IRS, "Roth IRAs"; IRS, "Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)"; IRS, "Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs"; IRS, "Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits"
- www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
- www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-iras
- www.irs.gov/publications/p590b
- www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plan-and-ira-required-minimum-distributions-faqs
- www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-ira-contribution-limits
Last updated .