Roth IRA Contribution Limits and Income Phaseout Schedule

by Andy Hough on September 28, 2006

The Roth IRA contribution limits are:

Year 49 And Under 50 And Over
2005 $4,000 $4,500
2006-7 $4,000 $5,000
2008 $5,000 $6,000

As you can see, if you’re over 50 then you’re given a “catch-up” contribution.

The income phaseout schedule is based on your modified adjusted gross income, which is your income minus some deductions. The income phaseout schedule is:

Filing Status Income Floor Income Ceiling
Single, Head of Household $95,000 $110,000
Married Filing Separately $0 $10,000
Married Filing Jointly $150,000 $160,000

The phaseout is linear, so if you are single then at $95,000 then you could contribute $4,000 in 2006. If you made $110,000 then your contribution is $0. If you made $100,000, then your contribution would be limited to $1333.33.

One little known fact: If you’re under the income ceiling, your phaseout’s minimum contribution is $200. So, if your MAGI were $109,999, your contribution limit is $200, not some miniscule proportionate number.

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Jill November 7, 2006 at 10:37 pm

What if you put in $4k at the beginning of 2007, but at the end of the year you’ve gone over the income limit? What do you do? Take it out? What about the earnings on the money?

retirehappy January 20, 2007 at 3:33 pm

You can reclassify a portion of it to a Traditional IRA or withdraw it and pay some penalties, I recommend reclassifying it.

Ann July 16, 2007 at 9:48 am

If I make less than 110K and contribute to a 403B, can I still contribute to a Roth?

retirehappy July 23, 2007 at 2:54 pm

It depends on how high your AGI is…

Rachell November 20, 2007 at 10:41 pm

Can I contribute to my existing roth ira(now) for the year 2008?

Thank you,

retirehappy November 22, 2007 at 10:08 am

No you can’t contribute for the future

Jamie June 23, 2009 at 11:48 am

Can I contribute to both a Traditional IRA and a 401K, and would the limits be different?

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