Contribution Limits and Deadlines
Every main US retirement and health account limit for the current tax year in one place, how the limits stack across accounts, and the deadline for each kind of contribution.
The short version
Each tax-advantaged account has a yearly limit, and most limits rise with inflation. For 2026, you can put up to $24,500 of your own pay into a 401(k), 403(b), or governmental 457(b), with catch-up amounts from age 50, and up to $7,500 into IRAs. The workplace limit is per person across 401(k) and 403(b) plans, while a 457(b) and your IRAs each have their own. Workplace contributions have to come out of that calendar year's pay. IRA and HSA contributions for a year can be made until that year's tax-filing deadline, usually April 15 of the next year.
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to
- Find the current limit for each main account type
- Explain which limits are shared and which are separate
- State the deadline for workplace, IRA, and HSA contributions
Why this matters
Limits decide how much of your saving can get tax advantages each year. Deadlines decide when the chance to use a year's limit is gone. Most limits change every year, so this lesson keeps them all in one place, for the 2026 tax year.
The limits
| Account | Limit |
|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), Thrift Savings Plan: your own contributions | $24,500 |
| Catch-up, age 50 or older | +$8,000 |
| Catch-up instead, ages 60 to 63, if the plan allows | +$11,250 |
| All contributions to one plan, yours and your employer's | $72,000 |
| SIMPLE IRA plan: your own contributions | $17,000 |
| IRAs, traditional and Roth combined | $7,500 |
| IRA catch-up, age 50 or older | +$1,100 |
| Health savings account, self-only coverage | $4,400 |
| Health savings account, family coverage | $8,750 |
| HSA catch-up, age 55 or older | +$1,000 |
Workplace and IRA limits from the IRS's 2026 announcement and Notice 2025-67;12 HSA limits from Revenue Procedure 2025-19 and Publication 969.34 Some SIMPLE plans have slightly higher limits. IRA contributions also can't exceed your taxable compensation.
Most of these limits are adjusted each year for increases in the cost of living.2 A 2022 law, known as SECURE 2.0, added the IRA catch-up to the amounts that are adjusted.1 Because the numbers move, check the current limits at the start of each year.
Which limits are shared
- 401(k) and 403(b) plans share one limit per person each calendar year, however many plans you're in. If you change jobs, contributions to both employers' plans count together, and you're the one who has to keep track.5
- A 457(b) has its own separate limit, not combined with a 401(k) or 403(b).5
- IRAs have their own limit, separate from workplace plans. Being covered at work can affect whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible, but you can still contribute.6
- Your employer's contributions don't count toward your own limit, but everything going into one plan together is capped at $72,000.2
The rest of this lesson is for members
Still to come in this lesson: The deadlines, If you put in too much, the key takeaways, and 2 quiz questions with explanations.
Membership opens every lesson in the curriculum, the capstone projects, the interactive tools, and the members-only channels in the Hyperion Entities Discord. The first lesson of every module stays free.
Go deeper
- 401(k)s and Other Workplace PlansPart 6: Strategy, Behavior, Accounts, and Taxes
- IRAsPart 6: Strategy, Behavior, Accounts, and Taxes
- Health Savings AccountsPart 6: Strategy, Behavior, Accounts, and Taxes
Notes and sources
- Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111, November 13, 2025). Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. Notice 2025-67: 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living. Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Procedure 2025-19: 2026 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts. Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. Publication 969 (2025), Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans. Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. How much salary can you defer if you're eligible for more than one retirement plan?. Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). Checked 2026-10-06. Back to text
- Internal Revenue Service. Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits. Checked 2026-10-06.