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401(k) and IRA accounts are fantastic vehicles to save for retirement. In 2023, individuals can put in $20,000 per year in 401(k), which can grow tax-free. This alone provides enough reason to contribute to an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, regardless of the provider. For IRA accounts contribution limits vary, depending on the type of IRA chosen (traditional, ROTH, SEP, or SIMPLE).
What’s a 401(k)?
A 401(k) is, simply, an employer sponsored retirement plan that first started use in 1980. Since then, they have gained popularity with employers for their relatively low cost when compared to pension plans. In addition to this, they also offer the retiree much more control over their retirement funds.As the description implies, an individual must be employed and making an income with an employer who provides a 401(k) plan to qualify. When setting up the 401(k) plan, the employer chooses the company, funds, matching rates, etc. that will be included in the plan.
After this, employees are able to opt-in to the plan. The employee sets their contribution rate, allocates funds, and sits back and watches the money grow. There are rules regarding the withdrawal and transfer of the money within the account, among other things. This is all detailed when signing up for the plan.
The main benefit of the 401(k) is that it offers tax-advantaged growth. Traditional 401(k)s allow plan participants to invest money pre-tax, while withdrawals are taxed as income in retirement. The Roth 401(k) option allows plan participants to contribute money after-tax, but they can withdrawal money tax-free.
There are many more intricacies to 401(k)s, but this section is only intended to provide a foundation for the new investor.
401k Contribution Limits For 2023
IRS set maximum employee 401(k) contribution limit for 2023 at $19,000. Catch-up contribution that you can make to a 401(k) plan if you are age 50 or older for 2023 is at $6,000.The Contribution Limits
For most IRA investors, the most important numbers to remember for the 2023 tax year are $6,000, $1,000, and $13,000. Both the Traditional IRA and Roth IRA have individual contributions up to $6,000 per year. Anyone who os age 50 or older may contribute an extra $1,000 to an IRA. Married couples are allowed a total contribution of $13,000. Contributions may be made to both a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA if total contributions don't exceed the $6,000 limit (or $6,500 for those 50 and older) during the tax year.The limits for SEP, SIMPLE, SARSEP, and payroll deduction IRAs vary and are listed in the table below. All amounts are for 2023.
Contributions to any IRA are limited to 100% of an individual's MAGI. For example, someone earning $3,000 MAGI in a tax year may not contribute more than $3,000 to an IRA. Contribution limits do not carry over to future years. Anyone who doesn't contribute the maximum to their IRA in one year may not contribute any more than their legal limit in following years.
IRA contributions may be made as late as the tax filing deadline for the given tax year (usually April 15). Do not confuse last year's contributions with current year contributions because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes penalties on excess contributions and the excess must be withdrawn from the IRA.
IRA contributions can only be made from the account owner's earned income. The lone exception is for a spousal IRA, which allows a spouse to contribute to his/her IRA based on the working spouse's income.
IRA Overview
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) have been part of the American saving and investing landscape since 1974 when the first IRAs were offered to taxpayers. Since then, as with most things relating to the federal government, IRAs have become more complicated. But the contribution limits are still relatively easy to remember. Additional restrictions concerning the deductibility of contributions may apply depending on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), your employment and marital status, and whether you and/or your spouse are covered by a work-related retirement plan such as a 401(k) or 503(b).Types of IRAs for Individuals
An IRA that allows you to deduct the contribution from taxable income is referred to as a Traditional (or deductible) IRA. Contributions and earnings are tax-deferred until the money is withdrawn. Then all withdrawals are treated as taxable income in the year they are withdrawn. These are attractive to earners in higher tax brackets because the immediate tax savings can be substantial. Withdrawals from this type of IRA must begin at age 70-1/2.An IRA that doesn't offer the immediate tax deduction but whose contributions and earnings will be tax-free (according to current law, at least) is known as a Roth IRA. No tax benefit is gained for the contribution, but withdrawals are never taxed (again, according to current law). The theoretical advantage of these accounts is the permanent tax-free status of all earnings, which allows for greater net returns for as long as the IRA owner lives, and for one's heirs too. Also, funds in Roth IRAs do not need to be withdrawn starting at age 70-1/2, like traditional, tax-deferred IRAs. This is the equivalent of having a permanent tax-free investment account (according to current law).
A Spousal IRA allows a non-working spouse to contribute additional amounts to an IRA if the working spouse's income is greater than or equal to the combined contributions of each spouse.
Types of IRAs for Small Business Owners
These plans are set up by business owners who wish to have a retirement plan and are not covered by any corporate pension or 401(k). The contribution limits are intended to show the business owner's maximums. In most cases, any employees must receive proportional contributions (usually a percentage of salary), and that money is contributed by the business owner, not the individual (except for the Payroll Deduction IRA).A Payroll Deduction IRA is established by an employee and can be designated as either a Traditional or Roth IRA but authorizes a payroll deduction directly from an employer rather than allowing the employee to contribute whenever they choose to contribute. Contributions limits and rules are the same as for non-payroll-deduction IRAs.
A SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) IRA allows owners of small businesses to make contributions toward their employees' retirement and their own retirement. Contributions are made directly to an IRA set up for each employee. Individuals must earn at least $600 per year to be eligible for contributions to this IRA.
A SARSEP (Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension) Plan is a SEP set up before 1997 that includes a salary reduction arrangement. Employers make contributions to their own IRAs and the IRAs of their employees. Contribution limits are different than those for regular IRAs.
A SIMPLE IRA plan (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) is a retirement plan utilized by small businesses (100 employees or less) and are funded at least partially by the employer. Employees may also contribute to their accounts up to certain limits. These IRAs are designed to act as a primary pension plan for a small business, but employee contributions are not tax-deductible. Both employer and employee contributions do accumulate earnings on a tax-deferred basis.