Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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A Roth IRA is a type of retirement account in which your contributions are not tax-deductible. But once you start withdrawing the money, you don’t have to pay taxes on those withdrawals. This differs from a traditional IRA, which lets you make tax-free contributions but requires paying taxes on any withdrawals.
The main advantage of a Roth IRA is that your contributions can grow tax-free, which will come in handy if you think you will be in a higher income bracket during retirement than when you’re working. And because there isn’t a minimum age limit to open a Roth IRA, you can open one and begin contributing as soon as you start earning income.
Before opening a Roth, you’ll need to understand the regulations and restrictions surrounding them, especially regarding contributions. Here’s a look at the updated information for 2025.
What Are Roth IRA Contribution Limits?
You can only contribute earned income to a Roth IRA.
Earned Income
Earned income considered for an IRA includes:
- Wages
- Salaries
- Commissions
- Tips
- Bonuses
- Net income from self-employment
Earned income doesn’t include earnings and profits from property, such as:
- Rental income
- Interest and dividend income
- Any amount received as a pension or annuity income, or as deferred compensation.
- In some cases, other sources might be treated as compensation, such as alimony or separate maintenance payments.
Beyond the earned income restriction, there are other limitations to how much you can put into a Roth, based on your age and income.
Roth IRA Limits by Age
The contribution limits for 2025 are the same as in 2024, per the IRS.
The maximum amount that you can contribute to a Roth IRA is $7,000 if you’re younger than age 50.
For those 50 and older, you can add an extra $1,000 per year in so-called “catch-up” contributions, bringing the total contribution to $8,000. The catch-up amount has not changed in several years.
Roth IRA Limits by Income
It’s important to note that Roth IRA contributions are subject to income eligibility. This means the IRS places limits on how much you can contribute to a Roth IRA based on your modified adjusted gross income and filing status. The good news is, the income limit for 2025 is slightly higher than it was a year earlier.
Contributing the Max in 2025
To contribute the maximum amount in 2025, your MAGI must be less than $150,000 if you file as single and head of household. That amount is up from $146,000 in 2024.
If you are married filing jointly, your MAGI must be less than $236,000, which is up from $230,000 in 2024. Your contributions begin to be phased out above those amounts, which means you either have reduced contributions or none at all.
In 2025, you can’t put any money into a Roth IRA once your income reaches $165,000 if you are a single filer, or $246,000 if you are married and filing jointly.
Similarly, your contribution amount is limited if you don’t earn a lot of income. The maximums assume you have earned income at or above those amounts, but if you earn less, your maximum is also lower. For example, if you earn $2,000 in 2025, the most you can contribute is $2,000, not $7,000 or $8,000.
Roth IRA Income Limits for 2025
Below is a quick look at the 2025 income limits for Roth IRA contributions, based on your tax filing status.
Single filer or head of household:
- MAGI of less than $150,000: You’ll be able to make a full contribution.
- MAGI of more than $150,000 but less than $165,000: Your contribution is reduced.
- MAGI of $165,000 or more: You won’t be able to make a Roth contribution.
Married and filing jointly:
- MAGI of less than $236,000: You’ll be able to make a full contribution.
- MAGI of more than $236,000 but less than $246,000: Your contribution is reduced.
- MAGI of $246,000 or more: You won’t be able to make a Roth contribution.
Here’s another look at the Roth IRA earning limits and how they affect what you can contribute:
| Filing Status | Modified Adjusted Gross Income | Contribution Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er) | Less than $236,000 | Full amount |
| Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er) | More than $236,000 but less than $246,000 | Reduced amount |
| Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er) | More than $246,000 | None |
| Married Filing Separately — Living Together | Less than $10,000 | Reduced amount |
| Married Filing Separately — Living Together | More than $10,000 | None |
| Single, Head of Household or Married Filing Separately — Living Apart | Less than $150,000 | Full amount |
| Single, Head of Household or Married Filing Separately — Living Apart | More than $150,000, but less than $165,000 | Reduced amount |
| Single, Head of Household or Married Filing Separately — Living Apart | More than $165,000 | None |
What Happens if You Exceed Roth IRA Income Limits?
Excessive contributions to your Roth IRA — more than the amount allowed — can result in a tax penalty of 6% for each year that the excess amount remains in your IRA. The only way to avoid the penalty is to withdraw the amount over your contribution limit. If you own both a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA, be careful you don’t exceed the maximum combined annual limits on these, or you’ll face the 6% IRS penalty.
Roth IRA Limits With a 401(k)
Nothing restricts you from having both a Roth IRA and an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k). But depending on your income and the amount you contribute to the 401(k), you might not be able to contribute to the Roth IRA. In some cases, your contribution limit is reduced. This applies if you or your spouse were covered by a 401(k) at any time during the year.
Good To Know: Figuring Your Reduced Roth IRA Contributions
If the amount you can contribute to your Roth IRA in 2025 must be reduced based on income, the IRS provides the following formula for determining your reduced contribution limit:
1. Enter your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes (Worksheet 2-1, line 10).
2. On line 2, enter:
- $236,000 if filing a joint return or qualifying surviving spouse,
- $-0- if married filing a separate return and you lived with your spouse at any time in
2024, or- $150,000 for all others
3. Subtract line 2 from line 1.
4. On line 4, enter:
- $10,000 if filing a joint return or qualifying surviving spouse or married filing a
separate return and you lived with your spouse at any time during the year, or- $15,000 for all others
5. Divide line 3 by line 4 and enter the result as a decimal (rounded to at least three places).If the result is 1.000 or more, enter 1.000.
6. On line 6, enter the lesser of:
- $7,000, or $8,000 if you are age 50 or older, or
- Your taxable compensation
7. Multiply line 5 by line 6.
8. Subtract line 7 from line 6. Round the result up to the nearest $10. If the result is less than$200, enter $200.
9. Enter contributions for the year to other IRAs.
10. Subtract line 9 from line 6.
11. Enter the lesser of line 8 or line 10. This is your reduced Roth IRA contribution limit.
For example, according to Fidelity’s IRA calculator, if you’re married filing jointly with a MAGI of $240,000, your Roth contribution would be limited to $4,200. If you were contributing to a traditional IRA, you could still contribute the $7,000 maximum.
Backdoor Roth IRA
A backdoor Roth IRA lets you convert your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. This could provide a way to circumvent income limits. There is no limit on conversion amounts — you can roll over however much you have in your traditional IRA without any penalty.
This process is legal but complicated. You’ll have to pay taxes on your traditional IRA, and the amount you convert into the Roth IRA will likely count as income. If you have a year when your income is particularly low, this is a good time to make the conversion because it helps lower the tax liability.
Also, if you’re younger than 59 ½ years old and convert funds from your traditional IRA into your Roth IRA, you’ll need to wait another five years to have penalty-free access to the money, because the IRS treats conversions differently than it treats contributions.
Final Take
A Roth IRA is a good way to diversify your retirement savings so you are not solely dependent on Social Security payments, 401(k) withdrawals or other accounts. Just make sure you keep track of the contributions you make to your Roth IRA.
Keep an eye out for IRS Form 5498, which is submitted to the IRS by the trustee or issuer of your IRA to report contributions, including catch-up contributions, required minimum distributions and the fair market value of the account.
Whatever you decide, talk to your tax accountant or advisor about it first and make sure you fully understand the tax implications.
FAQs on Roth IRA Contributions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Roth IRA contribution limits.- Can you contribute after the tax deadline?
- Per the IRS, your tax return filing deadline, not counting extensions, is the last day you can contribute to a Roth IRA. For tax year 2025, this would put the contribution deadline at Apr. 15, 2026.
- Can teens contribute?
- Yes, anyone with earned income can contribute to a Roth IRA.
- What counts as earned income?
- The IRS defines earned income as money you receive in terms of wages, salary or business income. Other rarer forms of income may also be included, such as nontaxable combat pay, ministerial housing allowances, strike benefits and disability benefits for those under the minimum retirement age. Specifically excluded are income sources like dividends and interest.
Vance Cariaga and Barri Segal contributed to the reporting for this article.
Information is accurate as of Oct. 28, 2025.
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