Photo: “Sand clock Enschede” by Gianluca Miscione, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Let's face it: the IRS calendar is like that friend who never forgets your birthday but also never brings a gift, only an invoice.
Every year-end, retirement savers get hit with two kinds of deadlines. Some land on December 31. Others politely wait until tax day. Confusing the two is how perfectly smart people end up with a penalty and a very long phone call.
So here's the whole calendar in one place, with the 2026 numbers straight from the IRS announcement. (The 2027 limits hadn't been announced when we wrote this. Last year's came out November 13, so don't mix up your years.)
The Deadline Table (Print It, Tape It to the Fridge, Ignore It Until December 30)
| What | 2026 limit | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), gov't 457, TSP deferrals | $24,500 | End of the plan year, through payroll |
| Catch-up, age 50+ | $8,000 | Same as above |
| "Super" catch-up, turning 60 to 63 | $11,250 | Same as above |
| Traditional or Roth IRA | $7,500 (+$1,100 at 50+) | Your 2026 tax filing deadline, no extensions |
| RMD (not your first one) | Whatever your math says | December 31 |
| Your very first RMD | Same | April 1 of the next year |
If your plan year is the calendar year, "end of the plan year" means December 31. And since 401(k) money moves through payroll, your last paycheck of the year is the real deadline. HR does not work New Year's Eve, and neither does sympathy.
Workplace Plan Limits for 2026 (Your Paycheck's Annual Glow-Up)
The deferral limit for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan is $24,500 for 2026, up from $23,500. A thousand bucks more room. Uncle Sam is practically throwing a parade.
If you're 50 or older, most plans let you add an $8,000 catch-up, for a total of $32,500. Think of it as the IRS's version of "better late than never," minus the judgmental eyebrow.
Then there's the SECURE 2.0 "super catch-up." The IRS says participants who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year get a higher catch-up of $11,250 instead of $8,000. It's a four-year window, like a limited-edition sneaker drop for people with reading glasses.
A few details the brochures skip:
- Catch-ups go through payroll. The IRS says they must be made as elective deferrals before the plan year ends. No mailing a check with a sticky note.
- High earners, read this twice. Starting in 2026, if your plan offers Roth and your prior-year wages with that employer topped $150,000, your catch-ups must go in as Roth. Same money, different tax flavor.
- SIMPLE plans have their own rules. For 2026 it's $17,000, plus a $4,000 catch-up at 50+ and $5,250 for ages 60 to 63. Because one set of numbers would've been too easy.
(Want the backstory on why these rules keep changing? Our SECURE 2.0 breakdown has the gossip.)
IRA Limits for 2026 (The Deadline That Actually Gives You a Grace Period)
The IRA limit for 2026 is $7,500 across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined, or $8,600 if you're 50 or older. Or your taxable compensation for the year, if that's less. You can't stash $7,500 if you earned $3,000. Nice try.
Here's the good news: the IRS says you have until your tax return filing deadline, not including extensions, to make IRA contributions for that year. So a 2026 contribution can still happen in early 2027. It's the rare government deadline that hits snooze for you.
Two more things worth knowing:
- There's no age cap. Since 2020, the IRS has allowed regular IRA contributions at any age. Grandpa can keep saving. Grandpa may also keep complaining about it.
- Roth IRAs have income limits. For 2026, the phase-out is $153,000 to $168,000 for singles and heads of household, and $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly, per the IRS.
RMDs: December 31, the April 1 Exception, and the Penalty (Plot Twist: The IRS Wants Its Cut Eventually)
Required minimum distributions are the IRS's way of saying, "We let you defer taxes for decades. That was a loan, not a gift."
You generally must start RMDs from traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and workplace plans at age 73. After the first one, every RMD is due by December 31.
The first-year exception. Your first RMD can wait until April 1 of the year after you turn 73. But the second one is still due December 31 of that same year. So if you turned 73 in 2026 and you wait, you'd take two RMDs in 2027. That's two taxable withdrawals in one year, the financial equivalent of two in-laws visiting the same weekend.
The still-working exception. If you're still working, your current employer's plan may let you delay RMDs until you retire, unless you own 5% or more of the business, according to the IRS. This doesn't apply to IRAs. (Of course it doesn't.)
Roth accounts get a pass. Roth IRAs and designated Roth 401(k) or 403(b) accounts don't require RMDs while the owner is alive. Your heirs aren't so lucky.
The penalty. Miss an RMD and the amount you didn't take may face a 25% excise tax. Fix it within two years and it drops to 10%. You report it on Form 5329, and the IRS may waive it entirely if the shortfall came from reasonable error and you're fixing it, with a letter of explanation attached.
Yes, you can say "my bad" to the IRS. It just has to be in writing. For a deeper dive, see our RMD guide.
The Bottom Line (Your Retirement Accounts Don't Do Spontaneous)
Workplace plan deferrals and catch-ups ride your payroll and run out with the plan year. IRA contributions can wait until tax day. RMDs are due December 31, except your very first one. And the 2027 limits are coming soon, so double-check which year a number belongs to.
Mark the dates now. Future You is begging. Present You is scrolling. Somebody has to be the adult here.
This is general education, not personal tax, legal or financial advice. We're a website with a sarcasm problem, not your CPA, so check the specifics with a tax professional before you do anything your future self might write a strongly worded letter about.
That's it. Go forth and contribute, before the ball drops and the IRS calendar flips to "told you so."
Sources:
- IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111)
- IRS: Retirement topics, catch-up contributions
- IRS: Retirement topics, IRA contribution limits
- IRS: Traditional and Roth IRAs
- IRS: Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5329
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
The IRS set the 2026 employee deferral limit for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans and the Thrift Savings Plan at $24,500. Most participants 50 and older can add an $8,000 catch-up, and a higher $11,250 catch-up applies to participants who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2026.
Can I make a 2026 IRA contribution in 2027?
Yes. The IRS says IRA contributions for a year can be made up to your tax return filing deadline for that year, not including extensions.
What happens if I miss a required minimum distribution?
The amount not withdrawn may be hit with a 25% excise tax, cut to 10% if you correct it in time (within two years). You report it on Form 5329, and the IRS may waive the penalty if the shortfall came from reasonable error and you're fixing it.
Do Roth IRAs have required minimum distributions?
Not while the owner is alive. The IRS says RMD rules don't apply to Roth IRAs or designated Roth accounts until after the owner's death; beneficiaries do have RMD rules.
