Compare Traditional and Roth side by side
A row-by-row ledger for tax timing, income limits, required minimum distributions, and the shared annual contribution limit.
Open the full comparisonEligibility & Limits
Whether you can deduct a Traditional IRA contribution, whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA at all, and how much you can put in are decided by three different rules. Passing one says nothing about the other two.
Walk through the three tests Open the contribution limits table
Eligibility checker
Deducting a Traditional contribution, contributing to a Roth at all, and how much you may put in are three separate tests. Answer three questions and read the rule behind each result.
Traditional figures assume you or your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan. If neither of you is covered, income does not limit the deduction. 1
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Rule cited: 2025 deduction phase-out, $79,000 to $89,000 single and $126,000 to $146,000 joint. 2
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Rule cited: 2025 Roth contribution phase-out, $150,000 to $165,000 single and $236,000 to $246,000 joint. 3
Shared yearly limit across all your IRAs combined: $7,000, plus a $1,000 catch-up at age 50 or older. Opening both accounts does not double it.
Ledger 03 — Annual amounts
The annual limit is shared across every IRA you own. Opening both a Traditional and a Roth IRA does not double it. Pick a tax year to see the standard limit, the age 50 catch-up, and that year's deadline.
Source: IRS Notice 2024-80
| Item | Amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard contribution | $7,000 | Total across all your IRAs if you are under 50. |
| Catch-up contribution | $1,000 | Extra amount from age 50 by year end. |
| Total at age 50 and over | $8,000 | Standard limit plus catch-up, shared across your IRAs. |
| Contribution deadline | April 15, 2026 | Tax filing deadline, not December 31. |
| Earned income needed | Up to your taxable pay | You cannot contribute more than your earned income. |
Amounts are indexed for inflation and change by year. Whether a Traditional contribution is deductible and whether you may fund a Roth at all are separate tests, covered in the eligibility checker and phase-out ranges.
Eligibility test: income
A phase-out is not a cliff. Inside the teal band the deduction or the Roth contribution shrinks gradually, then stops. The rust segment marks modified adjusted gross income above the upper limit for that filing status. Pick a rule and a tax year to redraw the three bars.
Benefit reduced across the range No benefit above the upper limit
1 Ranges follow the IRS phase-out worksheets for the selected tax year and are measured on modified adjusted gross income. Married filing separately uses a compressed $0 to $10,000 range under both rules.
Next, see how one annual limit covers every IRA you own on the contribution limits table.
Where to go next
The limits above tell you how much you can put in. What they do not tell you is when the tax benefit arrives. These two pages cover that.
A row-by-row ledger for tax timing, income limits, required minimum distributions, and the shared annual contribution limit.
Open the full comparisonSend your filing status, age, and estimated MAGI. We reply with the specific rule that applies to your situation.
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