The contribution limit for Roth IRAs generally depends on whether contributions are made only to Roth IRAs or to both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.
Table 2-1. Effect of Modified AGI on Roth IRA Contribution
This table shows whether your contribution to a Roth IRA is affected by the amount of your modified adjusted gross income (modified AGI).
| IF you have taxable compensation and your filing status is ... |
AND your modified AGI is ... |
THEN ... |
|
married filing jointly
or |
less than $150,000 |
you can contribute up to $4,000 ($5,000 if you are age 50 or older) as explained under How Much Can Be Contributed. |
|
at least $150,000 |
the amount you can contribute is reduced as explained under Contribution limit reduced. |
|
|
$160,000 or more |
you cannot contribute to a Roth IRA. |
|
|
married filing
separately
and |
zero (-0-) |
you can contribute up to $4,000 ($5,000 if you are age 50 or older) as explained under How Much Can Be Contributed. |
|
more than zero (-0-) |
the amount you can contribute is reduced as explained under Contribution limit reduced. |
|
|
$10,000 or more |
you cannot contribute to a Roth IRA. |
|
|
single,
head
of household, |
less than $95,000 |
you can contribute up to $4,000 ($5,000 if you are age 50 or older) as explained under How Much Can Be Contributed. |
|
at least $95,000 |
the amount you can contribute is reduced as explained under Contribution limit reduced. |
|
|
$110,000 or more |
you cannot contribute to a Roth IRA. |
Note. For 2007, the amounts in Table 2-1 increase. For 2007, your Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced (phased out) in the following situations.
-
Your filing status is married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) and your modified AGI is at least $156,000. You cannot make a Roth IRA contribution if your modified AGI is $166,000 or more.
-
Your filing status is married filing separately, you lived with your spouse at any time during the year, and your modified AGI is more than -0-. You cannot make a Roth IRA contribution if your modified AGI is $10,000 or more.
-
Your filing situation is different than either of those described above and your modified AGI is at least $99,000. You cannot make a Roth IRA contribution if your modified AGI is $114,000 or more.
Roth IRAs only. If contributions are made only to Roth IRAs, your contribution limit generally is the lesser of:
-
$4,000 ($5,000 if you are age 50 or older), or
-
Your taxable compensation.
However, if your modified AGI is above a certain amount, your contribution limit may be reduced, as explained later under Contribution limit reduced.
Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs. If contributions are made to both Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs established for your benefit, your contribution limit for Roth IRAs generally is the same as your limit would be if contributions were made only to Roth IRAs, but then reduced by all contributions (other than employer contributions under a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan) for the year to all IRAs other than Roth IRAs.
This means that your contribution limit is the lesser of:
-
$4,000 ($5,000 if you are age 50 or older) minus all contributions (other than employer contributions under a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan) for the year to all IRAs other than Roth IRAs, or
-
Your taxable compensation minus all contributions (other than employer contributions under a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan) for the year to all IRAs other than Roth IRAs.
However, if your modified AGI is above a certain amount, your contribution limit may be reduced, as explained later under Contribution limit reduced.
Simplified employee pensions (SEPs) are discussed in Publication 560. Savings incentive match plans for employees (SIMPLEs) are discussed in chapter 3.
Catch-up contribution in certain employer bankruptcies. For 2007, if you participated in a 401(k) plan and the employer who maintained the plan filed for bankruptcy, you may be able to contribute an additional $3,000 to your Roth IRA. For this to apply, the following conditions must be met.
-
You must have been a participant in a 401(k) plan under which the employer matched at least 50% of your contributions to the plan with stock of the company.
-
You must have been a participant in the 401(k) plan 6 months before the employer filed for bankruptcy.
-
The employer (or a controlling corporation) must have been a debtor in a bankruptcy case in an earlier year.
-
The employer (or any other person) must have been subject to indictment or conviction based on business transactions related to the bankruptcy.
Caution.
If you choose to make these catch-up contributions, the higher contribution limits for individuals who are age 50 or older do not apply.
Repayment of reservist and hurricane distributions. You can repay qualified reservist and qualified hurricane distributions even if the repayments would cause your total contributions to the Roth IRA to be more than the general limit on contributions. However, the total repayments cannot be more than the amount of your qualified reservist distribution.
Note.
If you make repayments of qualified reservist distributions to a Roth IRA, increase your basis in the Roth IRA by the amount of the repayment. If you make repayments of qualified hurricane distributions to a Roth IRA, the repayment is first considered to be a repayment of earnings. Any repayments of qualified hurricane distributions in excess of earnings will increase your basis in the Roth IRA by the amount of the repayment in excess of earnings.
Contribution limit reduced. If your modified AGI is above a certain amount, your contribution limit is gradually reduced. Use Table 2-1 to determine if this reduction applies to you.
Figuring the reduction. If the amount you can contribute must be reduced, figure your reduced contribution limit as follows.
- Start with your modified AGI.
- Subtract from the amount in (1):
-
$150,000 if filing a joint return or qualifying widow(er),
-
$-0- if married filing a separate return, and you lived with your spouse at any time during the year, or
-
$95,000 for all other individuals.
-
Divide the result in (2) by $15,000 ($10,000 if filing a joint return, qualifying widow(er), or married filing a separate return and you lived with your spouse at any time during the year).
-
Multiply the maximum contribution limit (before reduction by this adjustment and before reduction for any contributions to traditional IRAs) by the result in (3).
-
Subtract the result in (4) from the maximum contribution limit before this reduction. The result is your reduced contribution limit.
Worksheet 2-1. Modified Adjusted Gross Income for Roth IRA Purposes
Use this worksheet to figure your modified adjusted gross income for Roth IRA purposes.
|
1. |
Enter your adjusted gross income from Form 1040, line 38; Form 1040A, line 22; or Form 1040NR, line 36 |
|
2. |
Enter any income resulting from the conversion of an IRA (other than a Roth IRA) to a Roth IRA or a minimum required distribution from an IRA (if figuring MAGI for conversion purposes) |
|
3. |
Subtract line 2 from line 1 |
|
4. |
Enter any traditional IRA deduction from Form 1040, line 32; Form 1040A, line 17; or Form 1040NR, line 31 |
|
5. |
Enter any student loan interest deduction from Form 1040, line 33; Form 1040A, line 18; or Form 1040NR, line 32 |
|
6. |
Enter any tuition and fees deduction from Form 1040, line 35 |
|
7. |
Enter any domestic production activities deduction from Form 1040, line 35, or Form 1040NR, line 33 |
|
8. |
Enter any foreign earned income exclusion and/or housing exclusion from Form 2555, line 45, or Form 2555-EZ, line 18 |
|
9. |
Enter any foreign housing deduction from Form 2555, line 50 |
|
10. |
Enter any excludable qualified savings bond interest from Form 8815, line 14 |
|
11. |
Enter any excluded employer-provided adoption benefits from Form 8839, line 30 |
|
12. |
Add the amounts on lines 3 through 11 |
|
13. |
Enter:
|
|
|
Is the amount on line
12 more than the
amount on line 13? |
|
|
Note. If the amount on line 12 is more than the amount on line 13 and you have other income or loss items, such as social security income or passive activity losses, that are subject to AGI-based phaseouts, you can refigure your AGI solely for the purpose of figuring your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes. When figuring your modified AGI for conversion purposes, refigure your AGI without taking into account any income from conversions or minimum required distributions from IRAs. (If you receive social security benefits, use Worksheet 1 in Appendix B to refigure your AGI.) Then go to list item 2 above under Modified AGI or line 3 above in Worksheet 2-1 to refigure your modified AGI. If you do not have other income or loss items subject to AGI-based phaseouts, your modified adjusted gross income for Roth IRA purposes is the amount on line 12 above. |
Worksheet 2-2. Determining Your Reduced Roth IRA Contribution Limit
Before using this worksheet, check Table 2-1 to determine whether or not your Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced. If it is, use this worksheet to determine how much it is reduced.
|
1. |
Enter your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes |
|
2. |
Enter:
|
|
3. |
Subtract line 2 from line 1 |
|
4. |
Enter:
|
|
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. |
Enter the lesser of:
|
|
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 |

Round your reduced contribution limit up to the nearest $10. If your reduced contribution limit is more than $0, but less than $200, increase the limit to $200.
Example.
You are a 45-year-old, single individual with taxable compensation of $113,000. You want to make the maximum allowable contribution to your Roth IRA for 2006. Your modified AGI for 2006 is $100,000. You have not contributed to any traditional IRA, so the maximum contribution limit before the modified AGI reduction is $4,000. Using the steps described earlier, you figure your reduced Roth IRA contribution of $2,670 as shown on the following worksheet.
Worksheet 2-2. Example—Illustrated
Before using this worksheet, check Table 2-1 to determine whether or not your Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced. If it is, use this worksheet to determine how much it is reduced.
|
1. |
Enter your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes |
100,000 |
|
2. |
Enter:
|
95,000 |
|
3. |
Subtract line 2 from line 1 |
5,000 |
|
4. |
Enter:
|
15,000 |
|
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 1.00 |
.333 |
|
6. |
Enter the lesser of:
|
4,000 |
|
7. |
Multiply line 5 by line 6 |
1332 |
|
8. |
Subtract line 7 from line 6. Round the result up to the nearest $10. If the result is less than $200, enter $200 |
2,670 |
|
9. |
Enter contributions for the year to other IRAs |
0 |
|
10. |
Subtract line 9 from line 6 |
4,000 |
|
11. |
Enter the lesser of line 8 or line 10. This is your reduced Roth IRA contribution limit |
2,670 |