Roth IRA Contribution Income Limits

What are the Roth IRA contribution income limits?

Generally speaking, the maximum income limits for making any type of Roth IRA contribution are:

• $188,000 if you're married filing jointly
• $10,000 if you're married filing separately
• $127,000 if you're single, head of household, or married filing separately (and did not live with your spouse for any part of the tax year)

If your current earned income exceeds the amount above for your tax filing status, you can NOT make a direct Roth IRA contribution for the current tax year.

However, you can make an indirect Roth IRA contribution regardless of your income (we'll address this later).

Meanwhile, if you're still unsure as to whether or not you meet the income eligibility requirements for a Roth IRA, then search for your tax filing status below to get a more detailed picture of where you stand in regard to the Roth IRA income limits:

Married Filing Jointly or a Qualifying Widow(er)

If this describes your IRS tax filing status, how much can you contribute to your Roth IRA?

Under current IRS rules, you can contribute a maximum of...

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old with earned income less than $178,000
• $6,500 if you're 50 or older with earned income less than $178,000
• $0 regardless of age if your earned income is $188,000 or more

If your earned income falls somewhere between $178,001 and $188,000, then the amount you can contribute to your Roth IRA varies between zero and...

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old
• $6,500 if you're 50 years old or older

If this describes you, then it's best to consult with a financial professional to find out the exact dollar amount of your contribution given the Roth IRA contribution income limits.

Single, Head of Household, or Married Filing Separately

If this describes your IRS tax filing status, how much can you contribute to your Roth IRA?

Under current IRS rules, you can contribute a maximum of:

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old with earned income less than $112,000
• $6,500 if you're 50 or older with earned income less than $112,000
• $0 regardless of age if your earned income is $127,000 or more

If your earned income falls somewhere between $112,001 and $127,000, then the amount you're allowed to contribute to your Roth IRA varies between zero and...

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old
• $6,500 if you're 50 years old or older

If this describes you, then it's best to consult with a financial professional to find out the exact dollar amount of your contribution given the Roth IRA contribution income limits.

Married Filing Separately

If your filing status is married filing separately, and...

You lived with your spouse at any time during the year, how much can you contribute to your Roth IRA?

Under current IRS rules, you can contribute a maximum of:

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old with earned income of $0
• $6,500 if you're 50 or older with earned income of $0
• $0 regardless of age if your earned income is $10,000 or more

If your earned income falls somewhere between $1 and $10,000, then the amount you're allowed to contribute to your Roth IRA varies between zero and...

• $5,500 if you're less than 50 years old
• $6,500 if you're 50 years old or older

If this describes you, then it's best to consult with a financial professional to find out the exact dollar amount of your contribution given the Roth IRA contribution income limits.

Avoiding Roth IRA Contribution Income Limits

Earlier, I said you can make an indirect Roth IRA contribution regardless of income.

This is because in 2010, Congress eliminated the income limit on Roth IRA conversions. As a result, anyone regardless of income can perform a Roth IRA conversion.

And this opens the door for you to make an indirect Roth IRA contribution if your income currently exceeds the Roth IRA contribution income limits.

Why?

Because no limit exists in regard to non-deductible Traditional IRA contributions. You can, regardless of income, make non-deductible contributions to a Traditional IRA.

And since the income limit on Roth IRA conversions no longer exists, you can then easily convert your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, and...

Presto!

You just made a Roth IRA contribution.

Conclusion

You must adhere to the Roth IRA contribution income limits established by the IRS.

As a general rule, you can NOT make a Roth IRA contribution if you're:

• Married filing jointly with income greater than $188,000
• Married filing separately with income greater than $10,000
• Single or head of household with income greater than $127,000

However, if you currently earn too much under the income rules, don't despair!

Anyone regardless of income can perform a Roth IRA conversion, opening the door for almost anyone to indirectly contribute to a Roth IRA.