Largest-Ever Increase to 401(k) Contribution Limit

Employees can contribute up to $22,500 to their 401(k) accounts in 2023

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Mack Wilowski
Mack Wilowski
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Mack Wilowski is an Associate Editor for Investopedia. He is a contributor to Investopedia's Term of the Day newsletter, the New York City Recovery Index, and the "What to Expect" weekly markets briefing.

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Published October 22, 2022

The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that it will boost the maximum contribution limit to employee 401(k) accounts by $2,000 next year to $22,500, the largest increase on record, enabling millions of Americans to save and contribute thousands more dollars to tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS will lift the maximum contribution limit to employee 401(k) accounts by $2,000 next year to $22,500
  • For people aged 50 and older who are nearing retirement, the catch-up contribution limit to a 401(k) will rise by $1,000, to $7,500
  • The catch-up contribution limit for an IRA, which isn’t indexed to inflation, won’t change
  • The income threshold for which IRA contributions no longer become tax-deductible will be raised for both single and married filers
  • For Roth IRAs, the income range for which eligibility phases out will also be set higher in 2023

The contribution limit for an individual retirement account (IRA) is also set to increase, to $6,500 in 2023 from $6,000 this year—a limit that hasn’t been changed since 2019.

For people aged 50 and older who are nearing retirement, the catch-up contribution limit for a 401(k) will rise by $1,000 to $7,500. The catch-up contribution limit for IRAs, which aren’t indexed to inflation, will stay at $1,000.

Higher Thresholds for Tax Deduction Phaseouts

The IRS is also raising the income threshold for which tax deductions for IRA contributions will be phased out. That will be set at $73,000 to $83,000 for individuals and single heads of households, or between $116,000 and $136,000 for married couples filing jointly. The previous range was set at $68,000 to $78,000 for singles, or $109,000 to $129,000 for married couples.

Changes to Roth IRA Eligibility

Savers can also expect changes to Roth IRA accounts, where contributions are after-tax and the eligibility to contribute is based on one’s income. For a Roth IRA, contribution limits are set lower for higher-income individuals, and decrease with higher income brackets. Next year, the income range at which eligibility phases out has been raised, to between $218,000 and $228,000 for married couples, or between $138,000 and $153,000 for singles.

The adjustments come after Congress said on Tuesday that it will adjust income tax brackets, in addition to the estate and gift tax exclusion. Those changes are made annually by legislators, using preset formulas that account for inflation and income growth.

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  1. Wall Street Journal. "IRS to Make Largest Increase Ever to 401(k) Contribution Limit."

  2. Internal Revenue Service. "401(k) limit increases to $22,500 for 2023, IRA limit rises to $6,500."