As long as you're still working, there's no age limit to be able to contribute to a traditional IRA. With Roth IRAs, you can contribute at any age, as long as you do. The Security Act eliminated the age limit at which a person can contribute to an IRA. With Roth IRAs, you can contribute at any age, as long as your earned income is within the allowable income limits.
If you're not sure how much you can contribute, use our calculator. A traditional IRA is an account to which you can contribute money before or after taxes. Your contributions may be tax-deductible depending on your situation, helping to provide you with immediate tax benefits. See publication 590-A, Frequently Asked Questions about contributions to Individual Retirement Agreements (IRAs) and retirement plans in connection with exemptions from the 60-day renewal requirement.
By contributing to a traditional pre-tax IRA, you get the benefit of an initial tax deduction. A Roth IRA is not deductible: you pay taxes in advance on your contributions and then make tax-exempt withdrawals when you retire, but eligibility is based on income limits. It is usually more advantageous to finance them to the maximum first, especially if the company contributes generously to employee contributions. Whether you use a Roth or a traditional IRA for those contributions depends on your tax situation.
Do not use Form 8606, Non-Deductible IRAs (PDF/PDF, Non-Deductible IRAs) to declare non-deductible contributions to a Roth IRA. See publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), for more information on IRA losses. This type of account can provide you with immediate tax benefits, and your contributions can increase with deferred taxes. A lot also depends on how much money you think you'll need or want when you retire and how much time you have before you get there.
Learning the difference in the rules between contributing to a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA pays off in the long run. If you or your spouse are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan and your income exceeds certain levels, you may not be able to deduct your full contribution. For traditional IRA contributions, the amount you can deduct may be limited if you or your spouse are covered by a retirement plan at work and your income exceeds certain levels. The owner of a traditional IRA doesn't immediately owe income taxes on the money deposited in the account.
Yes, you can contribute to an IRA after you retire, but you'll need to have a certain amount of “earned income” to do so. With a traditional IRA, your money may increase with deferred taxes, but you'll pay ordinary income tax on your withdrawals and you'll have to start receiving distributions after age 72.
