Contributing to an IRA can make your retirement years more comfortable, but it can also lower your tax bill for the year you contribute. To deduct your IRA contributions, you need to have a traditional IRA instead of a Roth IRA. Additional restrictions apply based on your income and whether you or your spouse are eligible for a retirement plan through work.
Read on to learn the rules for deducting IRA contributions. We’ll cover when you can take the deduction, how much you can deduct, and a few other factors to consider in your tax and retirement planning.
Some IRA contributions are tax-deductible. If your individual retirement account is a traditional IRA (funded with pretax money, but distributions are taxable). You can often deduct your IRA contributions. However, contributions to a Roth IRA (funded with after-tax money, but distributions are often tax-free) are never tax-deductible.
You can contribute to a traditional IRA as long as you earned money from working during the year, no matter how much you earned. However, your eligibility to deduct contributions depends on your tax filing status, income, and whether you have access to an employer-sponsored retirement account.
If you have a traditional IRA, you may be able to deduct the full amount you contributed up to the annual limit. Or you may only qualify for a reduced deduction or no deduction at all. (We’ll cover the rules in a moment.)
In 2025, you can contribute up to $7,000 to an IRA, or $8,000 if you’re 50 or older. The IRA contribution limits for 2026 will increase to $7,500, or $8,600 if you’re at least 50.
Here’s a breakdown of the rules for deducting your IRA contributions based on your filing status and access to a workplace retirement account. Reminder: These rules only apply if you contributed to a traditional IRA, as Roth IRA contributions aren’t tax-deductible. By “income,” we’re referring to your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI).
Note that the IRS considers you (or your spouse) to be covered by a workplace retirement account if your employer offers a plan like a 401(k), 403(b), or pension, and someone made contributions to the account for the tax year. The contributions can come from you (or your spouse) or the employer. However, if no one contributed to the account for the tax year, you’re not covered by a workplace plan.
Read more: 403(b) vs. 401(k): What’s the difference?
If you’re single, head of household, or a qualifying widow(er) and you don’t have access to a workplace retirement plan, no income limits apply. You can deduct your full traditional IRA contribution.
The following income limits apply if your filing status is single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er), and you’re covered by a workplace retirement account.
If you’re married filing jointly and neither spouse is covered by a workplace retirement account, no income limits apply. You and your spouse can both deduct your full contribution.
If you’re married filing separately and you or your spouse is covered by a workplace plan, you may be eligible to partially deduct your IRA contribution — but only if your income is less than $10,000 in 2025 and 2026. No deduction is allowed in either year if your income exceeds this threshold. However, if neither you or your spouse has a workplace account, you can deduct your IRA contribution regardless of your income.
Let’s say you’re 40 years old, single, and covered by a workplace retirement plan. Your 2025 modified adjusted gross income is $85,000. For single filers, the traditional IRA deduction phases out between $79,000 and $89,000.
Because your income is $6,000 above the lower end of that phaseout range ($85,000 − $79,000), you’re 60% of the way through the phaseout. That means 60% of your $7,000 contribution ($4,200) isn’t tax-deductible, but the remaining $2,800 is tax-deductible.
Here’s the formula:
Nondeductible portion
$7,000 × (85,000 − 79,000) / 10,000 = $4,200
Deductible portion
$7,000 − $4,200 = $2,800
You can deduct your IRA contribution even if you take the standard deduction vs. itemizing. That’s because the IRA deduction is an above-the-line deduction (like the student loan interest deduction) and doesn’t require you to itemize your return.
Most tax filing software will walk you through the process of claiming the deduction. Assuming you’ve verified your eligibility, you’ll file Schedule 1, Part II when you submit Form 1040. Part II of Schedule 1 is used to report adjustments to income. You’ll report your total deduction on Line 20 of the form.
Even when the tax year has ended, you still have until Tax Day to make IRS contributions for the year. In other words, you have until April 15, 2026, to make your 2025 IRA contributions.
How much of my IRA is tax-deductible?
You may be able to deduct your full IRA contribution (up to $7,000 in 2025 and $7,500 in 2026, or $8,000 and $8,600, respectively, if you’re 50 or older). However, if you or your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan, your income comes into play. You may only be eligible for a partial deduction, or no deduction at all, if your income exceeds certain thresholds.
Are Roth IRA contributions tax-deductible?
If you contributed to a Roth IRA, your contribution won’t be tax-deductible. You may not be able to deduct your traditional IRA contributions if your income exceeds certain thresholds and you and/or your spouse have a workplace retirement account.
Why contribute to a traditional IRA if it’s not deductible?
A traditional IRA still offers tax-deferred growth, even if your contribution isn’t deductible. However, if you don’t qualify for a deduction, you may want to consider alternative retirement savings vehicles first.
A Roth IRA may provide better tax benefits if your income doesn’t exceed the annual limits. Though Roth IRA contributions aren’t deductible, your withdrawals in retirement are usually tax-free. You could also contribute more to your 401(k) or another employer-sponsored account. However, if you’re not eligible for a Roth IRA and/or you’re already maxing out your workplace retirement plan, a nondeductible IRA still has some valuable tax benefits.
Read more: 401(k) vs. IRA: Which account is right for you?
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