The 2018 retirement plan limits have recently been announced by the IRS.
These new limits are effective January 1, 2018.
If you are an employee and a retirement plan participant, be sure to contact your employer as soon as possible if you wish to change your retirement plan salary deferrals for 2018. Of course, if you’re a Springwater client, we’re happy to assist!
If you are an employer and either don’t have a retirement plan in place or have questions about your existing one, please contact us for a complimentary tailor-made proposal and comparison with your current plan. You’ll have happier, more satisfied employees while also saving money.
401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc. The standard contribution limit for employee salary deferrals to a qualified retirement plan – 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the government’s Thrift Savings Plan – increases to $18,500 for 2018 (was $18,000 for 2017).
The “Catch-up”. The “catch-up” deferral limit for these plans remains at $6,000 (was $6,000 for 2017), so a person who is age 50 or older can defer a maximum of $24,500 in 2018.
Annual Defined Contribution Limit. The maximum “annual additions” limit (salary deferrals, plus profit sharing, plus forfeiture allocations, etc) to a defined contribution plan is increased to $55,000 for 2018 (from $54,000 for 2017). Note that the catch-up deferral is in addition to this, so the annual contribution limit for a person age 50 or older is $61,000.
SEP IRAs and Solo 401(k)s. The contribution limit for a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) in 2018 is increased to the lesser of (a) $55,000, or (b) 25% of the employee’s salary. The compensation limit used in the savings calculation is increased to $275,000 for 2018 (was $270,000 for 2017).
IRAs. The contribution limits for Traditional and Roth IRAs remain at $5,500 for 2018; the catch-up contribution for a person age 50 or older remains at $1,000 in 2018, for a total of $6,500.
Simple IRAs. The contribution limit for a Simple IRA remains at $12,500 for 2018 (was $12,500 for 2017); the catch-up contribution for a person age 50 remains at $3,000 (was $3,000 for 2017), for a total of $15,500.
Defined Benefit Plans. Finally, the limitation on the annual benefit of a “defined benefit” plan in 2018 is $220,000, up from $215,000 for 2017.