IRS lifts 2026 Saver’s Credit AGI ceilings

What happened

The IRS newsroom summary of 2026 retirement COLA changes puts the income limit for the Saver’s Credit — also called the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit — at $80,500 for married couples filing jointly, up from $79,000 for 2025; $60,375 for heads of household, up from $59,250; and $40,250 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up from $39,500. Those are the AGI ceilings printed for claiming the credit on eligible retirement contributions, not targets and not advice to claim anything.

The same notice also lists other 2026 lids this desk has filed on other days — 401(k) elective deferrals at $24,500, IRA contributions at $7,500 — but today’s jar is only the Saver’s Credit AGI rails. Notice 2025-67 carries the detailed tables; the newsroom page is the source URL for this package. Educational finance only. No tickers. No “max this.”

Why it matters

Educational finance here labels published caps so a reader can find them on IRS.gov instead of on a slideshow. The comic is three AGI jars, a simple credit-percentage meter, and a chalkboard that says ceiling not advice. Color on the piggy, the jars, the chalk. White gutters.

A credit for low- and moderate-income savers is a different animal from a contribution limit. Prior days filed SIMPLE, SEP, and 401(k) numbers. Today’s board is who can even look at the Saver’s Credit under the 2026 AGI lines.

Conclusion

For 2026, Saver’s Credit AGI ceilings are $80,500 MFJ, $60,375 head of household, and $40,250 single or MFS, as the IRS newsroom prints them. Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500