What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?

Single filers: full contribution under $153,000 MAGI, phased out between $153,000-$168,000, none above. Married filing jointly: full contribution under $242,000 combined MAGI, phased out between $242,000-$252,000, none above.

Why would getting married reduce Roth IRA eligibility?

Because the MFJ phase-out band ($242,000-$252,000, a $10,000 range) is narrower in absolute dollar terms than the single band ($153,000-$168,000, a $15,000 range) — even though the MFJ band is meant to accommodate TWO incomes combined. Two people who were each individually under their own single limit can have a combined MAGI that exceeds the MFJ ceiling entirely.

Is there a way around the Roth IRA income limit after marriage?

Yes — a 'backdoor Roth IRA': contribute to a traditional IRA (which has no income limit for non-deductible contributions) and then convert it to a Roth IRA. This sidesteps the direct-contribution income limit entirely for most people, though it can be complicated by existing pre-tax IRA balances (the pro-rata rule).

Does a Roth 401(k) have the same income limit as a Roth IRA?

No — Roth 401(k) contributions (through an employer plan) have no MAGI-based income limit at all, unlike a Roth IRA. A couple hitting the Roth IRA cliff can still contribute to a Roth 401(k) if their employer offers one.

Two Roth-Eligible Partners Can Lose $15,000/Year in Contribution Room by Getting Married

We ran a $140,000 MAGI partner against a $130,000 MAGI partner through the calculator — each individually well under the $153,000 single phase-out floor, so each could contribute the full $7,500 to a Roth IRA as a single filer, $15,000 combined. Married filing jointly, their combined MAGI is $270,000 — above the $252,000 MFJ ceiling entirely, so BOTH lose their full Roth eligibility. Neither partner’s income changed by a single dollar; the marriage itself is what triggered the cliff.

The bands, side by side

Filing status	Phase-out floor	Phase-out ceiling	Band width	Applies to
Single	$153,000	$168,000	$15,000	One person’s income
Married filing jointly	$242,000	$252,000	$10,000	Combined income of two people

The MFJ band isn’t just narrower than double the single band — it’s narrower in absolute terms than the single band itself, while having to accommodate the combined income of two earners instead of one. That mismatch is the entire mechanism behind the cliff, the same kind of one-sided bracket math that produces the more commonly discussed federal tax marriage penalty — except this one hits retirement contribution room instead of a tax bill.

It doesn’t always bite — the partial phase-out band matters

Not every couple loses everything. We also ran a $100,000 MAGI partner against a $150,000 MAGI partner — combined $250,000, squarely inside the $242,000-$252,000 MFJ phase-out band: each partner is still allowed $1,500 (a reduced, non-zero contribution), for $3,000 combined, down from $15,000 as singles. A $12,000 loss, but not a total wipeout. The couples who lose everything are the ones whose combined MAGI clears the ceiling entirely, like the first example above.

Where this framework doesn’t apply

Your combined MAGI is comfortably under $242,000. Below the MFJ floor, marriage doesn’t reduce Roth eligibility at all.
You’re already doing backdoor Roth contributions. The backdoor strategy (a traditional IRA contribution, then converted to Roth) has no income limit, so it’s unaffected by this cliff entirely.
Your employer offers a Roth 401(k). Roth 401(k) contributions have no MAGI-based limit, unlike a Roth IRA — a real, income-limit-free alternative.
You file married filing separately. MFS has its own, much harsher phase-out band (effectively $0-$10,000) — a different, generally worse situation this single-vs-MFJ comparison doesn’t model.

What to actually do

Estimate your COMBINED MAGI for the year you’ll file jointly, not just your current individual incomes — the cliff is invisible until you actually add the two numbers together.
If the cliff applies, set up backdoor Roth contributions instead of a direct Roth IRA contribution.
Check for existing pre-tax traditional IRA balances first — the pro-rata rule can complicate a clean backdoor conversion if you have them.
Confirm whether your employer plan offers a Roth 401(k), which sidesteps this income limit entirely.
If gap-year income timing is also on the table (a sabbatical, a career change), the same MAGI-management logic behind Roth conversion ladders applies here too — a lower-income year can restore direct Roth IRA eligibility.

Open the Marriage Roth IRA Eligibility Cliff Calculator → and check your own combined numbers before you file jointly.