Non-deductible IRA: Important Things You Should Remember

Are you not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA or a standard 401(k) plan at work? Well, in that case, you may be able to make non-deductible contributions to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). If your income is too high for you to deduct from the traditional IRA, then you can make non-deductible contributions that reduce your taxable income. If you qualify, making non-deductible IRA contributions can be advantageous in a few different ways. 

They enable you to save more money for retirement by reducing the taxable income from your other sources of income. Also, because the contribution isn’t deductible, it lowers your taxes dollar for dollar. If your income is low enough and your tax bracket is high enough (so that deductions don’t offer much value), making non-deductible contributions could result in a lower tax bill than if you just made deductible contributions.

What Are The Benefits Of A Non-Deductible IRA?

A non-deductible IRA offers a number of advantages. 

First, since the contributions aren’t deductible, they have no effect on your adjusted gross income (AGI). This means they won’t reduce any other deductions or credits you’re eligible for, including the child or dependent care credit or the Saver’s Credit. 

Second, you have the flexibility to make non-deductible contributions at any time during the year. There’s no deadline like there is with the annual contribution period for traditional IRA deductions. You can even make non-deductible contributions if you’ve already contributed to an IRA for that year, although you can’t make more than the annual contribution limit for both types of IRAs.

How Do Non-Deductible IRA Contributions Work?

To make non-deductible IRA contributions, you open a traditional IRA account and make a deposit. You can do this directly through a financial institution or through your employer’s HR department. There’s no paperwork to fill out and no need to establish a special type of account.

 You can even make non-deductible contributions if you’re already contributing to a Roth IRA. The only restriction is that you must make a non-deductible contribution to an IRA account that isn’t held as a joint account with a spouse. 

The advantage of making non-deductible contributions is that they reduce your taxable income. For example, if you make a $5,000 non-deductible contribution to your IRA, you reduce your taxable income by $5,000. Since you’re saving $5,000 in taxes and getting no up-front tax break, it may not make sense to make non-deductible IRA contributions if your income is high enough that you’re paying a significant amount in taxes.

When Can You Make Non-Deductible IRA Contributions?

The deadline for making deductible IRA contributions is December 31. This is the last day you can make a contribution for the previous tax year in order to get the tax credit for that year. As for non-deductible contributions, there’s no specific deadline. 

If you’re thinking about making non-deductible IRA contributions, you can do it any time during the year. But keep in mind that you can’t make non-deductible contributions after the end of the tax year. This means that if you start thinking about making non-deductible contributions in January, you’re too late.

When You Can’t Make Non-Deductible Contributions

There are some situations where you cannot make non-deductible contributions. For example, if you have a retirement plan at work or received a distribution from a retirement plan during the previous tax year, you cannot make a non-deductible IRA contribution for the current year. You also cannot make non-deductible IRA contributions if you’re under the age of 18. This is one case where an IRA may not be a good idea. Young people should focus on their short-term goals before they start contributing to a long-term retirement plan like an IRA.

How To Determine If You Can Or Cannot Make A Non-Deductible IRA Contribution?

If you’re thinking about making non-deductible IRA contributions, the first thing you should do is assess your current financial situation. You should know your annual income and your approximate tax payment for the year. 

Next, you can use online calculators to determine if you are allowed to make non-deductible IRA contributions. These calculators can also help you figure out how much you should be contributing to your IRA.

How Much Should You Put In Your IRA?

The amount you should put in your IRA depends on your income and how much you can reasonably afford to contribute. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to contribute enough to your IRA to get the maximum annual tax break for which you qualify. As for non-deductible contributions, the amount you put in your IRA depends on your income and your tax bracket. The general rule is that you want to contribute enough to reduce your taxable income by 10% for every $1,000 you put into the IRA. For example, if you make $40,000 a year and you make a $5,000 non-deductible IRA contribution, you’re saving $1,000 in taxes.

Should You Pay Taxes Now Or Later?

One advantage of making non-deductible contributions is that they reduce your taxable income. This means you can put more money into your retirement account while keeping your tax bill the same. If you make non-deductible IRA contributions now, you’re essentially paying taxes and getting a tax break. However, when you eventually withdraw money from your IRA, those contributions will be taxed as ordinary income. 

This means that the $5,000 non-deductible contribution you make now will result in a higher tax bill once you start making withdrawals. If you’re in a low tax bracket now, you might be better off paying taxes now. If you’re in a high tax bracket now, you might be better off paying taxes later.

Conclusion

If you’re not eligible to make deductible contributions to an IRA, you can make non-deductible contributions. When you’re an employee, your company typically manages your retirement savings in a 401(k) plan. This is convenient, but it also means you have no control over your retirement savings and your investment choices. Contribution to a Roth IRA allows you to take control of your retirement savings and make sure you’re putting enough money away for retirement. If you start saving for retirement early, you have more time to earn interest and increase your savings. This means that if you’re self-employed, contributing to a Roth IRA gives you a head start on retirement savings. 

You can make contributions to a Traditional IRA and then convert it to a Roth IRA if you have a high income. The process is the same as contributing to a Roth IRA directly, but the key difference is that you pay taxes on the money when you convert it.