IRS increases pension and retirement plan contribution limits for 2025

The IRS on Friday announced an increase to the amount individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2025 — to $23,500, up from $23,000 in 2024.

The Internal Revenue Service detailed the increases in its annual cost-of-living adjustments for pension plans and other retirement accounts.

Workers who participate in 403(b) and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan will also be able to increase their annual contribution to $23,500 in 2025, up from $23,000 in 2024.

Some annual contributions remain the same. The limit on annual contributions to an IRA will remain at $7,000 and the IRA catch-up contribution limit for people 50 and over remains $1,000 for 2025.

The agency last week announced increases to the standard deduction in its annual inflation adjustments for 2025. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately in tax year 2025, the standard deduction is rising to $15,000 — up $400 from 2024.

For couples who file jointly, that standard deduction will be $30,000 for 2025, an $800 jump from the year prior. And heads of households will get a $22,500 standard deduction, up $600 from 2024.

Income thresholds for all seven federal tax bracket levels were also revised upward.

Last month, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.5% cost-of-living increase for benefits recipients starting in January. That translates to an average jump of more than $50 on monthly checks for millions of people, the smallest annual COLA hike since 2021. Although inflation has eased from its pandemic-era heights, some advocates for older Americans say the modest bump in Social Security benefits puts U.S. retirees at risk of losing financial ground.