Your Roth IRA is subject to very specific rules established and administered by the Internal Revenue Service. These rules cover many things, including the amount you are eligible to contribute to a Roth as based on your Roth IRA income limit. Essentially, after you reach a certain Roth IRA income level, the amount you contribute decreases and, eventually, if you earn too much money, you will not be allowed to contribute to a Roth IRA.
In order to establish and be eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have “earned income” in the year you want to make a contribution. In the parlance of the IRS, earned income is any money paid for your work or profit from a business. This money can be in the form of salaries, tips, bonuses, commissions, and even taxable alimony. Earned income does not include investment dividends and interest, pension payments, or income from rental property.
The IRS bases their limits on your tax filing status for the year of contribution. They use three categories: (1) Married filing jointly or qualified widow(er); (2) Married filing separately; and (3) Single or head of household. They also use your modified adjusted gross income as the basis of measurement; you can determine your modified adjusted gross income from adjusted gross income from your tax return.
If you file as single, head of household, or married filing separately (if you did not live with your spouse at any time during the year) your income must be less than $116,000 to contribute up to the limit. As your income exceeds $116,000, the amount you can contribute decreases until you become ineligible to contribute as your income exceeds $131,000.
If you file as married filing joint or as a qualifying widow(er) your income must be less than $183,000 to contribute up to the limit. After you reach $193,000 you are ineligible. Finally, if your earned income for the year is less than the contribution limit, you can only contribute up to your earned income. In other words, if your earned income is $3,000, you can only contribute up to $3,000.
Roth IRAs are excellent choices for tax-free retirement funds, but it is important to understand the rules surrounding how they work. With the proper information, you can make the best decision for your personal situation and retirement goals.
For more information click- Roth IRA Income Limits