Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (Saver's Credit)
Low to middle income taxpayers may be able to claim the retirement savings contribution credit, sometimes known as the saver's credit, for taxpayers who make eligible contributions to certain tax-advantaged retirement plans. The saver's credit was enacted as a temporary provision in 2002, then became a permanent part of the tax code in 2006. The credit may be up to $1,000 for a contribution of $2,000, although because the credit is nonrefundable, the maximum amount will be limited by the taxpayer's ordinary income tax liability. The credit may be 10%, 20%, or even 50%, of contributions of up to $2,000, depending on the taxpayer's filing status, and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which is adjusted gross income (AGI) increased by any exclusion for foreign earned income or income from Puerto Rico or American Samoa, or by any foreign housing exclusion or deduction. For most Americans, MAGI = AGI.
Credit % | Single, Married Filing Separately, Qualifying Widower | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | |||
50% | $21,750 | $32,625 | $43,500 |
20% | $23,750 | $35,625 | $47,500 |
10% | $36,500 | $54,750 | $73,000 |
2022 | |||
50% | $20,500 | $30,750 | $41,000 |
20% | $22,000 | $33,000 | $44,000 |
10% | $34,000 | $51,000 | $68,000 |
2021 | |||
50% | $19,750 | $29,625 | $39,500 |
20% | $21,500 | $32,250 | $43,000 |
10% | $33,000 | $49,500 | $66,000 |
2020 | |||
50% | $19,500 | $29,250 | $39,000 |
20% | $21,250 | $31,875 | $42,500 |
10% | $32,500 | $48,750 | $65,000 |
Source: Retirement Savings Contributions Savers Credit |
A married couple filing jointly can each claim the credit for eligible contributions of up to $2,000 each. Contributions can be made by the due date of the return, not including extensions. The saver's credit is in addition to any other tax benefit to the retirement contribution.
Example 1: Calculating the Saver's Credit for a Married Couple Filing Jointly
- Joe and Mary file jointly for 2020, with a MAGI of $40,000.
- Joe contributes $1,000 to his account.
- Mary contributes $2000 to her account.
- This reduces their MAGI by $3000, to $37,000, which qualifies for the 50% credit.
- So their total credit is the lower of $1500 (= 50% × $1000 + 50% × $2000) or tax liability.
Starting in 2027, taxpayers may receive a federal matching contribution on their retirement contribution that must be deposited in their IRA or retirement plan and cannot be withdrawn without penalty. This benefit replaces the saver's credit, but unlike the savers credit, it is not limited by tax liability.
Although you can receive this government match by contributing either to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA, the government match must be placed in a traditional IRA or other tax-deferred account. The government giveth, but then it wants to taketh some of that away later.
Like the saver's credit, the match phases out based on income, which will be adjusted annually for inflation:
- married filing jointly: $41,000 – $71,000
- head of household: $30,750 – $53,250
- single: $20,500 – $35,500
A designated beneficiary of an ABLE (A Better Life Experience) account may also claim the savers credit for contributions.
To be eligible for the credit, you must be at least 18 years of age by the end of the tax year, and cannot be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer, nor can you be a full-time student during 5 or more months during the tax year.
Eligible retirement accounts include:
- traditional or Roth IRAs,
- SIMPLE IRAs,
- SIMPLE 401(k) or 403(b) plans,
- salary reduction SEP,
- salary reduction contributions to 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) plans,
- voluntary after-tax contributions to a qualified plan.
To prevent taxpayers from receiving a distribution and then making a subsequent contribution to claim the saver's credit, tax rules reduce the eligible contribution by any distributions within the testing period, which covers the time beginning 2 years previous to the tax year until the due date of the current return, including extensions. So any distributions from retirement plans in 2018 and 2019 will reduce or eliminate any retirement credit that can be claimed for 2020, up until the due date of the 2020 return in 2021, including extensions. Any distributions during that time period must be subtracted from the contributions that the taxpayer made during the tax year. However, trustee-to-trustee transfers to other eligible retirement accounts, such as rollover distributions or a conversion of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, or distributions of excess contributions, are not counted.
Example 2: Calculating the Saver's Credit after Withdrawing a Retirement Contribution in a Previous Year
- To pay your 2019 taxes, you withdraw $1000 from your IRA in 2020.
- You make no contributions in 2020 or 2021, but you contribute $2000 in 2022.
- Your eligible contribution is $2000 − $1000 = $1000.
- If your credit percentage is 50%, then you can claim the smaller of:
- $1000 × .5 = $500 or
- your ordinary tax liability without the credit.
The saver's credit is figured on Form 8880, Credit for Qualified Retirement Contributions. Because the saver's credit is limited to ordinary income tax liability, not employment tax liability, and because other credits come before the saver's credit on Form 1040, those credits listed prior to the retirement savings contribution credit, such as the child tax credit, dependent care credit, American opportunity credit, and the lifetime learning credit, will limit the credit available. As a result, the average credit is less than $250.
Example: How Larger Retirement Contributions Can Greatly Increase Tax Savings
Although the saver's credit is limited to 50% of a $2000 contribution, the following example shows how a higher contribution can, nonetheless, significantly increase the allowable credit by decreasing AGI. Note from the 1st table at the top of this article that there is only a $1750 difference between the maximum AGI for the 50% credit and the minimum AGI for the 10% credit for the 2021 tax year. Note also that any distributions received for the current tax year, up to the due filing date, or the excess of distributions over contributions in the 2 previous years, must be subtracted from the current year contribution amount. However, if the difference between the contribution amount and the distributions is at least $2000, then it will not decrease the credit. This excess distribution provision is to prevent taxpayers from gaming the system, by claiming the saver's credit, then withdrawing the money later.
In the example below, different contribution rates and different excess distributions are compared for the same income to provide several examples of how the saver's credit affects taxable income and the tax. The 1st column shows a contribution great enough to qualify for the 50% credit and no excess distribution, while the next 2 columns show a different contribution rate of 20% and 10%, and a different excess distribution rate.
Given: 2021 tax year, single filing status, 40 years old | 50% Credit | 20% Credit | 10% Credit |
---|---|---|---|
On Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return | |||
Wages | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
IRA Contribution (increasing the contribution decreases AGI, thereby increasing the credit %) | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
Adjusted Gross Income (Determines credit %) | $19,000 | $22,000 | $23,000 |
Standard Deduction | $12,550 | $12,550 | $12,550 |
Taxable Income | $6,450 | $9,450 | $10,450 |
Tax Liability | $645 | $945 | $1,055 |
On Form 8880, Credit for Qualified Retirement Contributions | |||
IRA Contribution | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
Excess of Distributions Over Contributions in Prior 2 Years and Current Year, Up to Due Date (2018 to 2020) | $0 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
Qualified Contribution = IRA Contribution - Distributions = | $6,000 | $2,000 | $500 |
Credit Base = Greater of Qualified Contribution or $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $500 |
On Form 8880: AGI Limits, Credit % | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Maximum Credit = Credit Base × Credit % | $1,000 | $400 | $50 |
Allowable Credit = Lesser of Maximum Credit or Tax Liability | $645 | $400 | $50 |
Tax After Applying Credit | $0 | $545 | $1,005 |
Investment Return | |||
Additional Tax Savings from the Contribution | $650 | $350 | $240 |
Total Savings = Additional Tax Savings from the Contribution + Allowable Credit | $1,295 | $750 | $290 |
Instant, Risk-Free Return on Contribution = Total Savings/Contribution | 21.58% | 25.00% | 14.50% |
As you can see, contributing to an IRA or other tax-deferred retirement account can yield an instant double-digit return without any risk whatsoever!