High Earners Over Age 50 Will Lose a 401(k) Tax Break

Takeaways

• Starting in 2026, employees aged 50 and older who earn over $145,000 must make 401(k) catch-up contributions on an after-tax (Roth) basis, losing the immediate pretax deduction.
• Affected high earners should check if their employer offers a Roth 401(k) option and review their overall retirement and tax strategy to maximize savings despite the rule change.

Starting in 2026, older high-earning employees will lose a tax-savings perk that has helped them save extra money for retirement. In September 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury issued final rules on a 2022 law which stipulates that employees aged 50 and older who make over $145,000 in wages and who put money aside for catch-up contributions will have to make those contributions after taxes, rather than before.

This change means that the affected workers will have to pay taxes on their catch-up contributions upfront during years when they are earning higher wages rather than in their retirement years when their taxable income will be less. Instead of making pretax catch-up contributions to a 401(k), these workers will have to put their extra contributions into a Roth account after taxes. However, the funds can later be withdrawn tax-free.

How 401(k) Catch-Up Contributions Work

To help workers who may not have started saving as early as they would have liked or who have not saved as much as they would have liked, catch-up contributions allow them to contribute extra funds to their retirement plans. Employees who are at least 50 years old can contribute an extra $7,500 in addition to the basic $23,500 limit in 2025. For workers who are between 60 and 63 years old, a super catch-up option of $11,250 is available.

These limits are usually adjusted each year to keep up with inflation. The estimated basic contribution limit for 2026 is $24,500 and the estimated catch-up limit is $8,000. The 2025 super catch-up limit of $11,250 is expected to remain the same for 2026.

What’s Changing

At the heart of the change is the law known as the SECURE 2.0 Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2022 and built on earlier retirement-savings legislation. The regulations issued earlier this year affect a key part of that law: the “catch-up” contributions rule.

Here is what it means for you if you’re at least 50 years old and your income exceeds the threshold:

• Under the old rules, employees 50 or older were eligible to make “catch-up” contributions to a 401(k) plan in the form of additional elective deferrals above the standard limit.
• Beginning in 2026, if you are 50 or older, you must make those catch-up contributions on an after-tax basis (i.e., you pay tax now) to a Roth account if your prior-year wages from your employer exceed a threshold, which will initially be $145,000.
• Employers that don’t offer a Roth option may not be able to offer catch-up contributions for those high-earner participants.

In plain language: If you’re a high‐earner (above the threshold) and at least 50 years old, you will no longer get the immediate tax deduction for the extra catch-up contributions. Instead, you pay tax now and your qualified withdrawals in retirement from that Roth portion will be tax-free.

Why Does This Matter and Who Is Affected?

For years, the pretax model has been the dominant route: You put money into the retirement plan, you get a tax deduction (by reducing your taxable income now), the money grows tax-deferred, and you pay tax when you withdraw in retirement. This new rule flips that for a subset of savers.

This change will affect employees who are 50 and older, made at least $145,000 in the previous tax year, and are making catch-up contributions to a 401(k) fund. The catch-up contributions will now need to be placed into a Roth account and pay taxes on those contributions now. However, high earners whose employers don’t offer a Roth 401(k) likely won’t be able to make catch-up contributions.

What To Do: Investment and Retirement Savings Tips

This rule change doesn’t mean you should stop making catch-up contributions if you are eligible. But it does mean you should review your strategy. Here are some tips.

Check the Availability of a Roth Option

If you’re over 50 and anticipate making catch-up contributions, determine whether your employer’s retirement plan offers a Roth 401(k) or Roth catch-up option. If you expect to exceed the income threshold, you’ll want the Roth option available, or you may lose the ability to make catch-up contributions.

Estimate the Tax Trade-Off

If you are a high earner, your catch-up funds must be placed into a Roth and you’ll pay tax now rather than later. Ask yourself: Is your current tax rate likely higher or lower than it will be in retirement? If your tax rate is high now, paying tax up front may sting. But if you expect to be in a similar or higher tax bracket in retirement, Roth contributions may make sense.

Consider Diversification: Pretax vs. Roth

Even if you’re below the threshold and can still choose between pretax and Roth for catch-up contributions, you might consider splitting your contributions. That way you hedge against uncertainties in future tax rates and policy changes. A mix of pretax and Roth can provide flexibility in retirement.

Be Aware of the Effects of Paying Taxes Now

Paying tax now may increase your adjusted gross income, which can affect eligibility for deductions, credits, or Medicare and Medicaid subsidies. Make sure the extra Roth contributions don’t push you into undesirable tax territory.

Maximize Contributions While You Can

For savers over 50 years old, the catch-up limits are meaningful. For example, the standard catch-up limit for 2025 is $7,500 on top of the base limit. Also, for those between ages 60 and 63, there is the higher “super catch-up” option noted above. If you have the capacity, it may be wise to contribute as much as your employer’s plan allows.

Check Your Expected Retirement Tax Bracket and Withdrawal Strategy

If you put money into Roth catch‐ups now, qualified withdrawals later (for Roth 401(k) funds) will be tax-free if the relevant rules are met. That can be a major plus if you expect higher tax rates or large retirement income. On the other hand, if you do pretax contributions now, you get the deduction now but may face future tax exposure.

Revisit Your Whole Retirement Savings Picture

This rule change is one piece of a broader retirement-savings landscape, so use it as a prompt to review your goals, expected retirement timeline, tax planning, and other savings vehicles, such as IRAs and brokerage accounts.

Consider Consulting a Tax Professional or Financial Advisor

Because the interplay of high incomes, tax brackets, Roth versus traditional contributions, and plan design is complex, it often pays to get tailored advice.

Bottom Line

If you’re 50 or older and in a high-income bracket, the new rule means the familiar tax deduction for extra catch‐up contributions to your 401(k) may vanish and you’ll be required to make those extra contributions to an after-tax Roth account. That doesn’t mean you should stop contributing – on the contrary, using the catch-up opportunity is still a smart way to accelerate retirement savings. But you do need to rethink how you’re doing it, because the tax trade-off is different.

By checking your employer’s retirement plan for the Roth option, estimating your tax situation now versus retirement, and balancing your contributions between pretax and Roth, you can adapt and possibly come out ahead. The key is awareness and proactivity.

Additional Reading

For additional reading on topics related to planning for retirement, check out the following articles:

• Generation Gaps Among Americans in Retirement Planning
• The Five Phases of Retirement Planning
• Five Tips for Starting Retirement Planning in Your 50s
• 10 Ways to Maximize Your Social Security Retirement Benefits
• Taking Money Out of Tax-Deferred Retirement Accounts