See how much the federal saver's credit (retirement savings contributions credit) pays back on your IRA, 401(k) or ABLE contributions. Enter your AGI, filing status and contributions to get your credit rate, credit amount and how close you are to a better rate.
Last updated:
Your tax situation
$
Form 1040 line 11, after pre-tax 401(k) contributions
Retirement contributions this year
$
IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP, ABLE
$
Withdrawals from retirement accounts in the prior 2 years through the filing deadline
$
$
$
Blank = no limit; the credit is non-refundable
Enter your values to see the result.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Saver's Credit Calculator
Choose the tax year and filing status.
Enter your AGI (after pre-tax 401(k) contributions) and confirm you meet the age, student and dependent rules.
Enter contributions for you and your spouse, and any retirement withdrawals in the testing period.
Optionally enter your tax before credits, since the credit cannot exceed it.
Press Calculate saver's credit to see your rate, credit and the room to a better tier.
How the saver's credit is calculated
Eligible contributions = your retirement contributions − distributions in the testing period, up to $2,000 per person.
Credit rate = 50%, 20% or 10% based on AGI and filing status (table below), or 0% above the limit.
Credit = eligible contributions × rate, up to your federal income tax.
Example (2026): a married couple with AGI of $50,000 who each put $2,000 into an IRA. Their AGI is above $48,500 but not above $52,500, so the rate is 20%. Credit = $4,000 × 20% = $800. If one of them had put an extra $1,500 into a pre-tax 401(k), AGI would fall to $48,500 and the credit would jump to $2,000.
Saver's credit income limits
Credit rate
Joint 2026
Head of household 2026
Single 2026
Joint 2025
Single 2025
50%
≤ $48,500
≤ $36,375
≤ $24,250
≤ $47,500
≤ $23,750
20%
≤ $52,500
≤ $39,375
≤ $26,250
≤ $51,000
≤ $25,500
10%
≤ $80,500
≤ $60,375
≤ $40,250
≤ $79,000
≤ $39,500
0%
> $80,500
> $60,375
> $40,250
> $79,000
> $39,500
2025 head of household limits: $35,625, $38,250 and $59,250. Married filing separately uses the single limits.
Tips
Watch the cliffs: $1 over a tier boundary drops the rate from 50% to 20%, so a small pre-tax contribution can be worth a lot.
IRA contributions for a year can be made until the tax-filing deadline (around April 15) and still count.
Avoid withdrawals from retirement accounts in the testing period; they reduce the contributions that count.
The credit is easy to miss with some tax software: make sure Form 8880 is included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the saver's credit?
The saver's credit (officially the retirement savings contributions credit) is a federal tax credit of 50%, 20% or 10% of up to $2,000 you contribute to a retirement account, or $4,000 for a married couple. The maximum credit is $1,000 per person, and you claim it on Form 8880.
What are the 2026 saver's credit income limits?
For 2026 the credit is available with AGI up to $80,500 for married filing jointly, $60,375 for head of household and $40,250 for single filers. The 50% rate applies up to $48,500 joint, $36,375 head of household and $24,250 single; the 20% rate up to $52,500, $39,375 and $26,250.
Which contributions qualify?
Your own contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), SIMPLE IRA, SARSEP, federal Thrift Savings Plan, and contributions to an ABLE account you own. Employer matching contributions and rollovers don't count.
Who is not eligible?
You must be at least 18, not a full-time student during any part of five calendar months, and not claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. You also need AGI under the limit for your filing status.
Is the saver's credit refundable?
No. It can reduce your federal income tax to zero but not below, so people with very low tax may not get the full amount. Other credits such as the child tax credit are applied first.
Can I get both a tax deduction and the saver's credit?
Yes. A traditional 401(k) or deductible IRA contribution lowers your AGI and can also earn the credit, which sometimes drops you into a higher credit tier. A Roth contribution gets the credit but no deduction.
What happens to the saver's credit in 2027?
Starting with the 2027 tax year, the credit is scheduled to be replaced by the Saver's Match: a federal matching contribution of up to $1,000 deposited directly into the saver's retirement account rather than reducing tax.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.