Investing Retirement Planning IRAs Minimum and Maximum Age Limits for IRA Contributions IRA age limits once applied to traditional IRAs, but never to Roth IRAs By Dana Anspach Dana Anspach Dana Anspach is a Certified Financial Planner and an expert on investing and retirement planning. She is the founder and CEO of Sensible Money, a fee-only financial planning and investment firm. learn about our editorial policies Updated on December 8, 2022 Reviewed by Robert C. Kelly Reviewed by Robert C. Kelly Robert Kelly is managing director of XTS Energy LLC, and has more than three decades of experience as a business executive. He is a professor of economics and has raised more than $4.5 billion in investment capital. learn about our financial review board Fact checked by Suzanne Kvilhaug Fact checked by Suzanne Kvilhaug Suzanne received a Bachelor's Degree in Finance and has worked as a journalist for over a decade. She works as a fact-checker on a variety of financial topics for The Balance and Investopedia. learn about our editorial policies In This Article View All In This Article No Maximum Age Limit No Age Limit on Rollovers Spousal IRA Contributions Minimum Age Limit Other Age-Related IRA Rules Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: shapecharge / Getty Images Since 2020, there has been no maximum age at which you can make a contribution to a traditional or Roth IRA. The timing of your IRA contributions can determine how much your retirement savings will grow over time and how much money you'll have in retirement. So, it's important to learn how early and late in life you can start socking money into your traditional and Roth IRA accounts. Key Takeaways There's no maximum age limit to contribute to traditional and Roth IRAs.There’s also no minimum age, but you do need to have taxable compensation.There’s no minimum or maximum age to roll over an account to an IRA or make an IRA transfer. No Maximum Age Limit for IRA Contributions Traditional IRA: For a traditional IRA, as of Jan. 1, 2020, there is no maximum age at which you can make a contribution as long as you have sufficient taxable compensation to support the contribution amount. Roth IRA: There is no upper age limit to make a contribution to a Roth IRA, either, but you must have taxable compensation. Note If neither you nor your spouse has taxable compensation, you cannot contribute to an IRA for tax year 2020 and beyond, regardless of age. No IRA Age Limit on IRA Rollovers or Transfers Don’t confuse IRA contributions with IRA rollovers or transfers. Some retirees mistakenly believe that they cannot open an IRA account and then roll their lump-sum pension distribution or 401(k) plan to an IRA because they exceeded the IRA age limit under the old rules. That is incorrect. An IRA contribution is not the same thing as an IRA rollover or IRA transfer. When you move money from a company-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), directly to an IRA, that is called a "rollover." You can do that at any age. When you transfer money from one IRA to another IRA, it is called an "IRA transfer," and you can also do that at any age. In contrast, a "contribution" is new money that was not previously in a tax-deferred account and that you are now putting into an IRA. Do not confuse Roth conversions with contributions, either. There is no upper age limit on your ability to convert traditional IRA assets to Roth IRA assets. You can do that at any age. However, conversions can't be done on amounts that must be distributed from your traditional IRA for a particular year. That includes the calendar year in which you turn 72 (70 1/2 if you reached that age prior to Jan. 1, 2020) under ordinary required minimum distribution rules. Spousal IRA Contributions Many people are not aware that they can make a spousal contribution to an IRA on behalf of a non-working spouse as long as one spouse has sufficient taxable compensation. For example, if you don't have the compensation to contribute to an IRA, but your spouse does, you can still make a spousal IRA contribution to a traditional IRA. Spousal IRA contributions to Roth IRAs are also allowed. Minimum Age Limit for IRA Contributions There is no minimum age limit to make any type of IRA contribution. However, to be eligible, you must have taxable compensation in an amount that equals or exceeds the amount of your IRA contribution. Taxable compensation is income you've worked for, including salaries, wages, and self-employment income. Parents can also establish Roth IRAs on behalf of minor children, provided that what the minors earn meets the IRS definition of taxable compensation. Other Age-Related IRA Rules There are two additional age-related IRA rules that all IRA account holders should know: 1. Age 59 1/2: This is the age at which you can begin to access your IRA money and take withdrawals. However, ordinary income taxes will still apply. If you withdraw funds prior to age 59 1/2, you'll incur a 10% early-withdrawal penalty tax, and the withdrawal amount will be subject to federal income taxes. On the other hand, with Roth IRAs, you can withdraw your contributions at any time without an age restriction, but if investment gains or converted amounts are withdrawn, age limits or time limits are applied to determine what portion will be taxed. 2. Age 72 (or age 70 1/2 if you reached that age prior to Jan. 1, 2020): That is the age at which you must begin to take withdrawals from traditional IRAs and most qualified retirement plan money (such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and SEPs). These withdrawals are called "required minimum distributions" (RMDs), and RMD rules do not apply to Roth IRAs while you are alive. However, they do apply to designated Roth accounts offered in a 401k plan and to Roth IRA accounts that are inherited. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is there a limit to how much I can withdraw from my IRA after I reach retirement age? There's a 10% penalty tax designed to prevent early withdrawals from traditional IRAs. If you qualify to avoid the penalty or you are of retirement age, there's no limit to the withdrawal amounts.However, there are two factors to consider. First, if you withdraw all of your funds early on in retirement, then you won't have any savings for the rest of your life. Second, if you're withdrawing from a traditional IRA, you will owe income taxes, so consider those costs as you calculate withdrawals. How does age affect maximum contributions? Those who are at least 50 years old can make extra contributions as they near retirement, called a catch-up contribution, which is $1,000 annually above the standard limit.In 2022, the contribution limit is $6,000, and if you're 50 and older, $7,000, including the $1,000 catch-up contribution. In 2023, the contribution limit is $6,500 and $7,500, including the catch-up contribution. At what age can you open an IRA? You can open an IRA at any age, but you need to earn income to contribute to it. A 16-year-old with a part-time job can open an IRA and start contributing, but a 20-year-old full-time student without any income cannot make any IRA contributions.Keep in mind that minors can only open custodial IRA accounts, so they'll need the help of an adult to use an IRA until they reach the minimum legal investing age (usually 18, but it depends on state law). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. Congress. "H.R.1994 - Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019." IRS. "Retirement Topics - IRA Contribution Limits." Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "My Son Just Started His First Part-Time Job. Can He Open an IRA?" IRS. "Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions." IRS. "Topic No. 451 Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)." IRS. "Publication 590-A (2020), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)." IRS. "Internal Revenue Bulletin: Bulletin No. 1999-8," Page 4. IRS. "Retirement Topics - Exceptions to Tax on Early Distributions." IRS. "Publication 590-B (2021), Distributions From Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)." IRS. "Retirement Topics — Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)." IRS. "Retirement Topics - Designated Roth Account."