Three major IRA changes that the IRS is implementing in 2025 might have a big effect on your retirement funds. A revised 10-year rule for inherited IRAs, higher catch-up contributions for older workers, and Roth catch-up requirements for high incomes are a few examples. Checking for 3 Major Changes to the IRA in 2025 is crucial if you are saving and investing for retirement.
The IRS periodically updates and changes the rules for withdrawals from IRAs, for example, or raises the contribution limitations. Maximize your tax benefits, increase your retirement savings, and prevent unforeseen tax liabilities by being aware of latest regulations governing standard and Roth IRAs.
IRS Announces 3 Major Changes to the IRA in 2025
As part of the SECURE 2.0 Act, which is still changing the retirement savings landscape in the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will implement major modifications to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) in 2025. These changes are intended to improve retirement planning, streamline the tax code, and increase savings opportunities. Whether you’re just starting off or nearing retirement, these changes might significantly affect your financial future.
The key to ensuring your retirement finances is to start saving and investing early, frequently, and consistently throughout your working career. Contributions to an IRA or 401(k) offer tax advantages, enabling you to postpone paying taxes on your contributions until you begin taking withdrawals in retirement.
However, you can’t postpone taxes indefinitely. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are the federal government’s mandate that seniors begin taking withdrawals from tax-deferred retirement accounts in their 70s. Failure to take your RMDs on time may result in a penalty of up to a staggering 25% of the total amount you were intended to withdraw. Additionally, you still have taxes due on your RMDs.
3 Major Changes to the IRA in 2025
New Inherited IRA Rules
The Secure 2.0 Act is going to change the regulations concerning inherited IRAs. Following the implementation of these rule changes, you might be required to pay RMDs on both your own and any IRAs you inherited from someone who died after December 31, 2019. There are very few exceptions to the rule that you have 10 years to exhaust your inherited IRA, rather than being able to spread out withdrawals over your lifetime. A few factors will determine the specifics, but generally speaking, if you inherited an IRA from someone other than your spouse, you should anticipate needing to take all of the account’s assets out within ten years of the original account owner’s passing.
As RMDs are taxed as regular income in the year they are taken out, having to take money out of an IRA after inheriting one can greatly raise your taxable income and, thus, your tax liability. Whether you are prepared to begin your retirement with income from your own IRA or you inherited one, the regulations surrounding required minimum distributions (RMDs) are intricate. Should you fail to withdraw sufficient funds from your eligible retirement account, such as a conventional IRA or 401(k), in the appropriate amounts or on the appropriate timeline, you may be subject to additional taxes. Those who inherit an IRA and may not be prepared for the tax ramifications should pay particular attention to this.
Higher catch-up contributions for people aged 60-63
Beyond the typical contribution restrictions, individuals 50 years of age and beyond are permitted to make additional contributions to 401(k)s and IRAs annually. However, beginning in 2025, additional catch-up contributions of $10,000 (or 150% of the standard catch-up contribution maximum, whichever is higher) can be made to 401(k)s and other comparable employment retirement plans by individuals between the ages of 60 and 63. The 2025 IRA catch-up contribution cap may also be raised for those 50 and older. This is because IRS advice for cost of living adjustments allows IRA contribution limits to rise annually and are now tied to inflation.
For people who may not have saved enough money earlier in their careers and are approaching retirement, this shift offers a vital boost. This is a chance for those in this age range to boost their retirement funds during their last years of employment. larger contributions translate into larger tax deductions, which lowers your current taxable income and increases your future savings. In order to help late savers get the most of their retirement funds during the critical pre-retirement period, the government has made this adjustment.
Roth Catch-Up Contributions for High Earners
The year 2025 marks the start of another change for high-income earners, who are defined as those who make over $145,000 annual. Instead of going into conventional IRAs or 401(k)s, catch-up contributions for these people must now go into Roth accounts. The move to Roth contributions is part of a larger government initiative to raise tax income now rather than waiting until retirement withdrawals. High earners face both possibilities and disadvantages as a result of this shift.
Although making contributions to a Roth account can result in tax-free income in retirement, doing so necessitates proper tax planning. Assessing your present and prospective tax brackets and determining the proportion of your income that should go into Roth versus traditional retirement accounts are wise decisions.
Niamh Prescott has a degree in Mass Communication and an MBA in Finance. She has worked for two media houses and is now running her own media company.