Traditional IRA
An individual retirement account where contributions may be tax-deductible and investments grow tax-deferred. The 2025 contribution limit is $7,000 ($8,000 if age 50+).
A Traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account) allows you to save for retirement with potential tax-deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth. For 2025, you can contribute up to $7,000, or $8,000 if you are age 50 or older.
Whether your contribution is deductible depends on your income and whether you or your spouse has access to a workplace retirement plan. If neither spouse is covered by a workplace plan, contributions are fully deductible regardless of income. If you are covered by a plan, the deduction phases out at higher income levels.
Investments in a Traditional IRA grow tax-deferred, meaning you pay no taxes on dividends, interest, or capital gains while the money remains in the account. Withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. Early withdrawals before age 59½ generally incur a 10% penalty plus income tax, with certain exceptions. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) must begin at age 73.
How it works
A Traditional IRA is an individual retirement account you open and fund yourself, separate from any employer plan. Contributions may be tax-deductible depending on your income and whether you or your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan, and investments inside the account grow tax-deferred — you pay no tax on dividends, interest, or capital gains as long as the money stays in the account. For 2025, you can contribute up to $7,000, or $8,000 if you are 50 or older.
You open a Traditional IRA directly with a brokerage or bank rather than through payroll, and you have until the tax filing deadline, not December 31, to make a contribution that counts for the prior tax year. Deductible contributions reduce your AGI directly on Schedule 1 as an above-the-line adjustment, separate from itemized deductions, so you get the benefit whether or not you itemize.
If neither you nor your spouse has access to a workplace retirement plan, your contribution is fully deductible no matter your income. If you are covered by a plan, the deduction phases out at income levels the IRS adjusts periodically, and if your spouse is covered but you are not, a separate, higher phase-out applies to you. Required Minimum Distributions must begin at age 73, and early withdrawals before 59½ generally trigger a 10% penalty on top of ordinary income tax, with limited exceptions for things like a first home purchase or higher education expenses.
Example: deductible IRA contribution
A worker not covered by any workplace retirement plan contributes the full $7,000 to a Traditional IRA for 2025. Because they have no workplace plan, the full $7,000 is deductible regardless of their income level, reducing their AGI by that amount.
That $7,000 deduction lowers this worker's current-year tax bill by whatever their own marginal tax rate applies to that slice of income, while the $7,000 continues growing tax-deferred until it is withdrawn in retirement, at which point it will be taxed as ordinary income.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Traditional IRA contribution always tax-deductible?
When do I have to start withdrawing from a Traditional IRA?
How much can I contribute to a Traditional IRA in 2025?
Related Terms
Roth IRA
A retirement account funded with after-tax dollars. Qualified withdrawals in retirement — including all growth — are completely tax-free. The 2025 contribution limit is $7,000 ($8,000 if 50+).
401(k)
An employer-sponsored retirement savings plan that lets you contribute pre-tax income (or after-tax with Roth 401(k)). The 2025 employee contribution limit is $23,500.
Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
The minimum amount you must withdraw annually from tax-deferred retirement accounts like Traditional IRAs and 401(k)s starting at age 73. Roth IRAs are exempt from RMDs during the owner's lifetime.
Above-the-Line Deduction
Deductions subtracted from gross income to arrive at AGI, available regardless of whether you itemize. Examples include IRA contributions, student loan interest, and HSA contributions.