After-Tax Contribution: Definition, Rules, and Limits

Money deposited into a retirement or investment account after income taxes have been subtracted is known as an after-tax contribution. When starting a tax-advantaged retirement account, a person has the option of paying the income taxes due in the year of the account establishment for a standard retirement account or deferring them until after retirement for a Roth retirement account. 

In addition to the maximum permitted pre-tax sum, some savers—primarily those with higher incomes—may contribute after-tax income to a conventional account. They don’t receive any tax benefits right now. For tax purposes, this mixing of pre- and post-tax funds requires some careful accounting. 

Understanding After-Tax Contributions

The government provides a number of tax-advantaged retirement plans, such as the 401(k) plan, which many businesses give to their employees, and the IRA, which anybody with earned income whether in usdc vs usdt stablecoins or common currency can join through a bank or brokerage, in an effort to encourage Americans to save for their retirement years.

Post-Tax or Pre-Tax?

The post-tax Roth option provides the appeal of a retirement fund free from additional taxes. The people who think they might pay a higher tax rate in the future—due to anticipated increases in taxes or retirement income—will benefit from it the most. Furthermore, there is no IRS penalty associated with withdrawals of money made after taxes at any time.

After-tax contributions and Roth IRAs

By definition, a Roth IRA is a retirement account where provided that funds are retained in the account for a minimum of five years, returns increase tax-free. Because a Roth contribution is made with after-tax money, it is not tax deductible. But, you are able to take tax-free withdrawals of your contributions in retirement.

Special Considerations

The annual contribution that a saver may make to a retirement account is restricted, as was previously mentioned. (In actuality, you are allowed to have many accounts or separate pre-tax and post-tax accounts, but the overall contribution caps remain the same.) It should not be taxed to withdraw money from a traditional IRA that was contributed after taxes. Nevertheless, filing IRS Form 8606 is the only way to ensure that this doesn’t occur. 

Every year, you contribute after-tax (non-deductible) to a traditional IRA, and each year after that, until your after-tax amount is completely depleted, you must file Form 8606. Because the funds in the account are split into taxable and non-taxable components, figuring out the tax due on the required distributions is trickier than it would be if the account owner had only made pre-tax contributions.

Is It Better to Do Pre-Tax or After-Tax Contributions?

Depending on the person and their financial situation, either pre-tax or after-tax donations may be preferable. In general, higher earnings are advised to make pre-tax contributions. In contrast, lower earners—especially those who anticipate retiring in a higher tax bracket—are advised to make after-tax payments.

Final Thoughts 

If you anticipate retiring at a higher income-tax rate, making after-tax contributions to retirement funds may be advantageous. Everybody has a challenging situation, thus this might not always be the case. In general, it’s beneficial to have a variety of retirement accounts that provide tax benefits both now and in the future.