Elective deferral limit (2026)
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Definition
Employee elective deferral to 401(k)/403(b)/gov 457(b)/TSP is 24,500. Age-50 catch-up 8,000. Ages 60-63 enhanced catch-up $11,250.
Elective deferral limit (2026) in plain English
Your client maxes the 401(k) every January and asks whether last year's "limit" still applies. For 2026, employee elective deferrals to a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), or TSP top out at 24,500. Age-50 catch-up is 8,000. Ages 60-63 get an enhanced catch-up of 11,250, so the combined ceiling at those ages is 35,750. Stale Law answers still float 23,000 or 22,500 from prior years. Lock the current triad before you add catch-up math to any contribution stem.
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