Making Spousal IRA Contributions

Contributing to a spousal individual retirement account (IRA) allows married couples to build a bigger retirement nest egg, even if only one spouse is currently employed. Individuals without income from jobs generally can’t contribute to tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as IRAs, because they don’t have “eligible” compensation. However, there is an exception for married, non-working individuals whose spouses are employed, as long as they both meet specific requirements. Here is what you need to know.

Eligibility for Spousal IRA Contributions

If you are the working spouse and want to make an IRA contribution for your non-working spouse, you must:

• Have eligible compensation of at least the total spousal IRA contribution plus your own IRA contribution—if any. For IRA contribution purposes, eligible compensation includes wages, salaries, tips, commissions, nontaxable combat pay, and income from self-employment.
• File a joint income-tax return with your spouse.

Age Limits

Traditional IRAs once had age limits, but that changed in 2019. As a result, there are no longer any age limits when making IRA contributions.

However, it might be worth keeping in mind that Roth IRA account owners must have had a Roth for at least five years for their withdrawals to be tax-free. This will generally not be an issue for younger taxpayers, but older ones may want to plan accordingly.

Contribution Limits for Traditional and Roth IRAs

For 2023, the individual contribution limit for both traditional and Roth IRAs is the lesser of:

• $6,500 a year for individuals under age 50 as of the end of the year and $7,500 for anyone 50 or older
• 100% of eligible compensation

You can contribute those amounts to both your and your spouse’s IRAs for up to a maximum of $15,000 if both of you are 50 or over.

Note that those are the total amounts you can contribute for the year, regardless of how many IRAs you have. For example, if you have both a traditional and a Roth IRA, you could split $6,500 between the two, putting $3,250 in each.

Compensation Limits

There is no income cap on your eligibility to make traditional IRA contributions. However, people with incomes over a certain level may not be able to take a tax deduction for their contributions. These rules are explained in IRS Publication 590-A.

If you want to contribute to a Roth IRA for your spouse (or yourself), there are income limits. For 2023, a married couple who file a joint tax return and have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of up to $218,000 can contribute the full amount to each of their Roth IRAs.

Couples with incomes between $218,000 and $228,000 can make partial Roth contributions. However, if their income exceeds $228,000, they no longer qualify for Roth IRAs.

Other IRA Rules

In addition to the spousal IRA rules addressed above, some other relevant rules apply to IRAs.

No Joint Accounts

Individual retirement accounts are just that: individual accounts. Unlike a checking or savings account, for example, they cannot be held as joint accounts. Instead, each spouse’s IRA must be held under that spouse’s name and taxpayer identification number (typically their Social Security number).

When To Contribute

Your IRA contributions for the year must be deposited or mailed to the financial institution you have chosen as your IRA custodian or trustee by your tax-filing due date for that year, typically April 15 of the following year.

So, for example, you can contribute to an IRA for 2022 anytime between Jan. 1, 2022, and April 18, 2023. Note that even if you file for an extension to complete your taxes, your IRA contributions are still due by the April deadline.

Remember that you don’t have to make your full contribution in one payment. Instead, you can make partial contributions throughout the year as long as they all arrive before the April deadline. You can also make an IRA contribution even after you have filed that year’s income tax return, provided you meet the deadline.

If you mail your contributions, be sure to obtain a receipt or send them by traceable mail. You may need to provide proof of the date of mailing should your contribution reach your IRA custodian or trustee after the deadline.

Remember To Specify the Tax Year

Finally, remember to indicate the tax year to which your contribution should be applied. IRA custodians or trustees will generally deposit your contribution for the year they receive it unless you indicate on the check or accompanying documentation that the contribution is for the previous year.

The Bottom Line

A spousal IRA allows a working spouse to fund an IRA for a non-working spouse, effectively doubling their retirement savings for the year. Otherwise, spousal IRAs are subject to the same rules as any traditional or Roth IRA.