4 Tips for Opening an IRA Before the Tax Deadline

Just because Tax Day might be on the horizon doesn’t mean it’s too late to dig up some extra savings on your taxes. Contributing to a traditional IRA for the current tax year is an easy way to score an additional deduction or a credit, both of which can cut your tax bill or pump up your refund while also increasing your retirement savings. If you’re thinking of opening an IRA ahead of the filing deadline, there are a few things to keep in mind.

For more help with retirement planning, consider working with a local financial advisor.

1. Traditional IRA Contributions Are Deductible

A traditional IRA is funded using pre-tax dollars. That means that once you start taking distributions, you’ll have to pay taxes on the money at your regular rate. The upside is that you can deduct the money you put in, which can reduce your taxable income for the year. Note that you can deduct your IRA contribution even if you’re not itemizing deductions.

With a Roth IRA, contributions are made on an after-tax basis. That means you won’t be able to write off anything you save. The trade-off is that when it’s time to take the money out, you won’t owe any additional tax. Why? Because you’ve already paid the tax on the money you put in.

When you’re trying to decide which kind of IRA to open, consider both the short-term and long-term tax benefits. If you’re expecting to be in a lower tax bracket once you retire, taking the deduction now for a traditional IRA may yield a bigger tax benefit. If you think your tax rate will go up as you get older, paying the taxes on your Roth contributions now can save you money later on.

2. Your Tax Benefits May Be Limited

SmartAsset: 4 Tips for Opening an IRA Before the Tax Deadline

The IRS has specific guidelines about who can open an IRA, including limits on Roth contributions and traditional IRA deductions. With a Roth IRA, your ability to save the full $7,500 (plus a $1,100 catch-up contribution) allowed for the 2026 tax year is determined by your income and filing status. If you’re single, you can contribute the max as long as your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $153,000. If you’re married and filing jointly, the limit goes up to $242,000.

The income limits for deducting traditional IRA contributions depend on your filing status and whether you or your spouse are covered by a workplace retirement plan, such as a 401(k). For single filers covered by a workplace plan, the ability to deduct contributions phases out for MAGI between $81,000 and $91,000.

For married couples filing jointly, where the spouse making the IRA contribution is covered by a workplace plan, the phase-out range is between $129,000 and $149,000. If the contributing spouse is not covered but the other spouse is, the phase-out range is between $242,000 and $252,000.

For married individuals filing separately, the phase-out range is between $0 and $10,000 if either spouse is covered by a workplace plan. If neither you nor your spouse has a workplace retirement plan, there are no income limits for deducting contributions.

3. Lower-Income Workers Get an Extra Credit

The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit is another tax incentive that’s geared specifically toward people who don’t earn moderate income. The credit is good for 10%, 20% or 50% of your total IRA contribution up to $2,000, or $4,000 if you’re married and filing jointly. The amount of the credit you qualify for is based on your AGI.

For the 2026 tax year, single filers get the 50% credit if their AGI isn’t higher than $24,250. Once your income passes $40,250, you’re no longer eligible for the credit. Married couples can qualify for the 50% credit with a combined income of $48,500 or less. At the $80,500 mark, the credit is phased out entirely. For heads of households, the 50% contribution is attainable with an AGI below $36,375, with a complete phase-out at $60,375.

4. Make Sure You’re Choosing the Right Tax Year

When you open an IRA before the tax deadline, you can make contributions for the previous or current year. To claim tax benefits for 2025, make sure you max out your 2025 contributions before contributing for 2026. If you’re contributing to an IRA, the brokerage where you have your IRA account should allow you to indicate what tax year the contributions are for.

For 2026, the maximum IRA contribution is $7,500 (up from $7,000 in 2025). People ages 50 and older can make an additional $1,100 in catch-up contributions (up from $1,000 in 2025), for a total of $8,600.

Bottom Line

Although traditional and Roth IRAs are made for saving for retirement, they can save you tax dollars now too. As a result, IRAs are among the most commonly recommended accounts by financial advisors. However, remember to determine which type of IRA is best for you before opening one. Once open, it should be fairly easy to deposit funds, as you can transfer money from your bank account.

Retirement Planning Tips

Opening an IRA can be a great step toward getting prepared for retirement. However, you might also benefit from talking to a financial advisor who can help you come up with a complete retirement plan. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Figure out which type of IRA is right for you. With a traditional IRA, contributions are made with pre-tax dollars. This might be good if you expect to be in a lower tax bracket after retirement. A Roth IRA, on the other hand, is funded through after-tax contributions. This makes it a good option if you think your tax rate will go up as you get older.