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Saver's Credit Calculator 2026

Your 2026 Saver's Credit — the 50% / 20% / 10% rate at your AGI, eligible contributions up to $2,000 per person, the non-refundable limit, the combined benefit with the pre-tax deduction and the contribution that would lift you into a better tier.

✅ Figures verified. 2026 Saver's Credit AGI limits — 50% up to $24,250 / $36,375 / $48,500, 20% up to $26,250 / $39,375 / $52,500, 10% up to $40,250 / $60,375 / $80,500 (single / head of household / joint) — confirmed against IRS Notice 2025-67 on 9 October 2026; the $2,000 per-person base is statutory (§25B).
$0
Credit rate at your AGI—
Eligible contributions (max $2,000 per person)—
Credit before the tax limit—
Tax before credits—
Credit you can actually use—
Combined with the tax deduction (pre-tax contributions)—
Effective match on your contribution—
AGI thresholds for your status—
Contribution to reach the next tier—

In short

The 2026 Saver's Credit is 50%, 20% or 10% of up to $2,000 of retirement contributions per person — a maximum of $1,000 ($2,000 joint) — for filers 18+ who are not students or dependants, with AGI up to $40,250 single, $60,375 head of household or $80,500 joint (the 50% tier ends at $24,250 / $36,375 / $48,500). It is non-refundable and stacks with the deduction for pre-tax contributions; from 2027 it becomes the refundable Saver's Match.

Who this is for: Lower- and moderate-income US workers and students starting to save for retirement.

Not tax or legal advice. Estimate; tax before credits is approximated from the standard deduction unless entered; other non-refundable credits and the distribution test are simplified.
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Saver's Credit 2026 at a glance

Credit rateSingle / separate AGIHead of household AGIMarried jointly AGI
50% of contributionsup to $24,250up to $36,375up to $48,500
20%$24,251 – $26,250$36,376 – $39,375$48,501 – $52,500
10%$26,251 – $40,250$39,376 – $60,375$52,501 – $80,500
0%over $40,250over $60,375over $80,500
  • Maximum credit: $1,000 per person ($2,000 joint) — 50% of $2,000 of contributions.
  • The AGI tiers are cliffs: at $24,300 a single filer gets 20%, at $24,200 50% — a $100 pre-tax contribution can triple the credit.
  • Stacks with the tax deduction for pre-tax contributions and any employer match; a 401(k) contribution at the 50% tier can return 60–70% in year one.
  • Distributions from retirement accounts in the two prior years, the current year and up to the filing deadline reduce eligible contributions.

See also: IRA Deduction Calculator 2026, EITC Calculator 2026.

Assumptions

  • Rate 50% / 20% / 10% by AGI ceiling; eligible = min($2,000, contributions − recent distributions) per person.
  • Usable credit = min(credit, tax before credits); tax estimated from the standard deduction if not entered.
  • Combined benefit adds the deduction value of pre-tax contributions at the marginal rate.

Worked example

Head of household, AGI $38,000, $2,400 of 401(k) contributions, age 30, no distributions

$38,000 falls in the 20% tier ($36,376–$39,375). Eligible contributions are capped at $2,000, so the credit is $400. Estimated tax before credits is about $1,385, so the full $400 is usable; the pre-tax contribution also saves about $200 at 10%, a total benefit of about $600 (30% of the $2,000). Contributing $1,625 more pre-tax would drop AGI to $36,375 and lift the credit to $1,000 — the extra $600 of credit costs $1,625 of (saved, not spent) money.

Frequently asked questions

Who qualifies for the Saver's Credit in 2026?

Anyone 18 or over who is not a full-time student or dependant, with AGI up to $40,250 (single), $60,375 (head of household) or $80,500 (joint), who contributed to a retirement plan or IRA.

How much is the Saver's Credit?

10%, 20% or 50% of up to $2,000 of contributions per person — a maximum of $1,000 ($2,000 on a joint return).

Is the Saver's Credit refundable?

No — it only offsets tax you owe. From 2027 it becomes the Saver's Match, a refundable 50% deposit of up to $1,000 into your retirement account.

Do Roth contributions count?

Yes — Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) contributions qualify, though they do not also give a deduction.

Can I get the credit for an employer match?

No — only your own contributions count, but the match still grows your account.

How do I claim it?

File Form 8880 with Form 1040; many tax programmes miss it unless you enter your contributions.

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Written by the Swift IT Sols editorial team · SWIFT SOLSRules sourced from the official authorities named on this page and last checked How we source and check calculators

Found an error? Report it — tell us the inputs, the result you got, what you expected and the rule or source. Confirmed corrections are published within a week.

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