plan increases

For 2012, there are a few cost of living adjustments for pension plans and other retirement-related items. Check out what to expect in the new year….

• The contribution limit for employees who participate in section 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan, increases to $17,000 in 2012, from $16,500 in prior years.
• The catch-up contribution limit in those plans for those aged 50 and over remains unchanged, at $5,500.
• IRA contributions and catch up limits remain unchanged for 2012 at $5,000 and $1,000 respectively.
• The deduction for taxpayers making contributions to a traditional IRA is phased out for singles and heads of household who are active participants in an employer-sponsored retirement plan and have modified adjusted gross incomes (AGI) between $58,000 and $68,000, up from $56,000-$66,000 in 2011.
• For married couples filing jointly, in which the spouse who makes the IRA contribution is an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, the income phase-out range is $92,000 to $112,000, up from $90,000 to $110,000. For an IRA contributor who is not an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan and is married to someone who is an active participant, the deduction is phased out if the couple’s income is between $173,000 and $183,000 in 2012, up from $169,000 and $179,000 in 2011.
• The AGI phase-out range for taxpayers making contributions to a Roth IRA is $173,000 to 183,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $169,000 to $179,000 in 2011. For singles and heads of household, the income phase-out range is $110,000 to $125,000, up from $107,000 to $122,000. For a married individual filing a separate return who is an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, the phase-out range remains $0 to $10,000.
• The AGI limit for the saver’s credit (also known as the retirement savings contributions credit) for low- and moderate-income workers is $57,500 for married couples filing jointly, up from $56,500 in 2011; $43,125 for heads of household, up from $42,375; and $28,750 for married individuals filing separately and for singles, up from $28,250.

• By Leon Clinton
• December 13, 2011