What are the exact MAGI thresholds and income brackets changed by the IRS for 2026?
Executive summary
The IRS published inflation-adjusted federal income tax brackets and numerous MAGI-based phaseouts and contribution limits for tax year 2026; key MAGI thresholds that reporters and advisors highlight include Roth IRA phaseout ranges of $242,000–$252,000 for married filing jointly and $153,000–$168,000 (reported ranges vary) for singles, and IRA deduction phaseout ranges like $129,000–$149,000 for certain married participants [1] [2] [3]. Separate MAGI-based programs — such as Medicare’s IRMAA surcharges — use a two‑year lookback (2024 MAGI for 2026 premiums) with commonly cited trigger points at $109,000 (single) and $218,000 (joint) for initial surcharges in 2026 commentary [4] [5] [6].
1. What the IRS officially released — inflation adjustments and where MAGI matters
The IRS’s October release for tax year 2026 adjusted many dollar thresholds for inflation, affecting federal tax brackets, standard deductions and dozens of MAGI‑linked limits and phaseouts; the agency’s Revenue Procedure and newsroom post list those adjusted amounts across credits, deductions and retirement‑plan rules [7] [8]. The IRS release itself is the authoritative source for inflation‑adjusted MAGI‑dependent limits — reporting outlets and tax shops then translate those MAGI ranges into specific retirement and credit thresholds [7] [8].
2. Roth IRA contribution limits and MAGI brackets (widely reported figures)
Major outlets and financial firms report the IRS‑announced 2026 Roth IRA income ranges as: married filing jointly — full contribution under $242,000, phased out up to $252,000; for single filers Fidelity and CNBC report the full‑contribution threshold near $153,000 and ineligibility above roughly $165,000–$168,000 in different summaries [1] [2] [3]. These figures originate from the IRS COLA adjustments and have been repeated across news and adviser sites; if you need absolute legal text, consult the IRS revenue procedure cited in the agency release [1] [2].
3. Traditional IRA deduction phaseouts tied to MAGI
The MAGI windows that limit deductibility of traditional IRA contributions were raised for 2026: common reporting shows married filing jointly phaseout ranges near $129,000–$149,000 for a spouse who participates in an employer plan, and single/head‑of‑household ranges near $81,000–$91,000 for participants — these numbers are published in practitioner summaries interpreting the IRS COLA tables [3] [9]. Firms stress that if your MAGI falls within the phaseout you get a partial deduction, and above the top end you get none [3].
4. Medicare IRMAA: two‑year lookback and frequently quoted thresholds
Medicare Part B and D surcharges (IRMAA) are not set by the IRS but by Social Security using MAGI from two years prior; for 2026 premiums Social Security looks at 2024 MAGI, and advisers warn that one‑time spikes (Roth conversions, big capital gains) can trigger surcharges two years later [4] [5]. Commentary and projections widely cite $109,000 (single) and $218,000 (joint) as important starting points for higher 2026 surcharges, though published IRMAA tables and Social Security bulletins are the primary source for exact tiered dollar and surcharge amounts [5] [6].
5. Federal income tax brackets vs. MAGI: different concepts and overlap risks
The IRS raised the 2026 federal income tax bracket thresholds (10%–37% structure unchanged) and standard deductions; those increases affect taxable income but are a separate construct from MAGI, which is used to determine eligibility for Roth contributions, credits and surcharges [10] [11]. Several advisory pieces emphasize a planning tension: inflation adjustments push bracket ranges up, but MAGI‑based limits for Roths, IRA deductions and Medicare IRMAA can still bite if retirement‑year transactions raise MAGI — so taxable‑income planning and MAGI planning are related but distinct tasks [10] [3].
6. Where reporting diverges and what to check next
Different outlets sometimes present slightly different single‑filer upper phaseout numbers (for example, Fidelity’s page and CNBC summaries vary in the single‑filers’ exact ineligibility figure), and many practitioner sites use projected or rounded figures when the IRS tables are dense; for the definitive legal thresholds and full tier tables, consult the IRS Revenue Procedure and Social Security IRMAA tables cited in the official releases [2] [1] [7]. If you’re modeling conversions or withdrawals, advisers recommend using the official IRS revenue procedure and Social Security IRMAA schedule because small dollar differences can change outcomes [7] [4].
7. Practical next steps for readers
If your question is “exact thresholds” for a specific MAGI‑linked rule, use the IRS Revenue Procedure 2025‑32 (the published COLA tables) for tax‑year 2026 adjustments and consult Social Security’s IRMAA tables for Medicare surcharges; news outlets and tax firms summarize these numbers in accessible charts but rely on the IRS and Social Security releases as the primary documents [7] [8] [4]. Available sources do not mention any unilateral changes beyond these published COLA updates and Social Security’s standard IRMAA methodology — check the IRS and SSA pages directly for the binding numbers [7] [4].