2027 tax brackets and 401(k) limits: the IRS hasn't published them yet
All the inflation data the IRS needs is now out, and consultants have issued final estimates — but any 2027 number you see today is a projection, not an official figure.
The short answer
- The IRS's retirement-plan limits table still ends at 2026 (last updated August 24).
- 2026 limits: $24,500 401(k) deferral; $8,000 catch-up at 50+; $11,250 at 60–63; IRA $7,500 + $1,100 catch-up.
- Milliman published final 2027 estimates on October 15; the IRS is expected to publish "in the coming weeks".
The Internal Revenue Service has not yet published its 2027 inflation adjustments for tax brackets, the standard deduction or retirement-plan contribution limits. Its table of retirement-plan dollar limits still covers 2023 through 2026.
The Financial Wire reported on October 19 that the IRS's October news releases through October 16 did not include any inflation-adjustment announcement, and that every 2027 figure circulating online is a private forecast.
Benefits consultant Milliman published its final estimates of the 2027 limits on October 15, after the September CPI completed the data series the IRS uses. Milliman said the IRS is expected to publish the official limits in the coming weeks.
What you can rely on now
- 401(k)/403(b) elective deferral for 2026: $24,500.
- Catch-up contribution (age 50+) for 2026: $8,000; ages 60–63: $11,250.
- IRA contribution limit for 2026: $7,500, plus a $1,100 catch-up.
If you are deciding how much to contribute before December, plan with the 2026 limits and adjust once the official 2027 numbers are released.
What is still unclear
- The exact 2027 limits and brackets, and the date the IRS will release them.
Sources
- COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions — Internal Revenue Service
- 2027 IRS Limits – Final estimates — Milliman
- The IRS has still not published 2027 tax brackets or the 2027 401(k) limit — The Financial Wire
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How this article was produced
- Responsible desk:
- Taxes
- Published:
- 27 Oct 2026, 07:48 UTC
- Last updated:
- 27 Oct 2026, 07:48 UTC
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