IRS 2027 401(k) IRA limits are still not announced, and the wait is now stretching into its final days. The IRS published its 2027 tax brackets and standard deduction on November 5, but the retirement-plan numbers come in a separate notice — and that notice has not landed yet.
That matters because millions of people set their 2027 payroll deferrals in November and December. If you are deciding how much to put into your 401(k) next year, you are still working off a projection, not an official number.
Here is where things stand, what the math says, and what changed this week.
The IRS has announced everything except this
On November 5, 2026, the IRS released its tax-year 2027 inflation adjustments in Revenue Procedure 2026-35 (news release IR-2026-133). The standard deduction rises to $16,600 for single filers and $33,200 for married couples filing jointly. Tax brackets moved up about 3.25 percent. The child tax credit rises to $2,300.
None of that release contains the retirement-plan limits. The 401(k), 403(b), 457 and IRA limits always come in a separate annual notice, and the IRS’s own 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan lists that notice for November 2026. Last year the 2026 limits arrived on November 13, 2025. If the IRS follows the same pattern, the announcement could come any day now — possibly this week.
Until it does, the only official limits are the 2026 ones, published in IRS Notice 2025-67: a 401(k) deferral limit of $24,500, an age-50 catch-up of $8,000, a super catch-up of $11,250 for ages 60 to 63, a total limit of $72,000, and an IRA limit of $7,500 with a $1,100 catch-up.
The 401(k) projection: $25,500, and the math is closed
The 401(k) number is the most solid projection in this whole story. The limit is set by a formula written into the tax code, and every input it needs is already published.
Actuarial firm Milliman published its final estimate on October 15, 2026: a 2027 401(k) deferral limit of $25,500, up $1,000 from $24,500. The age-50 catch-up rises to $8,500, the ages 60-63 super catch-up to $11,750, and the total limit from all sources to $75,000.
The reason this projection carries weight is that the September CPI-U, released October 14, closed the third-quarter average at 335.279. The formula needed 335.122 for the $25,500 step. It cleared it. There is no more data coming that can change the arithmetic — only the IRS notice can make it official.
For a typical saver, $25,500 means about $83 more per month of room in a 401(k) than in 2026. If you max out your plan, that is an extra $1,000 a year going in before tax.
The IRA question is now settled — $7,500, unchanged
The IRA limit was the one number still genuinely disputed, and it got resolved this week. One calculation site, Finbarrow, had projected $8,000 for 2027 using the third-quarter CPI-U average. On November 11, 2026, it corrected itself: that CPI window governs the 401(k) limits only.
The IRA is indexed differently. Under section 219(b)(5)(C) of the tax code, it runs on chained CPI-U for the 12 months ending in August. That window closed with the August index, and the math projects to $7,500 — unchanged from 2026. InvestToFire and QuantCalc reach the same answer.
So the honest picture is this: the 401(k) limit is very likely going up $1,000, and the IRA limit is very likely staying put. Neither is official until the IRS says so, but the IRA argument is over. Do not plan on an $8,000 IRA limit.
What is already official for 2027
Not everything is waiting. The HSA limits for 2027 are already official — $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage, under Revenue Procedure 2026-24. The tax brackets, standard deduction, child tax credit, estate exemption and gift exclusion are all official too, from the November 5 release.
That split is worth understanding. The IRS announces the tax figures and the retirement figures on different tracks, and the retirement notice simply runs later. It is not a delay or a policy fight. It is the calendar.
What to do while you wait
First, do not set your 2027 payroll deferral cap on a projection. If your plan lets you set a dollar amount now, use the 2026 limit of $24,500 until the IRS notice lands, then adjust. Most payroll systems let you change deferrals mid-year anyway.
Second, if you are 50 or older, the catch-up matters more than the headline number. The age-50 catch-up is projected at $8,500, up from $8,000, which would put a 50-plus saver at $34,000 total. And if you are 60 to 63, the super catch-up is projected at $11,750.
Third, remember the Roth catch-up rule that took effect this year. Since January 1, 2026, workers who earned more than $145,000 in FICA wages in the prior year must make catch-up contributions on a Roth (after-tax) basis. That rule stays in force for 2027 regardless of what the new limits turn out to be.
Finally, keep the IRA picture straight. If the IRA limit stays at $7,500, nothing changes for IRA savers — same limit, same $1,100 catch-up at 50 and older, same $8,600 total. The action for 2027 is in the 401(k), not the IRA.
The bottom line
The IRS notice is due any day, and the smart money says it confirms $25,500 for the 401(k) and $7,500 for the IRA. But until the notice is published, those are projections — well-grounded ones, but projections. Check back, and do not lock in a 2027 deferral election on a number the IRS has not yet printed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the IRS announced the 2027 401(k) limit?
No. As of November 11, 2026, the IRS has not published the 2027 retirement-plan limits. The 2026 limits ($24,500 for a 401(k), $7,500 for an IRA) remain the official figures until the new notice lands, expected in November 2026.
What is the projected 401(k) limit for 2027?
$25,500, per Milliman’s final estimate of October 15, 2026. The age-50 catch-up is projected at $8,500, the ages 60-63 catch-up at $11,750, and the total limit at $75,000. These are projections, not IRS figures.
Is the IRA limit going up to $8,000 in 2027?
Almost certainly not. The IRA is indexed on chained CPI-U for the 12 months ending in August, and that math projects to $7,500, unchanged. Finbarrow retracted its earlier $8,000 projection on November 11, 2026, after realising it had used the wrong CPI window.
Why hasn’t the IRS announced the 2027 limits yet?
The retirement-plan limits come in a separate annual notice from the tax-bracket adjustments. The IRS’s Priority Guidance Plan lists the notice for November 2026; last year’s 2026 limits were announced November 13, 2025.
What 2027 limits are already official?
The tax brackets and standard deduction ($16,600 single / $33,200 joint) from IR-2026-133, and the HSA limits ($4,500 self-only / $9,000 family) from Revenue Procedure 2026-24. Only the retirement-plan limits are still pending.