2011 IRA, Pension Plan Limits and Long Term care Deductions Announced by IRS

Nov. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2011. In general, these limits will either remain unchanged, or the inflation adjustments for 2011 will be small.

The elective deferral contribution limit for employees who participate in section 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan remains unchanged at $16,500.  The catch-up contribution limit under those plans for those aged 50 and over remains unchanged at $5,500.

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 $56,000 and $66,000.  This amount is unchanged from 2010.

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 $90,000 to $110,000, up from $89,000 to $109,000. 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 $169,000 and $179,000, up from $167,000 and $177,000.

The AGI phase-out range for taxpayers making contributions to a Roth IRA is $169,000 to 179,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $167,000 to $177,000 in 2010. For singles and heads of household, the income phase-out range is $107,000 to $122,000, up from $105,000 to $120,000. 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 $56,500 for married couples filing jointly, up from $55,500 in 2010; $42,375 for heads of household, up from $41,625; and $28,250 for married individuals filing separately and for singles, up from $27,750.

For the eight million Americans who own long-term care insurance, eligible long-term care insurance premiums includible in the term 'medical care' range from $340 to $4,240 per-individual.   The applicable limit is based on attained age before the close of the tax year, according to the Accountant's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance, published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance  http://www.aaltci.org , the national trade group.

The limits are as follows:  For age 40 or less, $340; for more than 40 but not more than 50, $640.  For more than 50 but not more than 60, $1,270.  For more than 60 but not more than 70, $3,390 and for more than age 70, $4,240.

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About the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/ the national trade organization that maintains the nation's largest Consumer Information center providing free information and cost quotes. Jesse Slome is Director of the Association http://www.aaltci.org .