SIMPLE IRA

Generally, employees can contribute up to 100% of compensation or a maximum of $16,500 for 2025 ($16,000 for 2024); for those age 50 and older, $20,000 for 2025 ($19,500 for 2024).

Higher Limits in 2025 for some plans:

• Employers with 25 employees or fewer (who earned $5,000 or more in 2024) must allow an increased employee salary deferral limit of $17,600 (plus a $3,850 catch-up limit for those age 50 and older).
• Employers with 26 to 100 employees (who received at least $5,000 in compensation in 2024), may voluntarily allow the increased salary deferral limits above for 2025.  Employers must have provided prior notice of the higher limits to all employees at least 60 days before the end of 2024. Larger employer contributions are also required if the higher limit will be allowed and was communicated in time. 

New in 2025:  Higher catch-ups for those age 60 to 63 (by the end of 2025)

• Participants may increase their catch-up to $5,250.

The plan is funded with contributions deducted from employees' salaries, and annual employer contributions. Each eligible employee can decide whether or not to participate and how much to contribute, but annual employer contributions are mandatory with few exceptions. For more information, see the answer to "What do I need to know about contributions?". 

Although, employers may decide to match only those employees who contribute or may provide a contribution to all eligible employees. Every year, employers may switch between match OR contribute for all, if desired. Sixty days before each year, employers must complete the Summary Description and provide this notice to employees listing the type of employer contribution that will be made for the upcoming year. 

To make contributions for the current year, you must establish a new SIMPLE IRA plan between January 1 and October 1 of the tax year unless your business is established after October 1. 

Employer contributions must be made annually by the employer's tax filing deadline, including extensions. Employee contributions are deducted from employees' salaries and must be deposited at least monthly. 

• SIMPLE IRAs are easy to set up and maintain. IRS filing, tax reporting, and compliance testing are not required. 
• Schwab reports all contributions and end-of-year fair market value on Form 5498 by May 31 each year. 
• If employees take any withdrawals, Schwab will report distributions on IRS form 1099R. 
• Full vesting is immediate. 
• Generally, business owners and employers may not maintain any other retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, profit-sharing, or 401(k) plans in the same calendar year that they offer a SIMPLE IRA plan. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, there is an exception for a replacement 401(k) plan. Please review current IRS guidance if you are interested in replacing an existing SIMPLE IRA with a 401(k) plan. (Unionized employees are an exception to this rule.) 
• If the number of people you employ exceeds 100, you can still maintain your SIMPLE IRA plan for two years after the first year the 100-employee limit is exceeded. After two years, if you still employ more than 100 people, you are no longer eligible to maintain a SIMPLE IRA plan. Only employees earning $5,000 or more in the previous year are counted to determine the 100 employee limit. 

With the matching option, you match the employee contribution dollar for dollar up to 3% of employee compensation, not to exceed the salary deferral limit for that year. In any two out of five consecutive years, you may match a smaller percentage, not less than 1%. You only contribute to the retirement accounts of the eligible employees who make salary deferral contributions.

The nonelective contribution option requires that you contribute 2% of each eligible employee's compensation up to a maximum of $7,000 for 2025 ($6,900 for 2024). Employees do not have to make contributions themselves to get the nonelective contribution.

New for 2024 and later: Employers with 25 employees or fewer (who earned $5,000 or more in 2024) must allow an increased employee salary deferral limit of $17,600 (plus a $3,850 catch-up limit for those age 50 and older) in 2025. No additional employer contributions are required.

While employers with 26 to 100 employees (who received at least $5,000 in compensation in 2024) may voluntarily allow the increased salary deferral limits above for 2025, the employer had to provide prior notice of the higher limits to all employees at least 60 days before the end of 2024. Larger employer contributions are also required if the higher limit was communicated in time. Employers must make either a 4% dollar for dollar match, or a 3% non-elective contribution of employee's compensation.

Withdrawals are penalty-free after age 59½. If you do not start Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) by age 73, you may have to pay a penalty. 
 
The new SECURE 2.0 reduces the 50% penalty for missing an RMD effective for RMDs in 2023; it does not impact missed RMDs in 2022. Under SECURE 2.0, if you don't take your RMD by the IRS deadline, a 25% excise tax on insufficient or late RMD withdrawals applies. If the RMD is corrected timely, the penalty can be reduced to 10%. Follow the​ IRS guidelines and consult your tax advisor. 
 
Withdrawals before age 59½ are subject to a 10% penalty, and the penalty is increased to 25% if the withdrawal occurs within the first two years of participation in the SIMPLE IRA. 
 
There are certain exceptions for which you can withdraw funds before age 59½ without causing a 10% (or 25%) penalty, including: 

• Rollover of distributions to another IRA or employer plan 
• Higher education expenses for you or family members, including tuition, fees, books, supplies, and room and board (must be enrolled at least half-time) 
• First-time home purchase expenses ($10,000 lifetime limit) to buy, build, or rebuild a first home for you or your parents, children, or grandchildren (Note: You must not have owned a home within the past two years.) 
• Death or disability 
• Birth or adoption expenses 
  • Certain medical expenses, including qualifying health insurance costs for certain unemployed individuals and non-reimbursed expenses exceeding 7.5% of adjusted gross income 
• Withdrawals made in equal installments over the account holder's life expectancy 

The SIMPLE IRA Adoption Agreement contains the specific requirements elected by the employer. Under IRS rules, employees must be included if they earned at least $5,000 (with the employer) in any two (2) previous years and are "expected" to earn at least $5000 in the year contributions will be made to the plan.

Employers will need to complete and supply a copy of a SIMPLE Summary Description to each eligible employee every year. Employees need to receive the completed Summary Description at least 60 days before each new calendar year begins. Every year, Schwab will send employers a Summary Description template to assist employers with this requirement.