2026 Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits and Rules – Deployed Contributions, Agency Match and More
TSP participants can contribute up to $24,500 of their paycheck to the TSP in 2026, plus another $8,000 in catch-up contributions if they are age 50 or older (or $11,250 if they are ages 60–63).
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The 2026 TSP contribution limit for employee deferrals is $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025.
The 2026 annual addition limit has increased to $72,000. The total limit for participants age 50 and older is $80,000, and for participants ages 60–63, it is $83,250.
The Internal Revenue Service releases the 2026 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contribution limits each year in the fall. It’s because the IRS calculates Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits annually based on the cost-of-living indexes.
- 2026 Elective Deferral Limit: $24,500
- 2026 Catch-Up Contribution Limit (ages 50–59 and 64+): $8,000
- 2026 Catch-Up Contribution Limit (ages 60–63): $11,250
- 2026 Annual Addition Limit: $72,000
2026 Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits
TSP Elective Deferral Limit in 2026
The elective deferral limit is the maximum amount you can defer from your paychecks to a Roth or traditional TSP account. Roth and traditional accounts share the $24,500 limit, and you cannot contribute the maximum to each separately.
To max out your TSP in 2026, you’ll need to contribute a little more than $2,000 per month from your paycheck, which may be too aggressive depending on your pay grade.
TSP Catch-Up Contribution Limit in 2026
Members age 50 and over can contribute an additional $8,000 per year beyond the elective deferral limit, for a total of $32,500. To max out both the elective deferral and standard catch-up contribution, you’ll need to contribute approximately $2,700 per month.
TSP Super Catch-Up Limit in 2026
Thanks to Section 109 of the SECURE 2.0 Act, participants who turn age 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2026 have a higher catch-up limit of $11,250, bringing their total contribution ceiling to $35,750.
In the year a participant turns 64, the catch-up limit reverts to the standard $8,000.
Catch-up contribution limit by birth year (2026):
| Born in | Catch-Up Limit |
|---|---|
| 1962 or earlier | $8,000 |
| 1963–1966 | $11,250 (super catch-up) |
| 1967–1976 | $8,000 |
Monthly Contribution to Max Out by Age Group
| Scenario | Annual Total | Per Month (12 periods) |
|---|---|---|
| Under age 50 | $24,500 | $2,041.67 |
| Age 50–59 or 64+ (with catch-up) | $32,500 | $2,708.33 |
| Ages 60–63 (super catch-up) | $35,750 | $2,979.17 |
TSP Annual Addition Limit for 2026
The annual addition limit encompasses contributions from all sources except catch-up contributions. It applies to elective deferrals, deployment contributions that exceed the $24,500 elective deferral limit, and employer contributions, including Department of Defense matches through the Blended Retirement System (BRS).
Does the TSP max include employer match?
No. The $24,500 elective deferral limit applies only to your own contributions. Agency/service matching contributions and the automatic 1% contribution count toward the separate $72,000 annual addition limit.
Explanation of Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits
The following chart shows the 2026 Thrift Savings Plan contribution limits under the Internal Revenue Code.
| 2026 Thrift Savings Plan Limits | Maximum Contribution | Internal Revenue Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elective Deferral Limit | $24,500 | IRC §402(g) | Applies to the combined total of traditional and Roth contributions. For members of the uniformed services, this limit encompasses contributions from taxable basic pay, incentive pay, special pay and bonus pay. However, it does not apply to traditional contributions from tax-exempt income earned in a combat zone. |
| Maximum Annual Addition Limit | $72,000 | IRC §415(c) | Applies to the total amount of all contributions (per employer) made on behalf of an employee in a calendar year. This limit includes employee contributions (tax-deferred, after-tax and tax-exempt), agency/service automatic (1%) contributions and matching contributions. For 415(c) purposes, working for multiple federal agencies or services in the same year is considered having one employer. |
| Catch-Up Contribution Limit (50+) | $8,000 | IRC §414(v) | The maximum amount of annual catch-up contributions for participants age 50 and older. Catch-up contributions are separate from elective deferral and annual addition limits imposed on regular employee contributions. |
| Catch-Up Contribution Limit (Ages 60-63) | $11,250 | IRC §414(v) | Due to changes in the SECURE 2.0 Act, participants aged 60 to 63 have a higher catch-up contribution limit. |
Current and Historic Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits
| Year | Employee Contributions | Catch-Up Contributions (Age 50+) | Total Contribution Limit | Total Contribution Limit With Catch-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,500 | $8,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| 2025 | $23,500 | $7,500 | $70,000 | $77,500 |
| 2024 | $23,000 | $7,500 | $69,000 | $76,500 |
| 2023 | $22,500 | $7,500 | $66,000 | $73,500 |
| 2022 | $20,500 | $6,500 | $61,000 | $67,500 |
| 2021 | $19,500 | $6,500 | $58,000 | $64,500 |
| 2020 | $19,500 | $6,500 | $57,000 | $63,500 |
| 2019 | $19,000 | $6,000 | $56,000 | $62,000 |
| 2018 | $18,500 | $6,000 | $55,000 | $61,000 |
| 2017 | $18,000 | $6,000 | $54,000 | $60,000 |
| 2016 | $18,000 | $6,000 | $53,000 | $59,000 |
| 2015 | $18,000 | $6,000 | $53,000 | $59,000 |
| 2014 | $17,500 | $5,500 | $52,000 | $57,500 |
| 2013 | $17,500 | $5,500 | $51,000 | $56,500 |
| 2012 | $17,000 | $5,500 | $50,000 | $55,500 |
| 2011 | $16,500 | $5,500 | $49,000 | $54,500 |
| 2010 | $16,500 | $5,500 | $49,000 | $54,500 |
| 2009 | $16,500 | $5,500 | $49,000 | $54,500 |
| 2008 | $15,500 | $5,000 | $46,000 | $51,000 |
| 2007 | $15,500 | $5,000 | $46,000 | $51,000 |
Types of Thrift Savings Plan Contributions
There are three types of TSP contributions:
- Regular employee contributions (including automatic enrollment contributions)
- Catch-up contributions (for participants age 50 or older)
- Annual addition limit contributions
Regular Contributions (Elective Deferral Contributions)
Eligible TSP participants can begin making regular employee contributions at any time. These contributions — also known as elective-deferral contributions — come out of your basic pay.
Traditional contributions come out of your check before you pay taxes on them. You can pay taxes on Roth TSP contributions before you deposit them, allowing your money to grow tax-free over time.
Once you make your contribution election, it will remain in place until you elect to stop contributing, change your contribution amount, reach the contribution limit, or take a Thrift Savings Plan financial hardship withdrawal.
Catch-Up Contributions
You can make catch-up contributions each calendar year if you’re at least 50 years old. They will automatically stop if you don’t elect to make a catch-up contribution each year.
Note: You can make regular and catch-up contributions at the same time.
If you plan your contributions carefully, you can maximize both the $24,500 regular contribution and the $8,000 catch-up (or $11,250 if you’re ages 60–63) contribution during the last pay period of the year. This is much simpler than tracking when your regular TSP contributions will max out, stopping the regular contributions, and then starting catch-up contributions.
In addition, if you are eligible to make catch-up contributions and you are deployed to a designated combat zone, you can only make Roth contributions from your tax-exempt pay.
Mandatory Roth Catch-Up for High Earners
Starting in 2026, if your prior-year FICA wages exceeded $150,000, all of your catch-up contributions must be made to a Roth TSP account, not a traditional (pre-tax) TSP account. This threshold increased from $145,000 in 2025.
To determine whether this applies to you, check Box 5 (Medicare wages and tips) on your 2025 W-2. If that figure exceeds $150,000, your catch-up contributions in 2026 must go to a Roth.
Annual Addition Limit Contributions
Annual addition limit contributions include all contributions made during the applicable calendar year: your elective deferrals and employer contributions.
The annual addition limit also applies to contributions above the annual elective deferral limit (contributions above $24,500 in 2026) made by servicemembers who are deployed to a tax-exempt zone.
The Internal Revenue Code §415(c) states that the annual addition limit is per employer. However, for 415(c) purposes, working for multiple federal agencies or services in the same year is the same as having one employer. This applies to members of the National Guard or reserves who also work for a federal agency.
Two Thrift Savings Plans – Uniformed Services and Federal Service
Remember, there are two separate Thrift Savings Plan accounts:
- One for military members
- One for federal government employees
Members can have both accounts if they serve in the National Guard or reserves while working in civil service. The two plans share the same annual contribution limits across both accounts. So, you must carefully calculate contributions to avoid over-contribution penalties.
Uniformed Services TSP Contributions
The TSP is available to all military members, who can contribute any whole percentage of their basic pay, bonuses, special pay, or incentive pay, provided it doesn’t exceed the annual IRS elective deferral limit.
Roth TSP Contributions
Roth TSP contributions are limited to the $24,500 elective deferral limit. All additional contributions toward the annual addition limit must go into a traditional TSP account, even if the contributions come from tax-exempt pay.
Tax-Free Combat Zone Contributions
Military members serving in tax-free combat zones can contribute up to $72,000 — or $80,000 if they qualify for standard catch-up contributions, or $83,250 for ages 60–63. This total includes regular deferred contributions, tax-exempt combat zone contributions, special pay, and bonuses.
Catch-Up Contributions and Tax-Free Pay
Military members who receive tax-exempt pay while serving in an eligible combat zone must make catch-up contributions to a Roth TSP account.
TSP Federal Agency Contributions
Federal civil service members can also make traditional or Roth TSP contributions within the same contribution limit.
Matching TSP Contributions Chart
Military members only receive matching contributions in the Blended Retirement System (BRS), not the legacy High 36 pension plan. FERS employees are eligible for matching contributions from the government.
BRS participants receive an automatic 1% contribution from the federal government, then a 100% match for the first 3% they contribute, followed by an additional 0.5% match for the next 2% they contribute. The total maximum agency contribution is 5%.
Important: TSP matching applies per pay period, not annually. If you front-load contributions and reach the $24,500 limit before December, you will miss matching contributions for the remaining pay periods. Spread your contributions evenly across all pay periods to ensure you receive the full match throughout the year.
Participants can contribute as high a percentage of their salary as they wish, as long as they don’t exceed total contribution limits, including the catch-up limits allowed for those age 50 and above.
Per Pay Period Contribution to Max Out
Below is a breakdown of how much you’d have to set aside to max out contributions for 2026 if you separated by the 26 pay periods (biweekly pay) in a work year.
Per Pay Period Contribution to Max Out (2026, 26 Pay Periods)
| Scenario | Annual Total | Per Pay Period |
|---|---|---|
| Under age 50 | $24,500 | $942.31 |
| Age 50–59 or 64+ (with catch-up) | $32,500 | $1,250.00 |
| Ages 60–63 (super catch-up) | $35,750 | $1,375.00 |
Contribution Limits With Multiple Retirement Accounts
The TSP is similar to a 401(k), and they share the same annual contribution limit per person. You cannot contribute more than $24,500 ($32,500 with standard catch-up contributions) across both accounts in any given calendar year.
The TSP will reject contributions that exceed the limit and will not accept further contributions through the end of the calendar year. However, the TSP has no visibility into your other retirement accounts. So, if you contribute to both a TSP and a 401(k), you are responsible for tracking the combined total.
Military TSP and Federal TSP
National Guard and reserve servicemembers who serve as federal technicians may have a military TSP account and a civil service TSP account.
Service members with two TSP accounts can contribute to both in the same tax year. However, these accounts share the same total contribution limit.
You can only exceed the annual employee deferral limit when deployed to a tax-exempt combat zone, at which point you can contribute up to the annual addition limit ($72,000, or $80,000/$83,250 with catch-up contributions).
TSP and 401k (or Similar Civilian Retirement Account)
TSP and 401(k) plans share the same annual contribution limit, but they’re not connected. So, your TSP can’t track your 401(k) contributions, and vice versa, which can lead to overcontributing. Track your contributions carefully if you contribute to both accounts to ensure you don’t accidentally incur a penalty.
