The $5,000 limit
During the growth period, contributions from family and other individuals, together with employer contributions, are limited to $5,000 a year. IRS Notice 2025-68 gives that figure for 2026 and 2027 and says it is subject to cost-of-living adjustments after 2027. The limit is per child, so each child's account has its own $5,000.
The $2,500 employer limit
Employers can contribute up to $2,500 a year without the money counting as the employee's income, under a written Trump Account contribution program. Employer money counts toward the $5,000 total. Proposed regulations published in August 2026 clarify that the $2,500 applies per employee, not per child: a worker with three children can receive $2,500 in total across all three accounts, not $2,500 each.
Money that does not count
Some deposits are outside the yearly limit.
- The $1,000 federal pilot contribution.
- Qualified general contributions from governments and 501(c)(3) charities, such as the announced Dell gift.
- Rollovers from one Trump Account to another.
Contributions count in the year they are made
Unlike a regular IRA, you cannot make a Trump Account contribution in early 2027 and count it for 2026. The IRS says a contribution made on January 31, 2027 counts for 2027. If you want to use the 2026 limit, the money has to arrive by December 31, 2026.
Planning around the limit
Ask your employer early in the year what it will contribute, so family contributions do not push the total past $5,000. Keep a simple record of who contributed what. Family contributions build your after-tax basis, which matters when money is withdrawn later; employer, pilot and charity money does not.
Sources and further reading
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