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Getting Married? How Marriage Can Affect Your Roth IRA as a Military Officer Thumbnail

Getting Married? How Marriage Can Affect Your Roth IRA as a Military Officer

Retirement Funding Managing Your Finances

Can getting married affect my Roth IRA eligibility?

Yes. Getting married can change the income limits and tax-filing rules that determine whether you can contribute directly to a Roth IRA. The impact can be especially significant for military officers whose combined income pushes them above the Roth IRA limits, or when one spouse files separately to qualify for a student loan income-driven repayment plan.

Scenario 1: Your New Spouse is on a Student Loan Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan.

In what I think is really weird, if you file jointly with your spouse, both your and your spouse’s income count when counting the income. But if your spouse files Married Filing Separately (MFS) then only his or her income counts and less income equals a smaller payment. But here is the rub.

If you lived together for at least 6 months of the year and you file MFS (which your spouse did to take advantage of the IDR Plan) your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA is severely limited. Specifically, if your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) exceeds $10,000 (that’s not a typo) you are not allowed to contribute to a Roth IRA. The phase out of the ability to contribute to a Roth IRA starts at $1 (that’s not one either).

If you did contribute to a Roth IRA and you end up filing MFS, you’ll need to withdraw the contributions and the earnings on them, prior to the tax filing deadline, plus extensions. That kind of messes with your plan.

Scenario 2: You Both Make a Decent Living by Yourself.

While you’re single you can make contributions up to the annual limit if your AGI is less than $153,000 (2026). After $153,000 your ability to contribute decreases and is completely phased out at $168,000. Unlike a lot of things in the tax code, the married limit isn’t double the single limit. For Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) the AGI to contribute the annual limit is $242,000 with the phase out range stretching to $252,000. That can cause a problem. Let’s look at an example:

  • You are an O-4 with 14 years of service and no special pay and no other sources of significant income.
  • Your AGI due to your base pay $122,572 (2026)
  • You happily contribute the maximum amount to your Roth IRA
  • You find the love of your life who is also an O-4. He or she is a pilot, with flight pay AGI is $130,372.
  • After you marry, your AGI is $252,944 which puts the two of you $944 over the top of the phase out range for a couple filing MFJ (see above limits for MFS). You can't contribute anything to a Roth IRA.
  • You’ll need to withdraw the contributions and the earnings on them


What Can You Do if You Can't Contribute Directly to a Roth IRA?

Being above the Roth IRA income limit doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up on Roth retirement savings. Military families have several alternatives, including Roth TSP contributions and, when appropriate, a backdoor Roth IRA.

The backdoor Roth strategy involves making a nondeductible contribution to a Traditional IRA and then converting that contribution to a Roth IRA. However, the tax consequences can be more complicated if you already have money in Traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs.

For military members, the Roth TSP is another important option because Roth TSP contributions aren't subject to the Roth IRA income limits.

Marriage can be Complicated…

Roth IRAs are even more complicated. Take some time to understand them and other tax issues before you file your first MFJ/MFS tax return.

Military Finances are Different

Just like being a military spouse is a lot different than being a spouse of a civilian, your finances are different than a civilian. You have many unique options and benefits. That is why we think Active and Retired Military Members should work with a financial advisor that deals with those differences every day. If you'd like to find out how we work with clients just like you, use the button below to schedule a free, initial consultation.

If you found this article useful, you might like the following blog posts:

Military Finances 101: Tax Relief for Military Spouses


Retired Military Finances 201: Buh-Bye GPO and WEP


Stay-At-Home Military Spouses and Life Insurance



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