It is not illegal to contribute to an IRA if you also participate in a qualified workplace retirement plan. You might not be eligible for a tax deduction, but you can still contribute. You just have to make certain adjustments for the nondeductible amounts.
A "return of excess" is a special procedure that can only be done up to October 15 of the year after the ineligible contributions. If your last potentially ineligible contribution was in 2023, it is too late to even think about the "return of excess" procedure as a way to fix this.
Are you sure you were never eligible for the deduction? In 2011, the deduction phase-out started at $56,000 for single and $90,000 for married filing jointly. Did you make more than that, even 14 years ago?
The 2023 deduction phase-out started at $73,000 for single and $116,00 for married filing jointly.
Are you sure that you have been over the deduction limits ever since 2011?
Let's start by clarifying that, then we can see what we think next.
