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john1010
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I owe $8,716 how much would an IRA save me? If I have to spend more for an IRA than what it will reduce my tax payment, is it worth it?

 
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2 Replies

I owe $8,716 how much would an IRA save me? If I have to spend more for an IRA than what it will reduce my tax payment, is it worth it?

That depends entirely on your tax bracket.   For example, if you are in the 22% bracket,  a maximum regular Traditional IRA contribution of $6,000 (under age 50) would save you $1,320 in taxes.

 

But if you owe almost $9,000 in taxes, your income may be too high to contribute to an IRA.  You are asking from TT self-employment, so I wonder if you are being hit with a penalty for underpayment of estimated taxes as well.   Also see:

Retirement Plans for Self-Employed People | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

MinhT1
Expert Alumni

I owe $8,716 how much would an IRA save me? If I have to spend more for an IRA than what it will reduce my tax payment, is it worth it?

If you are eligible to contribute to a deductible IRA, you can contribute up to $6,000 (plus a catch up of $1,000 if you are aged 50 or older). 

 

By contributing to an IRA, you will save on taxes, but not dollar for dollar. The IRA contribution is a deduction from income and your tax savings is equal to the contribution multiplied by your marginal tax bracket. So if you make a contribution of $6,000 and your tax bracket is 22%, then you will save $1,320 ($6,000 x 22%) in taxes.

 

Whether it is worth making the contribution is a matter of personal judgment.

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