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Shutdown Furlough Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions

Thrift Savings Plan 2026 Contributions

DATE: Monday, December 1, 2025

The limits for TSP contributions have gone up to $24,500 for 2026. Catch-Up Contributions (age 50 and over) have gone up to $8,000. For participants aged 60-63, the catch-up limit for 2026 is $11,250.

What is the Thrift Savings Plan?

The TSP is a retirement savings plan (like a 401K) for civilian Federal government employees. The TSP plays an important component of your financial planning for creating a more secure retirement. Your TSP account is administered by an independent agency called the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. The TSP offers both Traditional (pre-tax) contributions and Roth (after-tax) contributions.  If you elect to contribute to the Roth TSP, you will then have two account balances within your Thrift Savings Plan and the TSP Board will keep your pre-tax contributions separate from your after-tax contributions.

For a full overview of the Thrift Savings Plan, please read TSP Booklet: Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan.

Traditional TSP Contributions (Pre-Tax)

Traditional TSP is an option to defer paying taxes on your contributions and their earnings until you withdraw them. Contributions are deducted from your paycheck before your pay is taxed which will lower your current taxable income – resulting in a tax break.

To learn more about Traditional TSP Contributions please go here: TSP Contributions.

Roth TSP Contributions (After-Tax)

The Roth TSP is an important feature that will give you flexibility in the tax treatment of your employee contributions by allowing you to make post-tax TSP contributions. When you withdraw from your Roth TSP account, your contributions will not be taxed nor will the Roth TSP earnings as long as certain Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements are met.

To learn more about Roth TSP Contributions, please go here: TSP Contributions.

How much can I contribute to the TSP in 2026?

$24,500

Elective Deferral Limit

$943 per paycheck for regular contributions.

$8,000

Catch-up Limit

$1250 per paycheck for catch-up contributions for a total of $32,500.

$11,250

Higher Catch-up Limit

$1375 for higher catch-up contributions for a total of $35,750.

Regular Contributions Limit

In 2026, employees of all ages may contribute up to $24,500 to their TSP account. Federal employees can contribute up to the IRS annual elective deferral limit of $24,500 for their regular contributions. For those that adjust your contribution rate every year to reach the maximum amount in the last pay period of the year, if you divide $24,500 by 26 pay periods, you should contribute $943 per pay period to reach the Regular Contribution Limit for 2026.

Regular Catch-Up Contribution Limits (Age 50 and over)

If you turn 50 or older during calendar year 2026, you may contribute additional catch-up contributions of up to $8,000 towards your TSP account in addition to the $24,500 regular contributions for a total of $32,500. For those that adjust your contribution rate every year to reach the regular catch-up maximum amount in the last pay period of the year, if you divide $32,500 by 26 pay periods, you should contribute $1,250 per pay period to reach the Regular Catch-Up Contribution Limit for 2026.

Higher Catch-Up Contribution Limit (Age 60-63)

Participants turning 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2026 will have a higher catch-up limit than the regular catch-up limit. The higher catch-up limit in 2026 is set at $11,250 towards your TSP account in addition to the $24,500 regular contributions for a total of $35,750.

In the years participants turn 64 and older, the catch-up limit for you will go back down to the lower, regular catch-up limit amount.  For those that adjust your contribution rate every year to reach the higher catch-up maximum amount in the last pay period of the year, if you divide $35,750 by 26 pay periods, you should contribute $1,375 per pay period to reach the Higher Catch-Up Contribution Limit for 2026.

Matching Contributions

FERS employees should consider contributing at least 5% of their basic pay to a TSP account so that you can receive the full amount of matching contributions. All matching contributions will be added to your Traditional (Pre-Tax) TSP balance. Please Note, FERS employees are reminded not to hit the TSP contribution maximum limit until the final pay period, or you run the risk of missing out on TSP matching contributions.

To use the online TSP tool to help you determine the maximum amount you can contribute to the TSP, go here:  How Much Can I Contribute Calculator.

Additional Major Changes in 2026

TSP Catch-Up Contributions to Roth Account for Highly Paid Employees

Beginning in 2026, eligible catch-up contributions must be Roth contributions if your wages from TSP-eligible positions are above $150,000 in 2025.  In general, the wages that determine whether this rule applies to you are equal to Medicare wages listed in box 5 of your W-2(s).  If this provision applies to you and your contribution election includes savings to your traditional TSP balance, your contributions will change automatically to Roth TSP contributions once you meet the annual elective deferral limit.  The new changes will be seamless from the employee standpoint and the adjustments needed will be automatically calculated within your TSP account.

For more information on this can be found here: SECURE 2.0 and the TSP | The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

Roth In-Plan Conversions

Also beginning in 2026, you’ll be able to convert money in your traditional (pre-tax) balance to your Roth (after-tax) balance in your TSP account. This is called a Roth in-plan conversion. If you don’t have a Roth balance in your TSP account, your first Roth in-plan conversion will create one.  If you’re considering doing a Roth in-plan conversion, it is strongly recommended that you consult a tax advisor to start planning how it would affect your taxable income and estimate how much you may need to pay in taxes.  When you convert pre-tax money from your traditional TSP balance, your Roth in-plan conversion amount will become part of your taxable income for the year. This means that you’ll pay income tax on the conversion amount based on your income tax rate. You must pay the income tax on the conversion amount using personal funds from another source, such as a savings account. You cannot use part of the conversion amount in your TSP account to pay taxes.

For more information on this can be found here: Roth in-plan conversions coming to the TSP.

How do I start, change, or stop TSP Contributions?

The easiest method is to log into your Employee Express (EEX) account at www.employeeexpress.gov from either a home or work computer and process your request directly online without completing any forms. Please remember, Pay Period 1 for 2026 starts on December 14, 2025.  Your TSP contribution elections will carry over each year unless you submit a new one.

How do I access my TSP account information? 

To access your account information online, you will go to www.tsp.gov.

If you have not logged into your TSP account since June 1, 2022, you must complete a one-time process to set up a new login for “My Account”. Once you have finished setting up your new “My Account” login, you will be able to check your account balance, track fund performance, and make transaction requests all online.  You may also call the TSP Thrift Line at 1-877-968-3778.

Useful TSP Tip

If you are not currently maxing out your contributions, consider increasing your contribution amount each chance you get to help reach your retirement savings goals.  You might be surprised how big of a difference a small increase can make.

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