How to read this page
Each figure shows the 2026 value and the 2027 value with its status. Final is in force. Announced is official and takes effect in 2027. Projected is a published estimate, labelled with whose. We update this page within two days of each announcement and log every change at the bottom.
Social Security
Social Security announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 on October 14, up from 2.8% for 2026, so the average retirement benefit rises about $75 to $2,170 a month in January. The thresholds that decide how much of your benefit is taxable have never been indexed, so more retirees cross them each year.
| Figure | 2026 | 2027 | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) | 2.8% | 3.6% | Announced | SSA |
| Maximum taxable earnings | $184,500 | $192,300 | Announced | SSA |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age all year | $24,480 a year ($1 withheld per $2 over) | $25,560 a year ($1 withheld per $2 over) | Announced | SSA |
| Earnings test, year you reach full retirement age | $65,160 a year ($1 withheld per $3 over) | $67,920 a year ($1 withheld per $3 over) | Announced | SSA |
| Maximum benefit, starting at 62 / 67 / 70 (January) | $2,969 / $4,207 / $5,181 a month | $3,094 / $4,188 / $5,358 a month | Announced | SSA |
| Benefit taxation thresholds (combined income) | $25,000 / $34,000 single; $32,000 / $44,000 joint | Same (never indexed) | Final | IRS Publication 915 |
Medicare
The Part D numbers for 2027 are already set. The Part B premium and the IRMAA brackets are projections until CMS announces them. Your 2027 IRMAA tier is set by your 2025 income; the IRMAA calculator has the full projected table and shows where you land.
| Figure | 2026 | 2027 | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Part B premium | $202.90 a month | $209.50 a month (Trustees projection) | Projected, due Late October to mid November 2026 | 2026 Medicare Trustees Report |
| Part B deductible | $283 | $292 (Trustees projection) | Projected, due Late October to mid November 2026 | 2026 Medicare Trustees Report |
| First IRMAA threshold (single / joint) | $109,000 / $218,000 (2024 income) | $112,000 / $224,000 (2025 income) | Projected, due Late October to mid November 2026 | 42 U.S.C. 1395r |
| Part D standard deductible | $615 | $700 | Announced | CMS (PDF) |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400 | Announced | CMS (PDF) |
Contribution limits
The 2027 HSA limits were announced in May. The 401(k) and IRA limits follow in November; until then the 401(k) figures are Milliman’s forecast, and some forecasts put the deferral limit at $25,000 rather than $25,500.
| Figure | 2026 | 2027 | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), 457 and TSP deferral | $24,500 | $25,500 (Milliman forecast) | Projected, due November 2026 | Milliman |
| Catch-up, age 50 and over | $8,000 | $8,500 (Milliman forecast) | Projected, due November 2026 | Milliman |
| Catch-up, ages 60 to 63 | $11,250 | $11,750 (Milliman forecast) | Projected, due November 2026 | Milliman |
| IRA contribution (catch-up 50+) | $7,500 ($1,100) | Not yet announced | Not yet announced, due November 2026 | IRS Notice 2025-67 (PDF) |
| HSA, self-only / family | $4,400 / $8,750 | $4,500 / $9,000 | Announced | IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24 (PDF) |
| HSA catch-up, age 55 and over | $1,000 | $1,000 (set by law) | Final | IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24 (PDF) |
| Qualified charitable distribution limit (age 70½+) | $111,000 | Not yet announced | Not yet announced, due November 2026 | IRS Notice 2025-67 (PDF) |
Federal income tax
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the current brackets permanent and added a $6,000 deduction for each person 65 and older through 2028, on top of the regular extra standard deduction for age. The 2027 inflation adjustments are projections until the IRS publishes them.
| Figure | 2026 | 2027 | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard deduction, single / joint | $16,100 / $32,200 | About $16,600 / $33,200 (estimate) | Projected, due October to November 2026 | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (PDF) |
| Extra standard deduction at 65+, unmarried / married (each) | $2,050 / $1,650 | About $2,100 / $1,700 (estimate) | Projected, due October to November 2026 | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (PDF) |
| Senior deduction, per person 65+ | $6,000, reduced by 6% of MAGI over $75,000 single / $150,000 joint | Same (tax years 2025 to 2028, not indexed) | Final | IRS |
| 0% long-term capital gains rate, up to (single / joint) | $49,450 / $98,900 taxable income | About $51,050 / $102,100 (estimate) | Projected, due October to November 2026 | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (PDF) |
| Net investment income tax threshold (single / joint) | $200,000 / $250,000 | Same (not indexed) | Final | IRS |
RMDs and QCDs
Required minimum distributions start at 73 for anyone born from 1951 to 1959 and at 75 for anyone born in 1960 or later, so nobody new reaches the age-75 start until 2035. The IRS divisors have not changed since 2022. Qualified charitable distributions from an IRA are capped at $111,000 per person for 2026, and the 2027 limit comes with the November plan-limits notice. The RMD calculator has the full table and a 20-year projection.
Key dates, October 2026 to April 2027
| When | What |
|---|---|
| October 14, 2026 | Social Security announced the 2027 COLA (3.6%), wage base and earnings-test limits |
| October 15 to December 7, 2026 | Medicare open enrollment for 2027 coverage |
| Late October to mid November 2026 | CMS announces 2027 Part B premiums, deductibles and IRMAA brackets |
| October to November 2026 | IRS publishes 2027 tax brackets and standard deductions |
| November 2026 | IRS announces 2027 401(k), IRA and catch-up limits |
| December 31, 2026 | Deadline for 2026 RMDs, Roth conversions and QCDs |
| January 1, 2027 | New premiums, COLA and limits take effect; negotiated Medicare prices for 15 drugs begin |
| April 1, 2027 | First-RMD deadline for anyone who turned 73 in 2026 |
Update log
- : Published with final 2026 figures, the announced 2027 HSA and Part D figures, and projections for the rest.
- : Social Security announced its 2027 figures: a 3.6% COLA, a $192,300 wage base, earnings-test limits of $25,560 and $67,920, and a $4,188 maximum at full retirement age.
- : Added the 2027 maximum benefits at 62 and 70 from SSA: $3,094 and $5,358 a month.
Sources
Official figures come from the IRS, the Social Security Administration and CMS. Projections name their source in the table. Nothing on this page is tax or investment advice; confirm figures that matter to a decision with the agency that publishes them.
Figures checked on against SSA, 2027 cost-of-living adjustment fact sheet, SSA, maximum benefit examples, IRS Publication 915, Social Security and equivalent railroad retirement benefits, 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (June 9, 2026), 42 U.S.C. 1395r(i), income-related reduction in premium subsidy, CMS, CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D rate announcement (Apr 6, 2026) (PDF), Milliman, 2027 IRS limits forecast (Sept 11, 2026), IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 retirement plan limits (PDF), IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24, 2027 HSA limits (PDF), IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, 2026 inflation adjustments (PDF), IRS, enhanced deduction for seniors (26 U.S.C. 151(d)(5)(C)) and IRS, questions and answers on the net investment income tax.