401(k) over-contribution checker: two jobs, one limit
The myth: "my employer won't let me contribute too much." The reality: the $24,500 2026 limit is per person, but each plan only tracks its own contributions. Switch jobs or work two, and your combined deferrals can sail past the cap — an excess deferral that gets taxed twice if you don't fix it by April 15. Add up your 401(k) deferrals and check.
Your 2026 employee 401(k)/403(b) contributions
Enter only your own contributions — not your employer's match (that doesn't count toward this limit).
Your numbers
Worked examples
One job, age 33, still has room left
Room left before the 2026 limit: $6,700
Your $17,800 in deferrals is within the 2026 limit of $24,500 — you can still add up to $6,700.
✓ You're under the limit. If you take another job this year, remember the $24,500 cap is per person across all plans — keep this running total so you don't tip over.
Your numbers
- Job 1 deferrals: $17,800
- Your total elective deferrals: $17,800
- Your 2026 limit: $24,500 — $24,500 (under 50)
- Room remaining: $6,700
Switched jobs mid-2026, two plans, excess deferral
You've over-contributed by: $7,150
Your $31,650 in deferrals is $7,150 over the 2026 limit of $24,500. This is an excess deferral.
⚠ Fix this by APRIL 15, 2027: ask one of your plans for a corrective distribution of the $7,150 excess plus its earnings. Miss that date and the $7,150 is taxed TWICE — once for 2026 and again when it's distributed later.
Your numbers
- Job 1 deferrals: $18,400
- Job 2 deferrals: $13,250
- Your total elective deferrals: $31,650
- Your 2026 limit: $24,500 — $24,500 (under 50)
- Excess deferral (over the limit): $7,150
Age 61 super catch-up, still $150 over the cap
You've over-contributed by: $150
Your $35,900 in deferrals is $150 over the 2026 limit of $35,750. This is an excess deferral.
⚠ Fix this by APRIL 15, 2027: ask one of your plans for a corrective distribution of the $150 excess plus its earnings. Miss that date and the $150 is taxed TWICE — once for 2026 and again when it's distributed later.
Your numbers
- Job 1 deferrals: $19,200
- Job 2 deferrals: $12,400
- Other plans: $4,300
- Your total elective deferrals: $35,900
- Your 2026 limit: $35,750 — $24,500 + $11,250 super catch-up (age 60–63)
- Excess deferral (over the limit): $150
Examples are recomputed whenever the underlying rates or data change; the date above is the last recompute.
How the 401(k) limit works & data sources
The 402(g) elective deferral limit caps what you (not your employer) can put into 401(k)/403(b) plans in a year: $24,500 for 2026, plus an $8,000 catch-up at age 50+, or an $11,250 super catch-up at ages 60–63 (SECURE 2.0). This limit is per person across all your plans — but each employer's plan only enforces its own contributions, so two unrelated jobs can each stay "under the limit" while your total goes over. That excess is an excess deferral. To fix it, you must ask a plan to return the excess plus its earnings by April 15 of the following year (a filing extension does not extend this). Miss the deadline and the excess is taxed twice — once in the year you deferred it, and again when it's finally distributed. Employer match counts only toward the separate $72,000 total-additions limit, never the $24,500 deferral cap. (Separately, from 2026 the SECURE 2.0 rule may require catch-up contributions to be Roth for high earners — over $150,000 in prior-year wages — which changes the tax character, not these limits.)
Sources: IRS — 2026 401(k) limits · IRS — Excess deferrals & double tax · IRS — 401(k) limits & aggregation
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my employer stop me?
Because each plan only sees its own contributions. If you defer $18,000 at one job and $12,000 at another, both plans think you're fine — but your $30,000 total is $5,500 over the 2026 limit. Catching it is on you.
How do I fix an excess deferral?
Contact one of the plans and request a "corrective distribution" of the excess plus its earnings before April 15. Do it early — plans need processing time, and the deadline isn't extended by a tax extension.
What's the double tax exactly?
If you don't correct it in time, the excess is included in your income for the contribution year AND taxed again when you eventually withdraw it in retirement — the same dollars taxed twice, sometimes with a penalty.
Does my employer's match count?
No. Only your own elective deferrals count toward the $24,500. Employer match counts toward a separate, much higher $72,000 total-additions limit.