2027 401(k) and IRA Deadlines: The Full Calendar

Two different clocks run on retirement accounts every year, and mixing them up is an easy way to miss a deadline. One clock is the dollar limit the IRS sets for how much you're allowed to contribute, which for 401(k)s and IRAs isn't confirmed until late in the prior year. The other clock is the calendar deadline for actually making the contribution, which never changes: December 31 for a 401(k), April 15 of the following year for an IRA or HSA. This page is the second clock: every date that matters for 2027, in one place, with the (separately confirmed or still-projected) dollar limits linked out rather than repeated here.

The 2027 Calendar

A few of these carry real caveats worth reading before you rely on them:

• The April 15 date can shift by a day or two. The IRS occasionally moves the filing deadline slightly to account for a Washington, D.C. holiday (Emancipation Day) that falls near it. Treat April 15, 2027 as the date to plan around, but confirm the exact day on irs.gov as the date approaches.
• The FSA deadline depends on your specific plan. "Use it or lose it" by December 31 is the default rule, but many employers offer either a grace period (typically into mid-March) or a limited rollover instead. Check your plan documents rather than assuming the default applies to you.
• The RMD deadline depends on your birth year. Required minimum distributions kick in at a specific age set by law, and that age has changed in recent years. If you're approaching the age where RMDs might apply to you, confirm your own required-beginning-date with your plan administrator or a tax professional rather than assuming a specific age from a general list like this one.

Why the Two Clocks Matter Separately

If you wait for the IRS's November limit announcement before thinking about your 2027 contributions, you've lost nothing on the 401(k) side: payroll elections can be set up in January and adjusted mid-year, and the real deadline is December 31, not the November announcement date. But an IRA or HSA is different in the other direction: the deadline to contribute for a given tax year runs into the following April, which means you actually have more runway than the calendar year suggests, not less. Confusing the two clocks in either direction either causes a missed opportunity (assuming your 401(k) needs to be maxed by some earlier fake deadline) or a false sense of urgency (assuming your IRA window closed on December 31 when it didn't).

Confirmed vs. Projected: 2027 Contribution Limits

HSA limits are set on an earlier-arriving inflation measure than 401(k) and IRA limits, which is why they're already final while the retirement-account numbers are still a projection based on the same public formula the IRS itself will use in November.

What to Actually Do With This Calendar

1. Set two calendar reminders now, not one. A December reminder for your 401(k) payroll election and FSA balance, and a separate April reminder for IRA/HSA contributions covering the prior tax year. They are easy to conflate because both involve retirement or tax-advantaged accounts, but they run on opposite ends of the calendar.
2. Don't wait for the November limit confirmation to act. If you're planning to max out your 401(k) in 2027, you can set your payroll percentage in January using the projected limit and adjust it once the real number is confirmed, rather than losing two or three pay periods of contribution room while you wait.
3. Check your specific plan's FSA and RMD rules directly, since both vary by plan or by birth year in ways this general calendar cannot capture for you individually.

Sources

Dates are drawn from standard, recurring IRS filing and estimated-tax calendar conventions (IRS: When to File, IRS: Estimated Taxes), cross-checked against the current calendar year. This is educational information, not personalized tax advice; confirm exact dates and your own plan's specific rules before relying on them.