Can I deduct both my traditional 401(k) and trad IRA contributions if I don't max out my 401(k)?

The answer depends on a few factors, particularly your filing status and whether you're covered by a retirement plan at work (which it sounds like you are). Since you're participating in a 401(k) at work, your ability to deduct traditional IRA contributions is subject to income limits. For 2025, if you're single and covered by a workplace retirement plan, the deduction phases out between $80,000-$90,000. If you're married filing jointly, it phases out between $116,000-$136,000. At your income level ($210,000), you won't be able to deduct traditional IRA contributions. So your plan of putting $17,000 in traditional 401(k) and $7,000 in traditional IRA wouldn't give you the full $24,000 in tax deductions you're hoping for. You do have good options though! You could put the full $24,000 in your traditional 401(k) for the maximum pre-tax contribution. Or you could split between traditional and Roth 401(k) as you mentioned - that gives you tax diversification for retirement.

After spending hours trying to figure out my retirement contributions, I finally found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it solved this exact confusion for me! I had a similar situation where I was trying to maximize my tax deductions between my 401(k) and IRA but kept getting confused about the income limits. The tool analyzed my specific situation with income and existing retirement accounts and showed me that because I was covered by a workplace plan, I couldn't deduct traditional IRA contributions after a certain income. It also explained exactly how the backdoor Roth would work with my existing rollover IRA (pro-rata rule implications). Really helped me understand my options and optimize my retirement tax strategy for this year. Wish I'd found it before spending hours combing through IRS publications!

I was in exactly the same boat last year! After reading about taxr.ai in another thread, I decided to give it a try since I was totally confused about how my 401(k) and IRA contributions would work with my income level. The analysis it provided was incredibly helpful - showed me that at my income level ($190k), I couldn't deduct traditional IRA contributions at all. What was especially useful was how it explained the pro-rata rule for backdoor Roth conversions with my existing rollover IRA. Saved me from making a costly mistake! I ended up putting most in my traditional 401(k) but also doing some Roth 401(k) contributions for tax diversification. For anyone dealing with complex retirement account questions, it was definitely worth checking out. Really simplified what seemed like an impossibly complex set of rules.

If anyone's still struggling with this after getting advice, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to the IRS directly. I was in a similar situation with confusion about retirement account deductions and after weeks of trying to call the IRS myself, I used their service to connect with an actual IRS agent within 20 minutes. The agent walked me through exactly how the income phaseouts work for traditional IRA deductions when you have a workplace retirement plan, and confirmed what I could and couldn't deduct based on my specific situation. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After spinning my wheels for weeks trying to find answers online, getting definitive information straight from the IRS was a huge relief and let me move forward with my retirement planning confidently.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my retirement contribution questions, especially since I have a similar income situation to the original poster and wanted clarification on the IRA deduction phaseouts. I decided to try it as a last resort and was honestly shocked when they called me back in 25 minutes with an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed everything about the income limitations for traditional IRA deductions and explained exactly how the backdoor Roth would work with my existing retirement accounts. This saved me from making a $7,000 contribution that wouldn't have been deductible. For anyone in a similar situation with complex tax questions about retirement accounts, being able to speak directly with the IRS gave me peace of mind that I was interpreting the rules correctly.

Just my two cents, but the income limits for IRA deductions are super confusing. I'm below the threshold so I can deduct everything, but my friend is in your boat. He ended up doing the backdoor Roth IRA conversion. One thing to watch out for is the "pro-rata rule" if you already have money in traditional IRAs (like your rollover IRA). It might mess with your tax treatment of the backdoor Roth. Some people roll their traditional IRA funds into their 401k first to avoid this issue, assuming your 401k allows it.

Anyone else notice the IRS rules for retirement accounts seem designed to be confusing? Some random thoughts that might help: 1) if u have a 401k at work, the ira deduction phases out at high incomes 2) if ur over the limits, backdoor roth is usually better than non-deductible trad ira 3) dont forget u can do both 401k AND ira in same year, just might not get trad ira deduction 4) also check if ur 401k has after-tax contributions with in-plan roth conversions... thats the "mega backdoor roth" and is awesome if available!!