Maximum Income for Roth IRA contribution

[Guest Yan]

The maximum income for Roth IRA contribution is $150k for married filing jointly and $95k for single. My question is what if a couple making over $150k file tax return separately, can they each contribute $2000 into Roth IRA?

Second question is if a couple find out that their 1999 income is over $150k in 2000, but they each made $2000 contribution to Roth in 1999. What is IRS rule for this scenario? Can they convert the overcontributed portion to a nondeductible IRA, or they have to pay excess contribution penalty?

Thanks for the help.

[BPickerCPA]

If you file separately, the phase out for roth contributions is from 0 to $10K, so that won't help.

The limit is an annual limit. Your income for '99 determines whether you can make a '99 contribution. If you make a '99 contribution, your 2000 income is irrelevant. If you overcontribute, you can recharacterize the excess to a traditional IRA.