Here’s the 2026 shape of it: the basic employee 401(k) deferral limit is $24,500, the overall defined-contribution limit is $72,000, and Intel’s 2026 proxy says the company matched contributions up to 5% for 2025. Verify the current 2026 match formula in your plan materials before you change payroll.
2026 federal limits
Which limit applies to which dollar
Start with the number most people mean when they ask about “the limit”: IRS guidance sets the 2026 employee elective-deferral limit at $24,500. Your traditional and Roth deferrals share that limit, and it follows you across 401(k) and 403(b) plans. If you’re 50 or older and eligible, catch-up contributions may give you additional room.
The $72,000 figure answers a different question. That’s the 2026 defined-contribution limit before catch-up contributions — a broader ceiling that can include your pre-tax, Roth and after-tax contributions plus employer contributions, subject to compensation and plan rules.
Once the two ceilings are straight, the next question is what Intel actually adds on top.
- Your pre-tax and Roth deferrals
- Your after-tax contributions
- Intel matching contributions
- Any other employer-funded plan source
- Catch-up contributions, tracked separately when permitted
The 2026 elective-deferral limit, shared by your traditional and Roth deferrals
The 2026 defined-contribution limit, before catch-up contributions
The 2026 proxy reports matching up to 5% for 2025 — a 2025 fact, not your 2026 formula
Intel match
The 5% figure is a 2025 fact — your 2026 formula lives in the plan materials
Intel’s 2026 proxy states that Intel made matching contributions up to 5% for 2025, based on employee contributions. Treat that the way the filing means it: as a 2025 fact. It does not replace the 2026 summary plan description or the match shown in your current payroll and account records.
So before you build an election around the match, confirm the current formula — which compensation counts, the contribution rate you need for the full match, deposit timing and whether any year-end condition or true-up applies. Recheck after a leave, a pay change or a midyear hire.
With the formula confirmed, the last step is making sure your election behaves when bonuses or a second employer enter the picture.
Payroll plan
How bonuses and a second employer can bend your election
A percentage election can overshoot or undershoot when bonus pay changes your eligible compensation. And contributions to another employer’s plan during the same calendar year can use part of the shared employee-deferral limit.
Review your year-to-date contributions before the final payrolls. If you’re using after-tax contributions or an in-plan Roth process, leave room for the employer contributions you expect and follow Intel’s current recordkeeper procedures.
Use this worksheet as preparation, not as individualized advice — your current plan documents control the match and contribution mechanics that actually apply to you.
Frequently asked questions
Questions employees ask next
What is the Intel 401(k) match in 2026?
Intel’s 2026 proxy reports matching contributions up to 5% for 2025. The formula that applies to you in 2026 is the one in your current plan and payroll materials — confirm it there before you rely on it.
What is the 401(k) employee limit for 2026?
For 2026, the IRS basic elective-deferral limit is $24,500 — before any catch-up contribution you may be eligible to add.
Do Intel after-tax contributions use the $24,500 limit?
No — after-tax contributions do not use the employee elective-deferral limit. They generally count toward the broader annual additions limit instead, and they remain subject to plan rules.
Primary sources
What this guide is based on
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