Are Trump’s new federal IRAs good for small businesses? | Expert Opinion

More than 56 million workers, including self-employed people, lack access to retirement plans, according to AARP. In an attempt to address this issue, President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order creating the new “Trump IRA.”

Regardless of whether you support the president (or the name of these accounts!) it’s important, if you run a small business, to understand how this new form of retirement savings can impact you and your employees. Here’s what you need to know.

Just like traditional IRAs, the new government IRAs will allow individuals to contribute pretax earnings (currently up to $7,500 or $8,600 for those over 50), reducing their taxable income. All taxes on contributions and their earnings are deferred until the individual reaches a certain age (72-75 years old depending on when you were born) where withdrawals would be mandatory and taxed. The new IRA will have investment options from both government and private sources.

“This is really nothing new,” said Zachary Keep, a manager of compliance risk at HR and payroll processing firm Paychex. “Essentially, this is a government website to comparison shop IRAs.”

Regardless, Keep says, “anything that helps facilitate more people saving for retirement is a good thing.”

The Treasury will open up a new website for the program on Jan. 1, 2027. Because it will be promoted by the federal government the new IRA option may be more popular and accessible to individuals who are less familiar with retirement plan options. It provides another option for savings for employees of companies that don’t offer retirement plans, as well as freelancers, independent contractors, and solo owners of businesses. And the new government option could relieve some small-business owners from providing a retirement plan.

Also, eligible individuals who earn less than $35,500 per year ($71,000 if joint filers) can receive up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers) in a matching contribution directly from the government. This is called the Savers Match program, which will take effect next year and replace the current Saving Credit program.

More than 22 million Americans may be able to benefit from the Savers Match once it’s enacted next year, according to Pew Research.

The Savers Match will not be exclusive to the Trump IRAs — it will also be available for eligible employees who participate in a company 401(k) plan. For small-business owners tight on cash, this government contribution to their employees’ retirement accounts may save them from having to make their own contributions.

The new IRAs, combined with Savers Match, could be a good thing for individuals with no other type of savings plan, said Greg Sarian, a founder and partner at wealth management firm 2/13 Strategic Partners in Wayne.

“If they are in a position to even save a modest amount, then the match is a motivation,” Sarian said. “This may be especially beneficial to contractors and freelancers who can offset taxable income with direct expenses they incur to get below the income level.”

But implementing the Savers Match will be complicated, Keep said, and many questions remain unanswered.

“It’s likely that payroll companies will need to be involved, because accepting the government match and getting it into the right employee account won’t be easy at first,” he said. “It’s new so there will be challenges.”

What about setting up a traditional 401(k) retirement plan at your company? Many experts say that’s still a better option, both for the employer and the employee.

Using tax credits from the 2022 SECURE Act, small businesses can create 401(K) plans at little to no expense for their employees and enjoy additional benefits. An employee can contribute up to $24,500 annually to a 401(k), as of 2026, not including catch-up contributions, but they can put only $7,500 into any IRA.

If an employer contributes to the 401(k) plan, total contributions can be as much as $72,000 this year.

So the 401(k) would allow employees to save more than in an IRA, Sarian said.

“This is why 401(k) plans serve as a way to attract and retain talent,” he added.

For employees, 401(k)s provide loan options, earlier and penalty-free withdrawals, and the ability to participate regardless of income level. For employers, the more an employee contributes to their company retirement plan, the more they can do so for themselves without violating discrimination tests under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Still, IRA plans may be more simple to set up once the federal government launches its new program. And because these plans will be through a government portal, it’s possible that taking advantage of the Savers Match will be easier.

But no one really knows for sure. Even retirement specialists like Keep are uncertain what will happen next.

“Will this be a great thing for individuals and small businesses? I just don’t know,” Keep said. “I personally don’t see this as a game changer … for now.”