Indiana’s 529 tax credit
Indiana takes 20% of what you put into its own 529 plan off your state tax as a credit, up to $1,500 a year.
The rules for 2026
What Indiana counts, how much and until when.
- What it gives
- A credit against state tax
- Single
- $1,500 credit
- Filing jointly
- $1,500 credit
- Which plans
- Indiana’s own plan only
- Last day for 2026
- April 15, 2027
- Source
- Indiana DOR Information Bulletin 98 (Jan 2026)
What it’s worth
A credit comes straight off the tax. Two examples on wages alone with one child, each putting in enough to reach the most the credit can be.
Where a 529 fits among your other accounts, after the 401(k) match and an HSA: the savings waterfall.
| An example | Single, $75,000 | Married, $150,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Put in | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Off state tax | $1,500 back | $1,500 back |
An example, not your numbers: wages only, with income standing in for Indiana’s own measure of it.
Questions people ask
Does Indiana have a 529 tax deduction?
Not a deduction, a credit. Indiana takes 20% of what you put into its own 529 plan off your state tax as a credit, up to $1,500 a year.
Can I use another state’s 529 plan?
You can, but only Indiana’s own plan counts for the credit.
When is the last day for 2026?
Money counts for 2026 if it goes in by April 15, 2027.
Is there a federal deduction for 529 money?
No. Nothing comes off your federal taxes going in. What the account earns grows untaxed and comes out tax free when it pays for qualified education; earnings taken out for anything else are taxed, plus a 10% additional tax.
Can leftover 529 money go to a Roth IRA?
Yes, up to $35,000 over the child’s lifetime, into a Roth IRA in the child’s name, and no more in a year than the Roth IRA limit ($7,500 for 2026). The 529 must have been open more than 15 years, money put in during the last five years and what it earned can’t move, and it has to go straight from the plan to the Roth IRA. Whether Indiana taxes that move or takes back the credit is its own rule, so ask its plan first.
Checked on October 1, 2026 against Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, Publication 590-A, Contributions to IRAs and Indiana’s own sources, Indiana DOR Information Bulletin 98 (Jan 2026). An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
More if you save or invest
- Tax-equivalent yield calculatorThe money market fund that pays you most after tax
- Savings waterfall calculatorWhich account your next dollar goes to, and how much
- 401(k) contribution limitsThis year’s limits, catch-ups and the total
- Roth IRA income limitsWhere a Roth IRA shrinks and stops, by filing status
- Backdoor RothOver the income line, step by step, and the mega backdoor
Put more back in your pocket.
Reimburse works out what a 529 takes off your taxes beside every other account, and reminds you before April 15, 2027.