Utah’s 529 tax credit
Utah takes 4.45% of up to $2,560 a year for each child ($5,120 filing jointly) put into its own 529 plan off your state tax as a credit, so at most $114, or $228 filing jointly.
The rules for 2026
What Utah counts, how much and until when.
- What it gives
- A credit against state tax
- Single
- $114 credit
- Filing jointly
- $228 credit
- Counted
- For each child
- Which plans
- Utah’s own plan only
- Last day for 2026
- December 31, 2026
- Not confirmed
- These are the plan’s own figures for 2026; Utah’s 2026 forms aren’t out.
- Source
- my529.org and Utah Code 59-10-1017
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 | $2,560 | $5,120 |
| Off state tax | $114 back | $228 back |
An example, not your numbers: wages only, with income standing in for Utah’s own measure of it.
Questions people ask
Does Utah have a 529 tax deduction?
Not a deduction, a credit. Utah takes 4.45% of up to $2,560 a year for each child ($5,120 filing jointly) put into its own 529 plan off your state tax as a credit, so at most $114, or $228 filing jointly.
Can I use another state’s 529 plan?
You can, but only Utah’s own plan counts for the credit.
When is the last day for 2026?
Money counts for 2026 if it goes in by December 31, 2026.
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 Utah 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 Utah’s own sources, my529.org and Utah Code 59-10-1017. 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 December 31, 2026.