DC’s 529 tax deduction
Washington, DC takes up to $4,000 a year ($8,000 filing jointly) off state taxable income for money put into its own 529 plan.
The rules for 2026
What DC counts, how much and until when.
- What it gives
- A deduction from state taxable income
- Single
- $4,000 a year
- Filing jointly
- $8,000 a year
- Counted
- Once per return, however many children
- Which plans
- DC’s own plan only
- Last day for 2026
- December 31, 2026
- Also
- It is counted per account owner, so a married couple reaches $8,000 only when each of them owns an account.
- Source
- dccollegesavings.com tax benefits and 2025 Schedule I
What it’s worth
A deduction is worth your state tax rate on what it takes off. Two examples on wages alone with one child, each putting in the most that counts.
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 | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| DC’s rate | 6.5% | 8.5% |
| Off state tax | $260 back | $680 back |
An example, not your numbers: wages only, the federal standard deduction standing in for DC’s own, and DC’s 2026 schedule.
Questions people ask
Does Washington, DC have a 529 tax deduction?
Yes. Washington, DC takes up to $4,000 a year ($8,000 filing jointly) off state taxable income for money put into its own 529 plan.
Can I use another state’s 529 plan?
You can, but only DC’s own plan counts for the deduction.
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 DC taxes that move or takes back the deduction 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 DC’s own sources, dccollegesavings.com tax benefits and 2025 Schedule I. 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.