ABLE Account Calculator — Savings Growth, SSI $100k Rule & State Tax Deductions

The beneficiary required

Age today

Project until age

Receives SSI (Supplemental Security Income)

🆕 New for 2026: if the disability began before age 46 (it used to be 26), an ABLE account is now an option — that change just opened the door for about 6 million more people, including ~1 million veterans. The account can be opened at any age; only the age the disability began matters.

Contributions required

Already in the ABLE account ($) Monthly contribution ($) — family, friends & beneficiary combined

One-time contribution this year ($) — e.g. a gift or a 529 rollover Expected investment return (%/year)

ABLE programs offer investment options from conservative to stock-heavy (plus FDIC-insured checking). 6% is a middle-of-the-road planning guess for a balanced portfolio — use 3–4% for conservative, 7–8% for aggressive. The federal limit on contributions from all sources combined is $20,000 for 2026; the calculator enforces it.

💼 ABLE to Work — the beneficiary has a job

Your state's ABLE tax break optional

State of residence

Filing status

Your state income tax rate (%)

Reinvest the yearly tax break into the ABLE account

The tax-rate box auto-fills a typical marginal rate for your state — adjust it to yours for a sharper estimate. About 20 states give a deduction or credit for ABLE contributions (usually only to their own program). Where there's no break, shop nationally on fees instead — several good programs are open to any state's residents for $0–$40/year.

Compare against a regular account optional

Flip the chart to Compare accounts to see the same money in an ABLE account vs a plain taxable account — and why, for someone on SSI, the taxable option isn't really an option at all.

⚙️ Tax assumptions used in the comparison — click to adjust

Capital gains rate (%)

Dividend yield (%/yr)

The taxable account pays tax on dividends every year (a drag on compounding) and capital-gains tax when sold. The ABLE account pays no tax at all when the money goes to qualified disability expenses — housing, food, transportation, health, education, tech, and more.

Projected ABLE balance

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Total put in

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Growth — 100% tax-free

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Edge vs taxable account

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Crosses SSI $100k line

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State tax break / year

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Years projected

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ABLE savings over time

Good-to-know moves

The $100k line pauses, it doesn't kill: if an ABLE balance pushes past $100,000, SSI cash payments are suspended — not terminated — and they restart when the balance dips back under. Medicaid keeps going the whole time, at any balance.
ABLE to Work is a hidden turbo: a beneficiary with a job (and no employer retirement contribution that year) can add up to $15,650 extra in 2026 on top of the $20,000 — from their own paycheck.
529 money can move over: up to the annual limit per year can roll from a 529 college account into the ABLE account tax-free — now a permanent option. Great for college savings that turned out not to be needed.
The Saver's Credit stacks on top: the beneficiary's own contributions (up to $2,000) can earn a federal tax credit of up to $1,000 at lower incomes — and ABLE contributions keep this credit permanently even after 2026.
"Qualified expenses" is a wide door: housing, food, transportation, health, education, a computer, job coaching, legal fees, even funeral costs. Non-qualified withdrawals owe income tax + 10% on the earnings only.
Money above $2,000 outside ABLE is the real danger: plain savings over the $2,000 SSI resource limit can stop SSI entirely. Inside ABLE, the first $100,000 simply doesn't count. That's the whole point of the account.

Year-by-year plan

Contributions are capped at the federal limit each year. All growth comes out tax-free when spent on qualified disability expenses. One ABLE account per person; state programs cap total balances between roughly $235,000 and $675,000 (SSI's $100,000 line matters long before that).

📍 State-by-state ABLE guide reference

Nobody should move for an ABLE tax break — but it's worth knowing what your state offers, what it shields, and whether you can shop nationally. About 20 jurisdictions give a deduction or credit (almost always for their own program only — Montana and Wisconsin are the rare "any state's program" exceptions), 9 states have no income tax, and several national programs are open to everyone for $0–$40/year (STABLE, ABLEnow, CalABLE, Fidelity's Attainable, ABLE for All). Pick your state above to highlight your row.

"Payback shield" = state law restricts or eliminates the Medicaid payback claim against the account after the beneficiary's death (the list evolves — verify with your state program; unmarked states follow the default federal rule, where the state may file a claim). Tax-break figures are 2026 rules gathered July 2026 — always confirm with your state before filing.