Before-tax contributions

Before-tax contributions

The portion of an employee's salary contributed to a retirement plan before federal income taxes are deducted; this reduces the individual's gross income for federal tax purposes.

Before-Tax Contributions

Contributions made to a retirement plan with taxable withdrawals. That is, when one makes before-tax contributions to a retirement plan, one does not pay taxes on the contributions in the year they are made, but defers taxation until one begins to make withdrawals from the plan. One makes before-tax contributions to traditional IRAs and most 401(k)s. See also: After-tax contributions.