The rule, the boundary, and the records—up front
This is the shortest source-mapped path to the Honeywell answer. Use the public rule first, then match it to the employee’s actual plan, award, dates, and records.
| Answer layer | What the current record says | Where to verify it |
|---|---|---|
| Public rule | What current sources establish The 2026 IRS limits are $24,500 for combined pretax and Roth elective deferrals, an $8,000 age-50 catch-up, an $11,250 catch-up for participants turning ages 60 through 63, and $72,000 for annual additions before catch-up contributions. Honeywell's public page adds a plan contribution percentage and warns that some highly compensated employees can face lower plan limits. | |
| Where it changes | Exceptions and population boundaries The $24,500 elective-deferral limit is shared across applicable plans, while the $72,000 annual-additions limit is generally plan/employer based. Catch-up availability, compensation, highly compensated employee restrictions, and mandatory Roth treatment above the 2026 $150,000 prior-year wage threshold still require payroll and plan confirmation. |
|
| Decision sequence | What to confirm before acting Project contributions through the final payroll, include deferrals made to another employer plan during the same year, and leave room for changes in bonus or eligible pay. Correct an excess promptly if one occurs. | Reviewed July 13, 2026Source register and review dates ↓ |
Public sources establish the baseline. The governing plan, award, account, and employment records establish the employee-specific result.
Four limits, one employee
A payroll percentage and a legal ceiling are not the same ceiling
Consider a new Honeywell hire who paid into another employer’s 401(k) before joining in July. Honeywell payroll can see the deferrals it processes, but it has no way of knowing what already went into the prior plan. That gap is where limit mistakes usually begin, because several different limits can apply to one person at once. IRS guidance separates the elective-deferral limit from the overall defined-contribution limit, and Honeywell’s public page adds a plan contribution percentage on top, plus a note that certain highly compensated employees may face lower limits.
The 2026 numbers make the layers concrete. Honeywell’s public page lists a $24,500 combined pretax and Roth elective-deferral limit for 2026 and an $8,000 age-50 catch-up, while the IRS also describes a higher catch-up limit for ages 60 through 63. A single figure copied from a search result can’t reconcile all of that, and the elective-deferral limit in particular follows you across employers—so a number that looks right in isolation can still be wrong for your actual year.
Project the final paycheck
Forecast the last payroll instead of staring at a static number
The practical move is a pay-period projection rather than a fixed target to watch. Run the contributions forward through your final payroll, include any deferrals made to another employer plan during the same year, account for catch-up eligibility, and leave room for a change in bonus or eligible pay. That forecast tells you whether your current percentage reaches the goal too early, too late, or not at all—and if an excess does occur, it lets you correct it promptly instead of discovering it at tax time.
Age-based catch-up rules and mandatory Roth catch-up treatment can add another layer that depends on current law, your wages, and how the plan implements them, so the payroll system and current plan notice matter as much as the headline IRS limit. Keep these inputs in front of you:
- 2026 Honeywell pay and contribution history
- Deferrals made to a prior employer plan
- Age-based catch-up eligibility
- Highly compensated employee notice
- Expected employer match and overall contribution total
Finish with a reconciliation
The overall limit and the deferral limit answer different questions
It helps to keep two numbers from blurring together. The overall defined-contribution limit can include both employee and employer amounts, while the elective-deferral limit applies only to your pretax and Roth deferrals—and plan-specific limits can be lower than either. Honeywell also flags lower limits for certain highly compensated employees, so individual eligibility, compensation definitions, and catch-up treatment all need current plan confirmation. This guide addresses U.S. employees in the publicly described Honeywell 401(k) Plan during 2026, not every population’s exact rules.
At year-end, compare payroll, both employer statements if you changed jobs, and the final contribution totals. A clean reconciliation makes any necessary correction easier and preserves the facts you’ll need for the tax return. The point is not to memorize a ceiling but to prove, at the close of the year, that every source added up the way you intended.
This guide provides general education for Honeywell employees. It is not individualized financial, investment, tax, legal, benefits, or securities-law advice and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, sell, exercise, transfer, roll over, or donate an asset.
Frequently asked questions
Questions to take back to the documents
Do contributions to a prior employer's 401(k) count toward my 2026 limit?
Pretax and Roth elective deferrals generally share an employee-level annual limit across employers. Include prior-employer deferrals when setting the Honeywell election.
Is the $72,000 overall limit the same as the $24,500 deferral limit?
No. The overall defined-contribution limit can include employee and employer amounts, while the elective-deferral limit applies to pretax and Roth deferrals. Plan limits can also be lower.
Why might Honeywell payroll stop or reduce my contribution percentage?
Eligible-pay rules, highly compensated employee restrictions, annual limits, catch-up treatment, or plan-specific controls can change the amount accepted. Review the current notice and payroll record.
Primary sources
What this guide is based on
Sources were reviewed on the dates shown. Later plan amendments, filings, agreements, or employee communications may change the answer.
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