Contribute up to 25% of your income, with a maximum of $70,000 annually in 2025, nearly 10 times higher than traditional IRAs.
A SEP IRA flexes with your business. Contribute more during profitable years and scale back when needed.
Save on taxes now with tax-deferred growth until retirement.
Your money is invested in ETFs powered by State Street, one of the world’s largest asset managers.
Every customer works with a BeeKeeper, a dedicated support manager who knows you by name, not account number.
Start your SEP IRA with any amount that works for you. No minimum balance requirements means you can begin securing your retirement today, not someday.
Individuals seeking retirement planning options without an existing employer-sponsored plan.
Freelancers and independent contracts looking to maximize retirement savings
Self-Employed or Sole Proprietor business owners with variable income who need contribution flexibility
Businesses with multiple employees, as our SEP IRA is only available to self-employed individuals or single person businesses.
Those seeking Roth (after-tax) contributions
Those 50+ who want to make catch-up contributions, as SEP IRAs don’t allow them.
You've worked hard to build your business. Now let PensionBee help you build a retirement plan that works just as hard for your future. With higher contribution limits, potential tax advantages, and simplified management, a SEP IRA with PensionBee could be the retirement solution your business needs.
You get a dedicated BeeKeeper—your own personal support manager who helps from start to finish, so you’re never alone.
Your BeeKeeper will help you rollover your old 401(k)s and IRAs into a PensionBee IRA. Whether you choose a Traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or both, we make it easy to bring your retirement savings together in one PensionBee account—so everything’s in one place and simpler to manage.
Your savings are invested in diversified portfolios of ETFs powered by State Street, one of the world's largest asset managers with over $4 trillion under management.
Manage your entire retirement portfolio through one intuitive dashboard. No complex paperwork, or juggling different providers. Your BeeKeeper helps you implement your retirement plan with minimal effort on your part.
Contributions to your SEP IRA may be tax-deductible, potentially reducing your current taxable income by up to $70,000 annually (the 2025 SEP IRA contribution limit). You don’t pay taxes on earnings within your SEP IRA until you withdraw them, but withdrawals before age 59½ may be subject to taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
Unlike some retirement plans that require consistent contributions, a SEP IRA gives you the freedom to adjust your contributions based on your business performance. Contribute more during profitable years and less during challenging times.
What is a SEP IRA and who is it designed for?
A Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA is a retirement plan specifically designed for self-employed individuals and small business owners. SEP IRAs are particularly beneficial for sole proprietors, freelancers, and independent contractors looking for a retirement plan with higher contribution limits and simpler administration than traditional employer plans.
What do I need to know about contributions?
If you're a sole proprietor with no employees, you can contribute up to $70,000 or 25% of your eligible compensation in 2025, whichever is less.
For self-employed individuals, the IRS uses a special calculation to figure out compensation. In this case, your compensation is your net earnings from self-employment, minus:
- One-half of your self-employment tax, and
- The amount you contribute to your own SEP-IRA.
- This adjusted figure is what your SEP IRA contribution limit is based on.
(Note: Because your contribution also reduces your compensation, the math works out so that your maximum contribution is effectively about 20% of your net business income before adjustments. This is a helpful shortcut when estimating how much you can contribute.)
For Example: If you're a sole proprietor with $200,000 in net business income for 2025, your SEP IRA contribution won’t be a straight 25% of that amount.
The IRS requires you to first adjust your income by subtracting:
- Half of your self-employment tax, and
- The SEP contribution itself.
After using the IRS formula, your adjusted compensation comes out lower, so your maximum SEP IRA contribution would be around $40,000—which is roughly 20% of your original net income.
That’s still significantly more than the $7,000 contribution limit for a Traditional IRA, and it's a useful way for self-employed individuals to boost retirement savings.
Who is eligible to participate in a PensionBee SEP IRA?
To qualify for PensionBee’s SEP IRA, you must be self-employed or a sole proprietor with no employees and meet certain requirements: be at least 21 years old, have earned at least $750 in compensation in 2025, and have worked in your business for at least three of the last five years.
What is the contribution deadline for a SEP IRA?
The deadline to contribute to an IRA for a given tax year is typically April 15 of the following year.
Can I rollover other retirement accounts into my PensionBee Account?
Yes, you can rollover savings from other qualified retirement plans—such as 401(k)s, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, or other employer-sponsored plans into your PensionBee account. Because pre-tax and post-tax contributions are kept separate, your Traditional IRA (pre-tax) and Roth IRA (post-tax) funds remain in their respective accounts. Similarly, your SEP IRA, which is designed for self-employed savings, is also held separately. PensionBee allows you to manage your SEP, Roth, and Traditional IRAs all within one convenient account, making it easier to keep your retirement savings organized and accessible in one place.
Why do I need to complete a Form 5305?
Form 5305-SEP is required to establish your Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan with the IRS. This IRS form serves as the basic legal document for your SEP IRA, outlining eligibility requirements and contribution formulas. While you don't file this form with the IRS, you must complete it, sign it, and keep it with your business records.
How is a SEP IRA different from a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA?
SEP IRAs have much higher contribution limits ($70,000 instead of $7,000 for other IRAs) which can make them a good choice for self-employed workers. Additionally, Traditional IRAs are funded with pre-tax dollars, while Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax dollars, offering tax-free growth and withdrawals under certain conditions. SEP IRAs have similar tax treatment to Traditional IRAs.
When should I establish and fund my SEP IRA plan?
A SEP IRA must be established by the business’s tax filing deadline, including extensions, to make contributions for that year. For example, if you are filing a tax return on April 15, you must establish the SEP IRA before that date to make contributions for the previous year. Contributions to the SEP IRA can be made up until the tax filing deadline.
Can I contribute to both a SEP IRA and other retirement accounts?
Yes, you can contribute to both a SEP IRA and other retirement accounts, such as a Traditional or Roth IRA, in the same year. However, your contributions to Traditional and Roth IRAs may not be tax-deductible depending on your income and whether you're covered by a retirement plan at work (which a SEP IRA would qualify as). Your total contributions across all retirement accounts must comply with annual limits.
Do I have to contribute the same amount every year to my SEP IRA?
No! One of the benefits of a SEP IRA is flexibility. You can adjust your contribution percentage year to year based on your earnings, or even skip contributions entirely in years when finances are tight.
What are the rules for withdrawing from a SEP IRA plan?
Withdrawals from a SEP IRA are taxed as ordinary income in retirement. You can begin taking withdrawals penalty-free at age 59½. If you withdraw funds before that age, you may face a 10% early withdrawal penalty, in addition to ordinary income taxes. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) must start at age 73.
What if I already have a SEP IRA?
If you already have a SEP IRA, you can roll it over into a Traditional IRA with PensionBee and keep contributing pre-tax income, helping lower your taxable income today while deferring taxes until retirement.
Roll over all your old 401(k)s into a PensionBee Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It takes just a few minutes to sign up.
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