1. Contribution Limits (2024–2025)
Solo 401(k)
- Employee deferral: Up to $23,500 in 2024; $23,500 in 2025 (plus $7,500 catch-up if 50+; and a “super catch-up” of $11,250 for ages 60–63) plansponsor.com+11kiplinger.com+11youtube.com+11.
- Employer profit-sharing: Up to 25% of net self‑employment income (about 20% after SE tax).
- Total max contributions: $70,000 in 2025; can reach $81,250 with catch-ups kiplinger.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
SEP IRA
- Contribution limit: Lesser of 25% of net self‑employment income or $70,000 in 2025 youtube.com+12kiplinger.com+12journalofaccountancy.com+12.
- No employee deferral—just employer contributions.
Key Differences
- Solo 401(k) usually allows higher contributions due to employee+employer components.
- SEP IRA has simpler rules, no annual filing, and more flexibility for part-time or varying-income business owners prithidaswani.com+7journalofaccountancy.com+7kiplinger.com+7youtube.com+4kiplinger.com+4molentax.com+4.
2. OBBB Updates That Matter to Small Business Owners
The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed on July 4, 2025, confirmed that retirement plans remain fully intact with no harmful changes to contribution limits or account structures blog.freelancersunion.org+6asppa-net.org+6taxfoundation.org+6.
OBBB highlights:
- Permanently protects Solo 401(k) and SEP IRA limits.
- Retains tax-advantaged status for employer-provided retirement contributions blog.freelancersunion.org+4en.wikipedia.org+4kiplinger.com+4.
- Additional business tax incentives (like expanded Section 179) enhance cash flow for retirement contributions.
3. Claiming Gold in Retirement Accounts
IRA rules permit holding precious metals—like gold coins & bars—alongside traditional paper assets:
- Both Solo 401(k)s and SEP IRAs can hold "physical" gold through a self-directed custodian or LLC structure.
- Gold investments, like American Gold Eagles, may help diversify and hedge inflation—while still qualifying for tax-deferred growth.
HGG Tip:
Pair your contribution strategies—i.e., max out the Solo 401(k)/SEP contributions in cash and allocate a portion into gold through a self-directed account. This balances liquidity (paper assets) with inflation protection (physical gold).
