By Anthony A Henley While the main purpose of the IRS is to provide revenue for the federal government by taxing everything we do, some policies have been put in place that actually encourage planning for retirement. Many employers have retirement packages, but the prudent individual plans ahead by taking on this responsibility themselves. IRA's are a great way to do this, and they come in three varieties. They are the traditional IRA, the Roth IRA, and the self-employed or SEP IRA. For anyone utilizing these types of accounts, understanding the contribution limits is crucial. The traditional, Roth, and SEP IRA all have their own set of parameters, but main differences are as follows; contribution limits, age requirements, methods of distribution, and maximum income requirements. Traditional IRA The limit stands at an amount equal to your taxable compensation up to $5,000 if you are 50 years or younger. However, there is a catch up provision which allows anyone ove...