Trump Accounts for Kids Born Before 2025: What You Still Get

Yes, Your Child Can Open One

If your child was born before 2025, you might think Trump Accounts are not for you. That is not true. Any U.S. citizen child with a valid SSN who is under 18 at the end of the election year can open a Trump Account.

The three requirements are the same for every child: U.S. citizenship, a valid Social Security number, and being under 18. Your child's birth year does not change whether they can participate. It only changes whether they get the government deposit.

The One Difference: No $1,000 Deposit

The $1,000 pilot deposit is reserved for children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028. Children born outside that window do not receive it. That is the only difference.

Everything else about the account works the same way. Same investment rules. Same contribution limits. Same tax-deferred growth. Same conversion to an IRA at 18.

What Your Child Still Gets

Even without the $1,000 deposit, there are strong reasons to open a Trump Account for an older child:

• Family contributions up to $5,000/year. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles — anyone can contribute to the account. The combined total from all sources is capped at $5,000 per year.
• Employer contributions up to $2,500/year. If a parent's employer offers Trump Account contributions under IRC Section 128, those are tax-free. This counts toward the $5,000 cap.
• Tax-deferred growth. All investment gains grow without being taxed until your child withdraws money after turning 18. This is a real advantage compared to a regular brokerage account.
• Dell pledge. Michael and Susan Dell pledged $250 per child under 10 in ZIP codes where the median income is below $150,000. This applies to already-born children too.
• IRA at 18. The account converts to a traditional IRA when your child turns 18. They get a head start on retirement savings that most people do not get until their 20s or 30s.

Example: A 5-Year-Old Opens an Account

Say you open a Trump Account for your 5-year-old today. Here is what happens:

• They have 13 years of growth before the account converts to an IRA at 18.
• If you contribute $250 per month ($3,000/year), with an average annual return of 8%, the account could grow to roughly $70,000 by age 18.
• All of that growth is tax-deferred. No capital gains taxes along the way.
• At 18, your child has an IRA worth tens of thousands of dollars — a huge financial head start.

Why It Is Still Worth It

Some parents wonder if it is worth opening an account without the $1,000 deposit. The answer is almost always yes. Here is why:

The $1,000 deposit is a nice bonus, but it is small compared to what a family can contribute over time. Even one year of maxing out the $5,000 contribution limit puts five times more money into the account than the government deposit.

The real value of a Trump Account is the tax-deferred compounding in index funds. That benefit applies to every child, regardless of birth year. And the earlier you start, the more compounding time your child has.

How to Open the Account

The process is the same for already-born children:

1. Confirm your child has a valid SSN.
2. File IRS Form 4547 with your 2025 tax return (due April 15, 2026) or through trumpaccounts.gov when it launches.
3. Start contributing. You can put in up to $5,000 per year.

For the full walkthrough, see How to Open a Trump Account. To check if your child qualifies, visit our eligibility FAQ or read Do All Babies Qualify?