Trump Accounts app goes live—eligibility extends beyond newborns

A mobile app for Trump Accounts launched on May 28 and families can open and fund accounts for children under 18 even if they miss the federal $1,000 newborn pilot. The one-time government seed is limited to U.S.-citizen children with Social Security numbers b

When the Trump Accounts mobile app launched on May 28, the promise was simple: a new tax-advantaged savings account for kids—seeded with $1,000 for some newborns. But for many families, the bigger question is whether they still get in.

The answer is yes, even if your child isn’t part of the government’s newborn pilot program. The federal contribution is restricted to a narrow group. yet parents can still open and fund Trump Accounts for children under age 18. meaning school-age kids and teenagers may be able to participate—just without the initial $1. 000 deposit.

Trump Accounts were created under a 2025 federal tax law as a new type of tax-advantaged savings account. The pilot program provides a government contribution for certain newborns, while other eligible families can participate on their own if their children meet the requirements.

The pilot is the part many families will miss. and the rules are specific: the federal seed money is only for children who were born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, who are U.S. citizens, and who have a Social Security number. That means children born before 2025 or after 2028 are not eligible for the one-time $1,000 contribution.

What’s left is still a pathway. Any child with a Social Security number who has not turned 18 by Dec. 31 of the year the account is opened can generally get a Trump Account, according to the IRS. In practical terms, families with older children may open accounts even though those children will never receive the $1,000 pilot deposit. If a family opens an account in 2026, for example, it could cover children born from 2009 through 2026.

How families can open accounts depends on timing and paperwork. One option is to file IRS Form 4547 with a 2025 federal tax return. Another is the online portal at Trumpaccounts.gov. expected to launch by mid-2026 for families who did not use their 2025 return. Parents can also go directly to the IRS site, create or use an existing account, and apply. During the rollout. the Treasury has also launched a Trump Accounts app that can be used to complete setup and manage accounts.

Even if a family misses the first window, an account can still be opened in later years as long as the child is under 18.

The timing of when money can actually enter is less forgiving. Even if an account is opened earlier, contributions cannot begin before July 4, 2026, according to Treasury and IRS materials. After that date, families, relatives, and employers can contribute up to $5,000 per child per year from non-government sources combined. Certain government entities or charities may also make additional contributions that do not count toward that annual cap. The $5,000 limit is expected to be adjusted for inflation after 2027.

The launch is real, but families are being warned not to confuse setup with immediate funding. Families are directed to complete setup through the app (for Apple and Android) or by going directly to Trumpaccounts.gov. There is an activation process before the account is ready to accept money, so it may not show up immediately.

After setup is completed, the account remains in a ready state until July 4, 2026, when it can begin accepting contributions. The Treasury has started sending activation emails in phases, and the official messages during the rollout are coming only from no-reply@TrumpAccounts.Treasury.gov.

That detail matters because the Treasury is also trying to prevent phishing. Official activation messages will not come by text, phone call, or social media message. Suspicious IRS- or Treasury-related emails can be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov. Families are also told to access accounts only through the official app or by typing TrumpAccounts.gov directly into a browser. rather than clicking unsolicited links.

For children outside the pilot, the structure stays the same; the starting balance does not. The contribution rules are otherwise the same for families who are not getting the $1,000 federal seed money—except the account starts at zero instead of with a government deposit.

Under the rules for non-pilot families. the annual limit is still $5. 000 per child from all non-government sources combined. with inflation adjustments expected after 2027. Employers can contribute up to $2. 500 per year under an employer contribution program; that amount counts toward the $5. 000 cap and is generally excluded from the employee’s taxable income when structured through that employer program.

Government entities and charities may also be able to make qualified general contributions for groups of children, and those amounts do not count toward the annual $5,000 cap.

Once money goes in, it is locked up through childhood. In general, families cannot withdraw funds before Jan. 1 of the calendar year in which the child turns 18, according to the IRS. After that point, the account is treated similarly to a traditional IRA, with withdrawals governed by traditional IRA rules.

The Treasury and the IRS describe Trump Accounts as tax-advantaged investment accounts whose contributions can grow tax-deferred until that point. Even for families that do not receive the federal starter deposit. there is still time to contribute before the child reaches adulthood—using the years before age 18 to build savings and give the account time to compound.

Advisers are already giving guidance in a world where timing and rules can matter as much as the balance. Trump Accounts will invest in low-cost index funds, with no withdrawals allowed until the year the child turns 18, when they will be treated like a traditional IRA with basically the same rules.

Some advisers have pushed for signing up for a Trump Account for the free $1,000 where it applies. Others have described the possibility of converting a Trump Account into a Roth IRA at 18 years old. arguing it could turn tax-deferred growth into tax-free growth for life. Yet those views come with a caveat: how attractive that conversion may be depends on what families plan to do with the money and how much faith they place in the rules remaining stable.

For families standing outside the newborn window. the message is clear but the stakes are personal: the account can still open for children under 18. and contributions can still begin once July 4. 2026 arrives—but the federal $1. 000 seed is limited to a specific set of birth dates. citizenship status. and Social Security eligibility.

Trump Accounts IRA for kids tax-advantaged savings May 28 app launch $1 000 newborn pilot eligibility rules IRS Form 4547 Trumpaccounts.gov Treasury activation emails phishing guidance contributions limits low-cost index funds Roth conversion at 18