Does Employer 401K Match Count Toward Annual Contribution Limit?

Q. I know I can contribute maximum $18,000 this year to my 401(k) plan, does $18,000 include employer match?

A. For 401k plans, there are two kinds of contributions - employee contribution and employer match contribution, each follow different contribution limits.

• For 2015, an employee's annual maximum contribution is $18,000. 
  
• Employer's maximum contribution is $35,000. 
  
• Combined, a plan's total maximum contribution $53,000.
• For an employee who is above 50 years old, there is an additional contribution limit of $6,000.