It is important to note that you must make contributions to your Roth IRA by the tax-filing deadline for the specific year in order to qualify for a tax break. Generally, contributions are made from January 1st of each year until April 15th of the following year. In addition, you may also be able to contribute up to $6,000 into your Roth IRA prior six months before the end of a given tax year. This late contribution must have been made on or before the IRS filing date in order for it to qualify as a valid contribution.