Can I contribute to a 401K on my own if my employer does not offer it? Would my contributions be tax free?

Answer 1

No, 401K is an employer based retirement plan.
Because this is a tax related question, you should consider a Tradition IRA to take advantages of the tax deduction(there are income limits and contribution limits based upon income to get the tax deduction) in the year of contribution, and a Roth if you want to pay the taxes now and not have any of the gains taxed when you cash it in.
Consider looking at your long term goals, and looking at the tax related issues of each. You can always, switch your contribution at anytime between the two, as long as you do not cash them out.
Be careful in what you invest in, not all RIA plans are equal in the return they provide and risk of your principle.

Answer 2

No. 401(k) plans are only offered through your employer. If your employer does not offer any retirement plan you can always open an IRS, either Roth or Traditional. If your employer offers some other type of retirement plan you may still be able to contribute to an IRA, depending upon your income.

Contributions to a Traditional IRA are tax-free but all withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. Contributions to a Roth are not tax free, but all accumulations are tax-free upon withdrawal. For most taxpayers, especially younger ones, a Roth is a better deal in the long run.

Answer 3

401K's are only offered by employers, but you can contribute on your own to a traditional IRA and within certain limits your contributions will be tax-free. You could also, within limits, contribute to a Roth IRA, but then the contributions wouldn't be tax free.

Answer 4

You need to be in an employer plan but you can have a IRA or ROTH.
IRA money is taxed when you are retired. ROTH money is money you pay tax on first then it is tax free in retirement.