Roth IRA Calculator

Tax free growth · 2026 limits · Income eligibility · Roth vs taxable

You

Current age

Retirement age

Filing status

Income (MAGI $) ?

Contributions

Current balance ($)

Yearly contribution ($)

Add $1,100 catch up from age 50

Assumptions

Yearly return (%)

Contribution growth (%/yr) ?

Tax on taxable gains (%) ?

Inflation (%)

🏦 Enter your age, contributions, and expected return to project your Roth IRA balance.

Roth IRA at retirement

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Your contributions

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Tax free growth

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In today's dollars

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2026 allowed contribution

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Years investing

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Taxable account instead

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Tax saved with Roth

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4% yearly income

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4% monthly income

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Step by step

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Balance at retirement by average return

Return	Balance	Growth	Today's $

Contributions vs growth by age

Year by year projection

Age	Contribution	Total contributed	Growth	Balance

What Is a Roth IRA and What This Calculator Shows

A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account funded with money you have already paid tax on. Investments inside it grow without yearly tax, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are completely tax free. That makes it one of the most valuable retirement accounts for people who expect their tax rate to stay the same or rise.

This Roth IRA calculator projects your balance at retirement from your age, current balance, yearly contributions, and expected return. It also checks how much you are allowed to contribute for 2026 based on your filing status and income, adds catch up contributions from age 50, converts the result to today's dollars, and compares the Roth with a regular taxable brokerage account to show the tax you could save.

A return comparison table, a growth chart, and a year by year projection show how contributions and compounding build the account over time.

Who can open a Roth IRA?

Anyone with taxable compensation, such as wages or self employment income, can contribute as long as their income is within the limits. There is no maximum age. A married couple filing jointly can also fund a spousal Roth IRA for a spouse with little or no income, using the working spouse's earnings. Parents can open a custodial Roth IRA for a child who has earned income from a job.

2026 Roth IRA Limits

Contribution limits

Age	2026 limit
Under 50	$7,500
50 and older	$8,600 (includes $1,100 catch up)

The limit is shared across all your traditional and Roth IRAs, and you cannot contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year. Contributions for a tax year can be made up to the tax filing deadline the following April.

Income phase out ranges (MAGI)

Filing status	Full	Reduced	None
Single, head of household	Under $153,000	$153,000 to $168,000	$168,000+
Married filing jointly	Under $242,000	$242,000 to $252,000	$252,000+
Married filing separately*	None	$0 to $10,000	$10,000+

*If you lived with your spouse at any time during the year. Confirm current figures on irs.gov before contributing.

Roth IRA Formulas

Yearly growth (contributions at the start of each year)

B(next) = (B + C) × (1 + r) B = balance, C = contribution, r = yearly return Year 1: ($5,000 + $7,500) × 1.07 = $13,375

Reduced contribution in the phase out range

Allowed = limit × (top − MAGI) ÷ range Single, MAGI $160,000: $7,500 × ($168,000 − $160,000) ÷ $15,000 = $4,000 (round up to the next $10; minimum $200)

Roth vs taxable account

Taxable value = contributions + growth × (1 − gains tax) Tax saved = Roth balance − taxable value

Today's dollars

Real value = balance ÷ (1 + inflation)^years

The taxable comparison taxes all growth once at the end, which flatters the taxable account slightly; in practice dividends are taxed every year, so the true Roth advantage is usually larger.

How to Use the Calculator: Worked Example

Enter your ages. Our example investor is 30 and plans to retire at 65, giving 35 years of contributions.
Check eligibility. As a single filer with $75,000 of MAGI, she is below the phase out range and can contribute the full $7,500.
Enter balance and contributions. She has $5,000 saved and contributes $7,500 at the start of each year, plus the $1,100 catch up from age 50.
Set assumptions. She assumes a 7% average return, 15% tax on taxable gains, and 2.5% inflation.

Results for the example

At 65 the Roth IRA is projected at about $1,192,311. She contributed $284,000 including her starting balance, so about $908,311 is tax free growth. The same investments in a taxable account would be worth about $1,056,064 after 15% tax on gains, so the Roth saves about $136,247.

In today's dollars the balance is worth about $502,405. Withdrawing 4% a year would provide about $47,692 of tax free income, or roughly $3,974 a month.

Why starting early matters

Years of $7,500 at 7%	Contributed	Growth	Balance
10 years	$75,000	$35,877	$110,877
20 years	$150,000	$178,989	$328,989
30 years	$225,000	$533,048	$758,048
40 years	$300,000	$1,302,072	$1,602,072

💡

Starting at 25 instead of 35 adds $75,000 of contributions but about $844,000 to the balance at 65, because the earliest dollars compound the longest.

Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules

Contributions: can be withdrawn at any time, for any reason, without tax or penalty.
Earnings: tax and penalty free in a qualified distribution, which generally requires age 59½ and five years since January 1 of the year of your first Roth IRA contribution.
Early earnings withdrawals: may owe income tax plus a 10% additional tax unless an exception applies, such as disability or up to $10,000 for a first home purchase.
No required minimum distributions: the original owner never has to withdraw, so the account can keep growing or pass to heirs.

ℹ️

Withdrawals come out in a set order: contributions first, then conversions, then earnings. This is why a Roth IRA can double as a flexible backup fund.

Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA

Feature	Roth IRA	Traditional IRA
Tax break	Tax free withdrawals	Possible deduction now
Withdrawals	Tax free if qualified	Taxed as income
Income limit	Yes, to contribute	Only for the deduction
Required distributions	None for owner	Yes, from age 73

A Roth usually wins if you expect the same or a higher tax rate in retirement, and a traditional IRA usually wins if you expect a lower one. Many savers hold both for tax flexibility.

Over the income limit?

High earners sometimes use a backdoor Roth: a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution followed by a conversion to a Roth. Existing pretax IRA balances can make part of the conversion taxable under the pro rata rule, so speak with a tax professional first.

Common Roth IRA Mistakes

Contributing over the limit. Excess contributions owe a 6% tax each year until removed. Use the eligibility check above before you contribute.
Leaving contributions in cash. Money deposited into a Roth IRA must be invested to grow; uninvested cash earns little.
Assuming fixed returns. A 7% average includes good and bad years. Test lower returns in the comparison table.
Ignoring the five year rule. Opening a Roth early, even with a small amount, starts the five year clock sooner.
Missing the deadline. You can contribute for a tax year until the filing deadline the next April, but not after.

For workplace plans, use the 401(k) calculator, and for a complete plan use the retirement calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I contribute to a Roth IRA in 2026?

$7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older. The limit covers all your IRAs combined, cannot exceed your taxable compensation, and shrinks or disappears at higher incomes.

What are the Roth IRA income limits for 2026?

The contribution phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of MAGI for single filers and between $242,000 and $252,000 for married couples filing jointly. Married filing separately phases out between $0 and $10,000 if you lived with your spouse.

How much will my Roth IRA be worth?

$7,500 a year for 30 years at a 7% average return grows to about $758,048, including about $533,048 of tax free growth. Over 40 years it reaches about $1.6 million. Actual returns vary.

When can I withdraw from a Roth IRA without penalty?

Contributions can come out any time. Earnings are tax and penalty free once you are 59½ and five years have passed since January 1 of the year of your first Roth contribution, or when another exception applies.

Is a Roth IRA better than a traditional IRA?

A Roth is usually better if you expect a similar or higher tax rate in retirement, and a traditional IRA if you expect a lower one. Roth IRAs also have no required minimum distributions for the owner.

Sources & References

Internal Revenue Service, Roth IRAs. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-iras
Internal Revenue Service, Retirement Topics: IRA Contribution Limits. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-ira-contribution-limits
Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a
Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b

This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the information entered, and investment returns are not guaranteed. Reference data reviewed: 2026.