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Roth IRA Calculator
Roth IRA balance at retirement, tax-free growth versus a taxable account, and your 2026 contribution limit by income.
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A Roth IRA lets your investments grow and come out tax-free in retirement. This Roth IRA calculator projects your balance at retirement, compares it with the same money in a taxable brokerage account, and checks your 2026 contribution limit based on your age, filing status and income.
How to Use the Roth IRA Calculator
- Enter your age, retirement age and current Roth IRA balance.
- Enter what you plan to contribute each year, or tick contribute the maximum to follow the limit (including the catch-up from age 50).
- Enter an expected return and the tax rate you would pay on a taxable account's growth.
- Enter your filing status and modified AGI to check the income limit.
2026 Roth IRA Limits
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Contribution limit (all IRAs combined) | $7,500 |
| Age 50 and older | $8,600 ($1,100 catch-up) |
| Phase-out – single and head of household | MAGI $153,000 – $168,000 |
| Phase-out – married filing jointly | MAGI $242,000 – $252,000 |
Inside the phase-out range your limit shrinks gradually; above it you can't contribute directly. You also can't contribute more than your earned income for the year.
Example: $7,500 a Year from Age 30
Starting with $5,000 and adding $7,500 a year from age 30 to 65 at a 7% return builds about $1,162,734. You put in $267,500; the other $895,234 is growth you never pay tax on. The same money in a taxable account, losing 22% of its growth to tax each year, would reach only about $818,445 – the Roth comes out about $344,000 ahead, before counting tax on taxable-account withdrawals.
Roth IRA Rules to Know
- Contributions can be withdrawn any time, tax- and penalty-free.
- Earnings are tax-free once you are 59½ and the account has been open at least 5 years.
- No required minimum distributions during the owner's lifetime, unlike a traditional IRA.
- Deadline: you can contribute for 2026 until the tax filing deadline in April 2027.
- Too much income? A "backdoor Roth" – a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution converted to Roth – is a common workaround; get tax advice if you have other pre-tax IRA money.
Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA vs 401(k)
A traditional IRA may give a deduction now but is taxed on withdrawal. A Roth IRA pays tax now and nothing later – often better if you are early in your career or expect higher taxes in retirement. If your employer matches 401(k) contributions, get the full match first (see the 401(k) calculator), then fund a Roth IRA.
Sources
- IRS – Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits
- IRS – 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500
- IRS – Roth IRAs
Last reviewed: October 2026 by the ShrinkBee team. Results are estimates for planning and education, not financial, tax, legal or medical advice.
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