Roth IRA Calculator
For 2026 you can put up to $7,500 in a Roth IRA ($8,600 if you are 50 or older), as long as your income is under the limit for your filing status. Saving $7,500 a year from age 35 to 65 at an assumed 7% a year grows to about $736,098, all of it tax free if the withdrawals are qualified.
Your numbers
US dollars. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Your results
Your 2026 Roth IRA limit: $7,500
Your income is under the range, so you get the full limit.
Balance at 65: $736,098
$241,500 contributed over 30 years plus $494,598 of growth, at an assumed 7% a year. Contributions are made at year end, limits stay at 2026 levels, and the figure is before inflation.
Roth vs traditional: a tie
Your Roth balance of $736,098 is tax free. Putting the same take-home pay into a deductible traditional IRA (a contribution of yours divided by (1 − rate now)) leaves $736,098 after tax. If that grossed-up amount is over the IRA limit, the traditional IRA cannot hold all of it, which favours the Roth for people who max out. The Roth wins when your tax rate in retirement is higher than today’s, the traditional IRA when it is lower.
How it is calculated
- Limit. The lesser of the age-based IRA limit and your taxable compensation. In the income range the limit falls in a straight line from the full amount to zero, rounds up to the next $10, and has a $200 floor (IRS Worksheet 2-2). Modified AGI here is the number you enter; the IRS adds back a few items to AGI, so check Publication 590-A.
- Growth. Each year the balance grows by the return and then your contribution is added at year end. This is standard compounding, not an IRS formula. The S&P 500 option replays actual calendar-year total returns, before inflation.
- Roth vs traditional. The Roth balance is already after tax. The traditional IRA gets the same take-home pay, so it starts with a contribution of 1 ÷ (1 − rate now) times as much and ends at the Roth balance ÷ (1 − rate now) × (1 − rate in retirement). It assumes the traditional contribution is deductible, withdrawals are qualified, and rates stay constant. Deductibility depends on income and workplace plan coverage and is not modeled.
Sources, read on October 27, 2026
- IRS Newsroom IR-2025-111: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (Nov 13, 2025): “The limit on annual contributions to an IRA is increased to $7,500 from $7,000.”
- IRS Newsroom IR-2025-111, income ranges: “between $153,000 and $168,000 for singles and heads of household”
- IRS: COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions: “IRA catch-up contributions | 1,100”
- IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements: “the IRA contribution limit is increased to $7,500 ($8,600 for individuals age 50 or older)”
- IRS Publication 590-A, Worksheet 2-2 (reduced Roth IRA contribution limit): “Round the result up to the nearest $10. If the result is less than $200, enter $200”
Roth IRA questions
What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?
$7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (a $1,100 catch-up). The limit is shared with your traditional IRAs and is capped at your taxable compensation for the year.
What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?
Single and head of household: the limit phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of modified AGI. Married filing jointly: $242,000 to $252,000. Married filing separately and living with your spouse: $0 to $10,000. At the top of the range you cannot contribute directly.
How is a reduced Roth IRA limit calculated?
The limit falls in a straight line across the range, then rounds up to the next $10, with a $200 floor. A single filer under 50 with modified AGI halfway between $153,000 and $168,000 can contribute $3,750.
How much will a maxed-out Roth IRA be worth at retirement?
It depends on the return, which nobody knows. With $7,500 a year from age 35 to 65 at an assumed 7% a year, the balance is about $736,098, of which $241,500 is your own money. Change the inputs above for your own case.
Is a Roth IRA better than a traditional IRA?
It depends on your tax rate now compared with your rate in retirement. If the rate in retirement is higher, the Roth wins; if it is lower, the traditional account wins; if they match, they tie. For example, a $736,098 tax-free Roth balance compares with $641,726 from a traditional IRA with the same take-home cost at 22% now and 32% later. This assumes the traditional contribution is deductible. If the grossed-up traditional contribution is over the IRA limit, the traditional IRA cannot hold all of it, which favours the Roth for people who max out.
Can I take money out of a Roth IRA before 59 1/2?
Qualified distributions are tax free, and the 5-year period starts with the first tax year of your first Roth contribution. A 10% additional tax generally applies to taxable distributions before age 59 1/2, with exceptions. This calculator assumes you do not withdraw early. See IRS Publication 590-B for the rules.
This is an educational tool, not tax or investment advice. It does not know your full situation, and the projection is only as good as the return you assume. Limits are for tax year 2026.