How the Roth IRA calculator works
A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account you fund with money that has already been taxed. In return, the growth is tax-free, and so are withdrawals in retirement. The calculator answers two questions.
- How much can you put in for 2026? It applies the IRS yearly limit, the age-50 catch-up and the income phase-out for your filing status. It follows IRS Publication 590-A, Worksheet 2-2, line by line.
- What could it grow to? It adds your contribution once a year and grows the balance at the return you expect, until the age you retire.
Round up to the next $10. If the answer is under $200 (but above $0), you can still put in $200.
Balance next year = (balance + contribution) × (1 + return)
2026 Roth IRA limits
These figures come from IRS News Release IR-2025-111.
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Contribution limit (all IRAs combined) | $7,500 |
| Catch-up if you are 50 or older by 31 December | + $1,100 (total $8,600) |
| Most you can put in | The lesser of the limit and your taxable compensation |
| Deadline | Tax filing deadline in April 2027 |
The $7,500 is shared by all your IRAs. If you put $3,000 in a traditional IRA, you can add at most $4,500 to a Roth IRA for the same year. Your 401(k) has its own, separate limit.
2026 Roth IRA income limits
Your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) decides how much of the limit you can use. Below the range you can contribute the full amount. Inside the range your limit shrinks. At or above the top of the range you cannot contribute directly.
| Filing status | Full contribution if MAGI is under | Reduced contribution | No contribution at or above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single or head of household | $153,000 | $153,000 – $168,000 | $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse | $242,000 | $242,000 – $252,000 | $252,000 |
| Married filing separately, lived with spouse | — | $0 – $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Married filing separately, lived apart all year | Treated as single |
The single and joint ranges rise with inflation each year. The $0 – $10,000 range for married couples filing separately is fixed in law and does not change.
Worked example 1: inside the phase-out
Maya is single, 38, and her MAGI is $160,500. She sits inside the $153,000 – $168,000 range.
- Over the start of the range: $160,500 − $153,000 = $7,500.
- Fraction: $7,500 ÷ $15,000 = 0.500.
- Reduction: $7,500 × 0.500 = $3,750.
- Her limit: $7,500 − $3,750 = $3,750. It is already a round $10, so no rounding is needed.
She can put the other $3,750 into a traditional IRA if she wants to use the full $7,500.
Worked example 2: a married couple over 50
Sam and Lee file jointly. Their MAGI is $245,000 and Sam is 52.
- Over the start of the range: $245,000 − $242,000 = $3,000.
- Fraction: $3,000 ÷ $10,000 = 0.300.
- Sam’s limit with the catch-up is $8,600. The reduction is $8,600 × 0.300 = $2,580.
- Sam’s limit: $8,600 − $2,580 = $6,020.
Lee works out a separate limit the same way. Each spouse has their own IRA, even with one income, as long as the couple’s joint compensation covers both contributions.
The IRS example in Publication 590-A uses 2025 figures: a single filer with a MAGI of $151,000 and a $7,000 limit. The fraction is 0.067, the reduction $469, and $6,531 rounds up to $6,540. The calculator reproduces that result in its tests.
Worked example 3: growth to 65
These are the calculator’s starting numbers. You are 30, single, with a MAGI of $85,000 and $10,000 already in a Roth IRA. You put in $7,500 at the start of every year and add the $1,100 catch-up from 50. Your investments return 6% a year, and you retire at 65.
- You contribute $289,000 in total over 35 years, counting the $10,000 you start with.
- Tax-free growth adds about $700,900.
- The balance at 65 is about $989,900. At 2.5% inflation, that is about $417,100 in today’s money.
Now put the same savings in a normal taxable brokerage account and pay 15% tax on the returns each year. You would end with about $809,000. The Roth’s tax-free growth is worth about $180,900 in this example, before counting any tax on selling the taxable investments.
Who should consider a Roth IRA
- People early in their careers. Your tax rate is often lower now than it will be later, so paying tax now is cheap.
- People who want flexible savings. You can take out your own contributions at any time without tax or penalty. Only the earnings have rules.
- People who want no required withdrawals. Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions while you are alive. Traditional IRAs do; see the RMD calculator.
- People who want tax diversity. Having both pre-tax and Roth money lets you choose which to draw from each year in retirement.
Rules for taking money out
- Your contributions can come out at any time, tax-free and penalty-free.
- Earnings are tax-free and penalty-free in a “qualified distribution”. That means you are 59½ or older (or disabled, or it is up to $10,000 for a first home) and five tax years have passed since your first Roth IRA contribution.
- Early withdrawals of earnings are usually taxed and may carry a 10% additional tax.
Tips
- Find your MAGI first. For most people it is close to the adjusted gross income on Form 1040. Publication 590-A, Worksheet 2-1 lists what to add back.
- Contribute early in the year. Money put in each January has almost a full extra year to grow. Switch the timing under More options to see the difference.
- Watch your income near the limits. A bonus can push you into the phase-out. You can contribute after the year ends, once you know your MAGI, up to the April deadline.
- Fix excess contributions quickly. Extra money left in the account is taxed 6% a year until you take it out.
- Too much income? Some people make a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution and convert it to a Roth IRA, often called a “backdoor Roth”. The pro-rata rule can make part of it taxable, so check with a tax adviser.
Roth IRA or 401(k) first?
If your employer matches 401(k) contributions, most people put in enough to get the full match first. That is an instant return. After that, a Roth IRA often offers lower fees and a wider choice of funds. Then go back to the 401(k) if you can save more. Model your plan with the 401(k) calculator, check your bracket with the income tax calculator, and see the full picture with the retirement calculator. The compound interest calculator shows the same growth maths for any savings.
This calculator is for education and planning. It is not tax or investment advice. Returns are not guaranteed, and your own tax situation decides what you can contribute.