Calculator
Roth IRA calculator
Growth to retirement, the contribution your income allows, and the same savings in a taxable account.
Roth IRA at 65$1,245,694$956,694 of tax-free growth on $279,000 contributed
| 2026 Roth limit at age 30 | $7,500 |
|---|---|
| You can contribute (MAGI $85,000) | $7,500 |
| 2026 phase-out range | $153,000–$168,000 |
| Balance today | $10,000 |
| Total contributions | $279,000 |
| Tax-free growth | $956,694 |
| Roth balance at 65 | $1,245,694 |
| Same money in a taxable account (15% tax on returns) | $978,744 |
| Roth advantage | $266,949 |
Assumes 7% a year, contributions at the start of each year, 2026 limits and income range held flat, and the catch-up from the year you turn 50. Qualified Roth withdrawals (age 59½ and 5 years after your first contribution) are tax-free.
The link keeps your inputs, so you can save or share this scenario.
How the Roth IRA calculator works
The Roth IRA calculator grows one contribution a year at your rate of return and checks each contribution against the IRS limit for your age and income. Contributions go in at the start of each year. If your modified AGI falls inside the phase-out range, it uses the reduced limit from IRS Publication 590-A Worksheet 2-2: the limit shrinks in proportion to how far your income is into the range, is rounded up to the next $10, and is never less than $200 while any contribution is allowed[p590a].
The comparison line runs the same deposits through a taxable account whose returns are taxed every year at the rate you enter. The gap between the two is the value of tax-free growth; it ignores the fact that Roth contributions themselves come from after-tax pay, just as deposits to a taxable account do.
What is the Roth IRA limit for 2026?
The Roth IRA limit for 2026 is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older by December 31, and it stays $7,500 for 2027[n2567][n2667]. It is one limit shared with traditional IRAs, and you cannot contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year. Higher incomes get a smaller limit:
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contribution limit | $7,000 | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Catch-up at 50 or older | $1,000 | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Single or head of household | $150,000–$165,000 | $153,000–$168,000 | $158,000–$173,000 |
| Married filing jointly | $236,000–$246,000 | $242,000–$252,000 | $250,000–$260,000 |
| Married filing separately (lived together) | $0–$10,000 | $0–$10,000 | $0–$10,000 |
Below the first number you can contribute the full limit; at or above the second, nothing. In between, a single filer with $160,000 of MAGI in 2026 can put in $4,000, and a married couple at $245,000 (age 52) can put in $6,020 each. The Roth IRA income limits page works through the worksheet line by line, and the IRA contribution limits page covers traditional IRA deductions.
Worked example: maxing out from 30 to 65
A 30-year-old who contributes the full limit every year ($7,500, then $8,600 from the year they turn 50) and earns 7% a year has:
| Age | Contributed so far | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | $75,000 | $110,877 |
| 50 | $150,000 | $328,989 |
| 60 | $236,000 | $774,310 |
| 65 | $279,000 | $1,138,928 |
The $279,000 contributed becomes $1,138,928. Without the catch-up (a flat $7,500 a year) it would be $1,109,351. Because qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free and the owner never has required minimum distributions, the whole balance is spendable.
Roth IRA withdrawal rules in brief
- Contributions can come out at any time, tax- and penalty-free.
- Earnings are tax-free once you are 59½ and at least five years have passed since January 1 of the year of your first Roth IRA contribution[p590a].
- No RMDs for the original owner; beneficiaries do have distribution rules (see the RMD calculator).
Common mistakes
- Using gross pay instead of MAGI. The phase-out uses modified AGI, which is after pre-tax 401(k) deferrals. Raising your 401(k) contribution can bring you back under the range.
- Double-counting the limit. $7,500 is the total for all your IRAs, Roth and traditional together, not per account.
- Missing the deadline. 2026 contributions can be made until the tax-filing deadline in April 2027.
- Treating the backdoor as a loophole for everyone. Converting a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution is allowed, but the pro-rata rule taxes part of it if you hold other pre-tax IRA money. A 401(k) with after-tax contributions offers a larger route: see the mega backdoor Roth.
AssumptionsReturns are steady and hypothetical; markets are not. Limits are held at the year you choose; the IRS raises the $7,500 limit in $500 steps as inflation allows.
Frequently asked questions
How much will my Roth IRA be worth when I retire?
Contributing the maximum from 30 to 65 at 7% a year grows to about $1,138,928. Starting at 40 with $200 a month and a $25,000 balance gives far less, which is why the start date matters more than the return. Enter your numbers in the Roth IRA calculator.
What is the Roth IRA limit for 2026?
$7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, reduced for single filers with MAGI between $153,000 and $168,000 and for joint filers between $242,000 and $252,000. For 2027 the limit stays $7,500 and the ranges rise to $158,000–$173,000 and $250,000–$260,000.
Can I contribute to a Roth IRA if I make too much?
Not directly once your MAGI reaches the top of the range. You can still make a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution and convert it to Roth; any pre-tax IRA balances make part of the conversion taxable.
How much is $7,500 a year in a Roth IRA after 30 years?
At 7% a year with contributions at the start of each year, $758,048; at 5%, $523,206. $225,000 of that is your own contributions.