Tax Calculator

Paycheck Tax Calculator

Free2026 LimitsTax-Free GrowthBackdoor Roth

Roth IRA Calculator 2026

Project your tax-free retirement balance with 2026 limits, growth rate, and catch-up contributions — including when a backdoor Roth applies.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

$7,500
2026 limit (under 50)
$8,600
2026 limit (age 50+)
0%
Tax on qualified withdrawals
~$1.5M
$7,500/yr, age 25→65 at 7%
Quick start:
Roth IRA Inputs2026 Limits
$

2026 limit: $7,500 (under 50) · $8,600 (50+)

$
%

Balance at retirement (100% tax-free)

$708,456

Retiring at age 65 · 30 years of contributions

$225,000

Total contributed

$483,456

Tax-free growth

3.1×

Growth multiple

Contributions (32%)Tax-free growth (68%)

Of your $708,456 balance, 68% is tax-free compounding — money you never paid tax on. Every $1 contributed became 3.1 at retirement.

Balance milestones by age
AgeContributedBalance (tax-free)
40$37,500$43,131
45$75,000$103,623
50$112,500$188,468
55$150,000$307,466
60$187,500$474,368
65retire$225,000$708,456

Roth IRA Guide 2026

Contribution limits, income phase-outs, growth by starting age, and Roth vs Traditional

2026 Roth IRA Limits, Phase-Outs & Contribution History
Every limit increase since 2021 — and the 2026 income thresholds that determine whether you can contribute directly

Contribution Limits by Year

YearUnder 50Catch-UpTotal 50+
2021$6,000+$1,000$7,000
2022$6,000+$1,000$7,000
2023$6,500+$1,000$7,500
2024$7,000+$1,000$8,000
2025$7,000+$1,000$8,000
2026 ✦$7,500+$1,100$8,600

Income Phase-Out Thresholds (MAGI)

YearSingle / HoHMarried Joint
2024$146K – $161K$230K – $240K
2025$150K – $165K$236K – $246K
2026 ✦$153K – $168K$242K – $252K

Above the phase-out? Use backdoor Roth

Contribute to a non-deductible Traditional IRA (no income limit), then convert to Roth. You pay tax only on any earnings between contribution and conversion — usually minimal if converted promptly. Watch the pro-rata rule if you hold other pre-tax IRA assets.

Married filing separately

MFS filers who lived with their spouse at any point in the year: phase-out is $0–$10,000 — essentially no direct Roth contribution is allowed. Backdoor Roth is the workaround.

Sources: IRS Publication 590-A (Contributions to IRAs); IRS Rev. Proc. 2025 (2026 inflation adjustments); IRS COLA Announcement 2025.

Roth IRA Growth by Starting Age: What $7,500/Year Becomes
Tax-free projected balance at retirement (age 65) — contributing max $7,500/yr, all figures tax-free

The single biggest driver of Roth IRA wealth is time in the market. Starting 5 years earlier can add hundreds of thousands to your tax-free balance. The table below shows projections for the 2026 max contribution of $7,500/year at three return assumptions, retiring at 65.

Start AgeYearsAt 5%/yrAt 7%/yrAt 10%/yr
Age 2540 yrs$906K$1,497K$3,320K
Age 3035 yrs$677K$1,037K$2,033K
Age 3530 yrs$498K$709K$1,234K
Age 4025 yrs$358K$474K$738K
Age 4520 yrs$248K$308K$430K
Age 50 (50+)15 yrs$181K$209K$272K
All figures are tax-free at retirement. Assumptions: $7,500/yr contribution (2026 max, under 50), compounded annually, retiring at age 65. 50+ contributions not modeled. Does not account for contribution limit changes over time.

The cost of waiting 5 years

Starting at 25 vs 30 at 7%: $1,497K vs $1,037K — a $460,000 difference from just 5 extra years. Every year you delay costs roughly 2× what you would have invested (due to compounding losses).

What return rate to use?

7%: Real (inflation-adjusted) S&P 500 historical average. 5%: Conservative blend (60/40 stocks/bonds). 10%: Nominal S&P 500 historical average. For a 30+ year horizon, most advisors suggest 6–8% real return assumptions.

Why the tax-free label matters

A Traditional IRA growing to $1.5M at 24% bracket owes $360,000 in tax at withdrawal. The Roth equivalent keeps the full $1.5M. The tax-free nature of Roth earnings is the core of its value for long-term savers.

Return assumptions: S&P 500 historical nominal ~10%, real ~7% (Damodaran NYU Stern, 2024 update); 60/40 portfolio ~5–6% real. Past returns don't guarantee future results.

Roth vs Traditional vs Backdoor Roth: Which Strategy Is Right for You?
A practical decision framework based on your current income, tax bracket, and expected retirement tax rate

Roth IRA

Best for: lower/mid income now, expect higher bracket later

Advantages

  • Contributions grow & withdraw tax-free
  • No RMDs during your lifetime
  • Contributions (not earnings) withdrawable anytime
  • Great for estate planning — heirs get tax-free growth

Watch out for

  • No upfront tax deduction
  • Income phase-out limits direct contributions
  • After-tax dollars mean less buying power now

Traditional IRA

Best for: high earners now, expect lower bracket in retirement

Advantages

  • Deductible contributions reduce taxable income now
  • Tax deferral on growth until withdrawal
  • No income limit to contribute (deductibility has limits)
  • Immediate tax savings put more money to work

Watch out for

  • Withdrawals taxed as ordinary income
  • RMDs required starting at age 73
  • Less flexibility — penalties for early withdrawal of earnings

Backdoor Roth

Best for: income over phase-out ($168K single / $252K MFJ)

Advantages

  • No direct income limit on conversions
  • Same tax-free growth as regular Roth
  • Effectively circumvents Roth income limits legally
  • High earners' path to tax-free retirement income

Watch out for

  • Pro-rata rule: taxable if you hold pre-tax IRA money
  • Must track non-deductible IRA basis (Form 8606)
  • Two-step process each year; consult a tax professional

The tax diversification argument

Many financial advisors recommend holding both Roth and Traditional assets in retirement. This gives you flexibility: you can draw from tax-free Roth accounts in years when you need to stay below a tax bracket threshold (e.g., to avoid higher Medicare premiums or trigger less Social Security taxation). Roth accounts also avoid RMD-forced income that can push you into higher brackets at age 73+.

The practical playbook for most people: (1) get the full 401k employer match, (2) max your Roth IRA ($7,500), (3) go back and contribute more to your 401k or HSA up to the limits.

Sources: IRS Publication 590-A (Contributions to IRAs); IRS Publication 590-B (Distributions from IRAs); IRS Form 8606 instructions (Nondeductible IRAs); SECURE 2.0 Act (RMD age 73).

What is a Roth IRA?

A Roth IRA is a retirement account funded with after-tax dollars. Money grows tax-free, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are completely tax-free. Unlike a Traditional IRA, there are no Required Minimum Distributions during your lifetime — letting the account grow indefinitely or pass to heirs.

Withdrawal rules: contributions vs earnings

Contributions can be withdrawn anytime, tax- and penalty-free — no age or 5-year requirement. Earnings are tax- and penalty-free only after you're 59½ and the account has been open at least 5 years. Early earnings withdrawals face income tax + 10% penalty (exceptions: first home purchase up to $10K, disability, death).

Roth IRA + 401k: the optimal contribution order

Roth IRA and 401k contribution limits are completely separate. You can max both in 2026: 401k at $24,500 ($32,500 if 50+) and Roth IRA at $7,500 ($8,600 if 50+). The generally recommended order: (1) contribute enough to your 401k to get your full employer match (free money), (2) max out your Roth IRA for tax-free growth, (3) return to your 401k to fill remaining space, (4) consider an HSA if eligible ($4,300 single / $8,550 family in 2026) as a triple-tax-advantaged option.

The balance at retirement, total contributions, and growth shown above come from your annual contribution, current age, retirement age, expected return, and optional starting balance — calculated instantly in your browser, not from a brokerage feed. We cap contributions at the 2026 IRS limit ($7,500 under 50, +$1,100 catch-up if 50+), then compound annually until your retirement age. Below are the exact formulas, order of operations, and worked examples you can verify against the calculator.

Core formulas

MetricFormula
Years contributingmax(0, retirement age − current age)
Max allowable contribution$7,500 + ($1,100 catch-up if age 50+)
Effective annual contributionmin(entered amount, max allowable)
Balance each yearBalance × (1 + return %) + annual contribution
Total contributionsEffective contribution × years contributing
Total growthBalance at retirement − total contributions
Over-limit flagEntered contribution > max allowable

Order of operations

1

Apply 2026 contribution limits

Effective = min(annual contribution, $7,500 + catch-up)

IRS limits for 2026: $7,500 under age 50, plus $1,100 catch-up ($8,600 total) if you are 50 or older. Amounts above the limit are flagged but not used in the projection.

2

Calculate savings horizon

Years = retirement age − current age

If retirement age is at or below current age, no future contributions are projected.

3

Compound annually

Each year: balance = balance × (1 + r) + contribution

Starting balance (if any) compounds first, then the annual contribution is added at the end of each year. Returns compound once per year at your selected rate.

4

Sum contributions and growth

Total contributions = contribution × years; Growth = ending balance − contributions

Total contributions counts only new annual deposits — not your starting balance. Total growth is the difference between your ending balance and those future contributions (it includes growth on both starting balance and contributions).

IRS contribution limits

YearUnder 50Catch-up (50+)Max (50+)
2026$7,500$1,100$8,600
2025$7,000$1,000$8,000

Worked example 1 — Calculator defaults — age 35 to 65, $7,500/yr @ 7%

Verify: $7,500/yr × 30 yrs @ 7% → $708,456 ($483,456 growth)

FieldValue
Annual contribution (entered)$7,500
Max allowable (2026)$7,500
Effective contribution$7,500
Current age35
Retirement age65
Years contributing30
Annual return7%
Starting balance$0
Total contributions$225,000
Total growth$483,456
Balance at retirement$708,456
Over limit?No

Worked example 2 — Catch-up preset — age 52 to 67, $8,600/yr @ 6%, $50K balance

Verify: $50,000 start + $8,600/yr × 15 yrs @ 6% → $320,001

FieldValue
Annual contribution (entered)$8,600
Max allowable (50+)$8,600
Effective contribution$8,600
Current age52
Retirement age67
Years contributing15
Annual return6%
Starting balance$50,000
Total contributions$129,000
Total growth$191,001
Balance at retirement$320,001

Constants used

ItemValue
2026 limit (under 50)$7,500
2026 catch-up (50+)$1,100
2026 max (50+)$8,600
Default contribution$7,500
Default current age35
Default retirement age65
Default return rate7%
Compounding frequencyAnnual
What this calculator does not includeThis calculator does not model MAGI income phase-outs, backdoor Roth conversions, spousal IRA rules, employer plan coordination, or whether you are eligible to contribute at all. It does not apply early-withdrawal penalties, five-year seasoning rules, or required minimum distributions (Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner during their lifetime). Tax savings from contributing are not shown — Roth contributions are after-tax. Investment returns are assumed constant; actual market returns vary year to year. Consult a tax advisor for contribution eligibility and withdrawal planning.
Roth IRA FAQ 2026
Contribution limits, income phase-outs, backdoor Roth, and withdrawal rules

For 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 if you are under age 50, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (that includes a $1,100 catch-up, up from $1,000 in prior years). You cannot contribute more than your earned income for the year. Limits are inflation-adjusted and published by the IRS each fall for the following tax year.

Direct Roth IRA contributions phase out based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). For 2026: Single / Head of Household — full contribution if MAGI is under $153,000; partial between $153,000 and $168,000; none above $168,000. Married filing jointly — full under $242,000; partial $242,000–$252,000; none above $252,000. Married filing separately (if you lived with your spouse) has a very low phase-out. Above the limit, many people use a backdoor Roth instead.

A backdoor Roth is a two-step workaround when your income is too high for a direct Roth contribution: (1) contribute after-tax dollars to a non-deductible Traditional IRA, then (2) convert that amount to a Roth IRA. Tax is generally owed only on any earnings between contribution and conversion (often small if you convert quickly). If you already hold pre-tax Traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA balances, the IRS pro-rata rule can make part of the conversion taxable — plan carefully or consult a tax professional.

When you convert after-tax Traditional IRA money to a Roth, the IRS looks at all of your non-Roth IRA balances (Traditional, SEP, SIMPLE) as one pot. The taxable portion of the conversion equals the pre-tax share of that total. Example: $95,000 pre-tax + $5,000 after-tax = 95% of any conversion is taxable. Having only after-tax IRA money (or rolling pre-tax IRAs into a 401(k) first, when allowed) can reduce pro-rata friction — this is why the backdoor Roth is cleaner with no other IRA balances.

Yes — the limits are separate. In 2026 you can generally max a workplace 401(k) at $24,500 ($32,500 if 50+, including catch-up where eligible) and still contribute up to $7,500 / $8,600 to a Roth IRA if you qualify by income (or use a backdoor). A common priority order: get the full employer 401(k) match, max the Roth IRA, then fill remaining 401(k) space, then consider an HSA if eligible.

Both use after-tax contributions and can grow for tax-free qualified withdrawals, but limits and rules differ. Roth 401(k) contributions use the higher employee deferral limit and usually have no income phase-out for contributing at work. Roth IRAs have lower annual limits and MAGI phase-outs for direct contributions, but offer more investment choice at many brokers, easier access to contributions, and no lifetime RMDs for the original owner (Roth 401(k)s historically had RMDs; recent law changes allow designated Roth accounts in plans to avoid lifetime RMDs in many cases — confirm with your plan). You can often contribute to both in the same year.

Your contributions (basis) can be withdrawn anytime, tax- and penalty-free — no age or 5-year wait. Earnings are tax-free only on a qualified distribution: generally you are age 59½ or older and the Roth has met the 5-year aging rule. Non-qualified earnings withdrawals can face income tax plus a 10% early-distribution penalty, with exceptions such as a first-time home purchase (up to $10,000 lifetime), disability, death, or certain SEPP/72(t) payments.

There are two important clocks. (1) Earnings / qualified distributions: tax-free earnings generally require that a Roth IRA has been open for at least five tax years and that you meet another qualifying reason (usually age 59½). The clock typically starts January 1 of the year you first contributed to any Roth IRA. (2) Conversions: each conversion has its own five-year period before converted amounts can be taken penalty-free if you are under 59½ (tax may still apply depending on the source). Ordering rules matter — contributions come out first, then conversions, then earnings.

No for the original owner: you are not required to take RMDs from your own Roth IRA during your lifetime. That differs from Traditional IRAs and most pre-tax 401(k)s, which generally require RMDs starting at age 73 under current law. Beneficiaries who inherit a Roth IRA usually face distribution rules (often a 10-year rule for many non-spouse heirs), so estate planning still matters.

Roth: you pay tax on contributions now; growth and qualified withdrawals are tax-free; no lifetime RMDs for you. Often better if you expect higher tax rates later, have a long horizon, or want tax-free income and flexibility in retirement. Traditional: you may deduct contributions now and pay ordinary income tax on withdrawals later — often better if you are in a high bracket today and expect a lower one in retirement. Many people use both for tax diversification. This calculator projects Roth growth only; it does not recommend one over the other.

It depends on years invested and return assumptions. Illustrative only (annual contributions, compounded): at about 7%/year, starting at age 25 to 65 can approach ~$1.5M; starting at 30 to 65 is closer to ~$1.04M — all potentially tax-free if withdrawals are qualified. Higher returns or longer horizons grow faster; lower returns or late starts grow slower. Use the calculator above for your ages, contribution, and assumed return.

Yes, if you have earned income (including self-employment net earnings) and your MAGI is within the Roth phase-out (or you use a backdoor). The annual Roth IRA limit still applies and cannot exceed your compensation. Self-employed people can also use SEP IRAs or Solo 401(k)s — sometimes with a Roth Solo 401(k) option — for much higher workplace-style limits in addition to an IRA.

Yes, via a spousal IRA. If you file married jointly and one spouse has enough earned income, the couple can fund IRAs for both spouses (subject to the usual age and MAGI rules for Roths). Combined contributions still cannot exceed the couple’s combined earned income. This is a common way for a stay-at-home spouse to build tax-free retirement savings.

You generally have until the federal tax filing deadline for that year (typically mid-April of the following year, not including extension-only deadlines for IRA contributions) to make a prior-year Roth IRA contribution. Example: a 2026 Roth contribution can usually be made until the April 2027 filing deadline. Label the contribution for the correct tax year with your custodian.

Eligible compensation typically includes wages, salaries, tips, commissions, self-employment income, and taxable alimony under older divorce decrees. It generally does not include investment income, pension or Social Security benefits, or most passive income. Your contribution cannot exceed your compensation for the year (before applying the dollar limit).

Modified adjusted gross income starts with AGI and adds back certain deductions or exclusions (for example, student loan interest, foreign earned income exclusion, and some others — see IRS Publication 590-A). Roth phase-outs use this MAGI figure, not your gross salary alone. Pre-tax 401(k) and HSA contributions that lower AGI can also affect MAGI and whether you fall in the phase-out range.

A mega backdoor Roth is different from a standard backdoor Roth IRA. If your 401(k) plan allows after-tax (non-Roth) employee contributions and in-plan Roth conversions or in-service distributions, you may be able to move large after-tax amounts into a Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA — far above the annual Roth IRA limit. Availability depends entirely on your plan documents; many plans do not allow it.

IRS ordering rules generally treat distributions as: (1) regular contributions first (always tax- and penalty-free), (2) conversion amounts next (each conversion may have its own 5-year penalty clock if you are under 59½), (3) earnings last (taxable and potentially penalized if the distribution is not qualified). That ordering is why emergency access to contributions is often highlighted as a Roth IRA benefit.

Yes. Converting Traditional IRA money to a Roth does not stop you from making new annual Roth contributions (if you are under the income limit) or future backdoor contributions. Each year’s contribution and each conversion are tracked separately for basis and 5-year rules. Keep good records with your custodian and on Form 8606 when required.

The IRS usually adjusts contribution limits and phase-out ranges annually for inflation. Catch-up amounts can also change under newer legislation. Always confirm the year you are funding (for example, 2026 limits) on IRS.gov or Publication 590-A before contributing. This page’s figures are for tax year 2026.

No. The calculator projects account growth from the contribution amounts and return rate you enter. Because Roth contributions are made with after-tax dollars, it does not subtract income tax from each contribution, and it does not model expense ratios, advisor fees, or sequence-of-returns risk. Treat results as educational estimates, not a guarantee of future performance.

Inherited Roth IRAs generally remain tax-free for qualified distributions of earnings if the original owner’s 5-year period is satisfied, but beneficiaries usually must empty the account under SECURE Act rules (often within 10 years for many non-spouse heirs, with some exceptions for eligible designated beneficiaries). Spouses often have more flexible options. Inherited Roth rules are complex — verify current IRS guidance for your situation.

Plan Your Full Retirement Picture

Pair your Roth IRA projection with 401k matching, investment growth, and paycheck analysis to build a complete retirement roadmap.

401k CalculatorInvestment CalculatorTax Bracket Calculator

Related calculators

Roth vs Traditional IRA

Nest egg vs year-1 tax timing

401(k) Early Withdrawal

Penalty calculator

401(k) Match Calculator

Employer match

401(k) & IRA Limits by Year

Historical contribution caps

Compound Interest

Growth

Tax Calculator

Take-home pay