Roth IRA Calculator: See How Much Your Retirement Savings Can Grow
Find out your future Roth IRA balance in seconds. Enter your age, savings, and contribution amount below, and get a clear, easy-to-read result, no math skills needed.
Results Summary
| Roth IRA | Taxable account | |
|---|---|---|
| Balance at age 65 | $0 | $0 |
| Total principal | $0 | $0 |
| Total interest | $0 | $0 |
| Total tax | $0 | $0 |
| Roth advantage | $0 | |
Taxable account assumes gains are taxed each year at your marginal rate — a simplified estimate. Real returns and taxes vary.
| Age | Principal | Roth IRA | Taxable account | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Start | End | Start | End | |
A Roth IRA calculator estimates how much money you could have in your Roth IRA by the time you retire. It uses your current age, current balance, yearly contribution, and expected rate of return to project your future balance, and it shows you how much you save in taxes compared to a normal taxable account.
What does a Roth IRA calculator do?
A Roth IRA calculator estimates how much money you could have in your Roth IRA by the time you retire. It uses your current age, current balance, yearly contribution, and expected rate of return to project your future balance, and it shows you how much you save in taxes compared to a normal taxable account.
Roth IRA Calculator: Plan Your Tax-Free Retirement Savings
Saving for retirement can feel confusing. How much should you save? How much will it grow? Will you owe taxes later? A Roth IRA calculator answers all of these questions in seconds. Just enter your numbers, and the tool shows you a clear picture of your future savings.
This page explains how the calculator works, what a Roth IRA is, how much you can contribute in 2026, and how a Roth IRA compares to other savings options. Everything is written in plain, simple language, so you don’t need to be a finance expert to understand it.
A Roth IRA is a retirement account funded with after-tax money, so withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
In 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 per year ($8,600 if you are 50 or older).
A Roth IRA is a retirement account funded with after-tax money, so withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
Money in a Roth IRA usually grows faster over time than money in a regular taxable account, because you don’t pay yearly taxes on the gains.
There is no required minimum distribution (RMD) for a Roth IRA, unlike a traditional IRA or 401(k).
How to Use the Roth IRA Calculator?
Using the calculator only takes a minute. Here’s what each field means:
01
Current Balance
The amount you already have saved in your Roth IRA today. If you’re starting fresh, enter $0.
02
Annual Contribution
How much you plan to add to your account each year. In 2026, the most you can contribute is $7,500 (or $8,600 if you’re 50+).
03
Current Age
How old are you right now?
04
Retirement Age
The age you want to retire and stop contributing.
05
Expected rate of return
The yearly growth rate you expect from your investments. Most calculators use 6% to 7% as a reasonable average, though your actual return depends on what you invest in.
06
Marginal tax rate
The tax rate you’d pay on gains if this money were sitting in a normal taxable account instead. This helps the calculator show your tax savings.
Once you enter these numbers and click calculate, you’ll see your projected Roth IRA balance at retirement, plus a side-by-side comparison with a taxable account.
What Is a Roth IRA?
A Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is a savings account made for retirement. The key feature is simple: you put in money that has already been taxed, so when you take it out later, you don’t pay taxes on it again, including any growth it earned over the years.
This is different from a traditional IRA, where you get a tax break now but pay taxes when you withdraw the money in retirement.
The Roth IRA gets its name from Senator William Roth and was created by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
How Does a Roth IRA Work?
Here’s the simple version of how your money moves through a Roth IRA, from your paycheck to a tax-free withdrawal in retirement.
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026
The IRS sets a limit on how much you can put into a Roth IRA each year. For 2026:
|
Age |
Contribution Limit |
|
Under 50 |
$7,500 |
|
50 and older |
$8,600 (includes a $1,100 catch-up contribution) |
This limit applies to all your IRA accounts combined, not each one separately. You can make contributions for a given tax year up until you file your taxes the following April.
Roth IRA Income Limits for 2026
Not everyone can contribute the full amount to a Roth IRA. If your income is too high, your allowed contribution shrinks or disappears completely. This is called the income phase-out range.
|
Filing Status |
Full Contribution Allowed |
Reduced Contribution |
No Contribution Allowed |
|
Single or Head of Household |
Under $153,000 |
$153,000 – $167,999 |
$168,000 or more |
|
Married Filing Jointly |
Under $242,000 |
$242,000 – $251,999 |
$252,000 or more |
|
Married Filing Separately (lived with spouse) |
Under $10,000 |
$10,000 or more (none allowed) |
– |
If your income is above these limits, you may still be able to use a backdoor Roth IRA. This means contributing to a traditional IRA first, then converting it to a Roth IRA. There’s no income limit on conversions.
Roth IRA vs. Taxable Account: Which Grows More?
This is the real value of the calculator, seeing the difference with your own numbers. Here’s why a Roth IRA usually wins over a regular taxable brokerage account:
You pay tax every year on interest, dividends, and gains. This slows down how fast your money compounds.
Your money grows completely tax-free, year after year, with no yearly tax bill eating into your returns.
Over the decades, this difference adds up to a large amount. For example, someone starting with $30,000, contributing $7,500 a year at a 6% return from age 30 to 65, could end up with roughly $300,000 more in a Roth IRA than in a comparable taxable account, simply because none of the growth is taxed along the way.
Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA
People often confuse these two, so here’s a simple comparison:
|
Feature |
Roth IRA |
Traditional IRA |
|
When you pay tax |
Now (contributions are after-tax) |
Later (withdrawals are taxed) |
|
Tax deduction now |
No |
Yes, in most cases |
|
Married Filing Separately (lived with spouse) |
Tax-free |
Taxed as regular income |
|
Required minimum distributions |
None |
Required starting at age 73 |
|
Income limits to contribute |
Yes |
No (but deduction may be limited) |
|
Best for |
People who expect to be in a higher tax bracket later |
People who want a tax break right now |
When Can You Withdraw Money from a Roth IRA?
Can be withdrawn any time, tax-free and penalty-free, no matter your age.
Tax-free and penalty-free only after age 59½, and only if the account has been open for at least 5 years.
You may avoid the penalty (though not always the tax) on earnings withdrawn early if the money is used for:
Pros and Cons of a Roth IRA
Frequently Asked Questions
Start Planning Your Retirement Today
A Roth IRA is one of the simplest ways to build tax-free wealth for the future. Use the calculator above to see exactly how your savings could grow, compare it to a regular taxable account, and take the guesswork out of retirement planning.
