Estimate how large your Roth IRA could be at retirement, and how much more it can hold than the same savings in a regular taxable account.
A Roth IRA is a retirement account you fund with money that has already been taxed. You get no deduction when you contribute, but the money grows without tax, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. That makes it most attractive when you expect to pay the same or a higher tax rate later, or when you simply want tax-free income to sit alongside other savings.
For 2026 you can put in up to $7,500 a year, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, as long as you have at least that much earned income. Contributions also phase out and then stop for higher earners: above roughly $168,000 of income for single filers and $252,000 for married couples filing jointly. Choose "Maximize contributions" and the calculator uses the limit for your age in every year, rising to the higher amount when you turn 50. If you enter more than the limit yourself, it is reduced to the limit.
The calculator runs the same savings through two accounts. In the Roth IRA the balance simply grows at your expected return. In the taxable account, each year's growth is taxed at your marginal rate, so only the after-tax return compounds. The gap between the two at your retirement age is the value of tax-free growth. Each year's contribution is added at the end of the year, so your starting balance earns growth for the full first year.
For 2026 the limit is $7,500 if you are under 50 and $8,600 if you are 50 or older. You also need earned income at least as large as your contribution, and your income must be below the Roth IRA limits. If you enter more than the limit, the calculator uses the limit instead.
In a Roth IRA the growth is never taxed, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. In a taxable account the growth is taxed every year at your marginal rate, which leaves less money to compound. The calculator charges that yearly tax in the taxable account.
No. You contribute money you have already paid tax on, so there is no deduction. In return the money grows tax-free and you can take qualified withdrawals without paying tax. A traditional IRA works the other way around.
Each year's contribution is added at the end of the year, so it starts earning growth from the following year. Your current balance earns growth for the whole first year.
You can withdraw your own contributions at any time without tax or penalty. Withdrawing earnings before age 59 and a half, or before the account is five years old, can trigger tax and a 10% penalty, with some exceptions. The calculator assumes you leave the money alone until the retirement age you enter.
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