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Roth IRA Calculator

Find how much you can put in a Roth IRA for 2026 at your income, and see how much tax-free growth it could build by the time you retire.

Level: Grades 9–11

Printable worksheet

Roth IRA Calculator

Know the answer you need? Pick an input to work backward.

Inputs

For most people this is close to the adjusted gross income (AGI) on your tax return. Joint filers enter the household figure.

Wages, salary and self-employment income. Joint filers may use the couple's combined compensation.

Capped at your allowed limit each year.

Optional. The yearly IRA limit is shared between traditional and Roth IRAs.

Used only to compare with the same savings in an ordinary taxable account.

Result

Roth IRA at age 65

$1,090,159.50

Your 2026 Roth IRA limit is $7,500.00. Contributing $7,500.00 a year at a 7% return could grow your Roth IRA to about $1,090,159.50 by age 65.

Your 2026 contribution limit
$7,500.00
Income phase-out
Full contribution allowed
Total contributions
$262,500.00
Tax-free growth
$822,659.50
Same savings in a taxable account
$864,717.77
Roth advantage
$225,441.73
Roth IRA compared with a taxable account
$0$500K$1M$1.5M30364248546065

Age

  • Roth IRA
  • Taxable account

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Year-by-year projection (limits held at 2026 levels)
Year-by-year projection (limits held at 2026 levels)
Age at year endLimitContributionRoth IRATaxable account
31$7,500.00$7,500.00$12,850.00$12,797.50
32$7,500.00$7,500.00$21,249.50$21,058.95
33$7,500.00$7,500.00$30,236.97$29,811.96
34$7,500.00$7,500.00$39,853.55$39,085.77
35$7,500.00$7,500.00$50,143.30$48,911.37
36$7,500.00$7,500.00$61,153.33$59,321.60
37$7,500.00$7,500.00$72,934.07$70,351.24
38$7,500.00$7,500.00$85,539.45$82,037.13
39$7,500.00$7,500.00$99,027.21$94,418.34
40$7,500.00$7,500.00$113,459.12$107,536.24
41$7,500.00$7,500.00$128,901.25$121,434.64
42$7,500.00$7,500.00$145,424.34$136,160.00
43$7,500.00$7,500.00$163,104.05$151,761.52
44$7,500.00$7,500.00$182,021.33$168,291.33
45$7,500.00$7,500.00$202,262.82$185,804.67
46$7,500.00$7,500.00$223,921.22$204,360.05
47$7,500.00$7,500.00$247,095.71$224,019.47
48$7,500.00$7,500.00$271,892.41$244,848.63
49$7,500.00$7,500.00$298,424.87$266,917.12
50$7,500.00$7,500.00$326,814.61$290,298.69
51$8,600.00$7,500.00$357,191.64$315,071.46
52$8,600.00$7,500.00$389,695.05$341,318.21
53$8,600.00$7,500.00$424,473.71$369,126.65
54$8,600.00$7,500.00$461,686.87$398,589.68
55$8,600.00$7,500.00$501,504.95$429,805.77
56$8,600.00$7,500.00$544,110.29$462,879.21
57$8,600.00$7,500.00$589,698.01$497,920.52
58$8,600.00$7,500.00$638,476.87$535,046.79
59$8,600.00$7,500.00$690,670.25$574,382.08
60$8,600.00$7,500.00$746,517.17$616,057.81
61$8,600.00$7,500.00$806,273.37$660,213.25
62$8,600.00$7,500.00$870,212.51$706,995.94
63$8,600.00$7,500.00$938,627.39$756,562.20
64$8,600.00$7,500.00$1,011,831.30$809,077.65
65$8,600.00$7,500.00$1,090,159.50$864,717.77

Step-by-step solution

  1. Start with the 2026 IRA limit for people under 50

    limit=$7,500.00

  2. Your income (MAGI) is at or below $153,000.00, where the phase-out starts, so you can put in the full amount

    allowed before other IRAs=$7,500.00

  3. So this is your 2026 Roth IRA limit

    limit=$7,500.00

  4. This year you put in your planned amount or the limit, whichever is smaller

    min($7,500.00, $7,500.00)=$7,500.00

  5. Each year the balance earns its return, then that year's money is added

    balance after year 1=$5,000.00×(1+0.07)+$7,500.00=$12,850.00

  6. Repeat that for 35 years to get the balance when you retire

    Roth IRA at age 65=$1,090,159.50

  7. Find the growth: the final balance minus what you started with and what you put in

    $1,090,159.50−$5,000.00−$262,500.00=$822,659.50

  8. Compare with a taxable account. If 15% of the growth is taxed each year, the money grows at only 5.95% a year, so you'd end up with this much less

    $1,090,159.50−$864,717.77=$225,441.73

Test yourself

20 quick questions built from this calculator's formula: work out results, predict what happens when an input changes, and work backward from an answer. Every answer comes with the working.

Please note: Results are estimates for planning and comparison. Lenders, banks, and tax authorities may round differently or include fees not modeled here, so confirm figures with your provider before deciding.

What this calculator does

Find out how much you're allowed to put into a Roth IRA for 2026, and what it could grow to by retirement. A Roth IRA is a retirement account you fund with money you've already paid income tax on. In return, your investments grow without yearly tax. Qualified withdrawals in retirement (ones that follow the rules) are tax-free too, so every dollar of growth is yours to keep.

How much you can put in depends on your age, your pay from work and your MAGI. That's your modified adjusted gross income, a version of your income used for taxes. Above certain income levels, the amount you're allowed shrinks, then disappears. This shrinking is called the phase-out.

First, the calculator works out your 2026 limit with the IRS phase-out method, step by step. Then it grows your Roth IRA to retirement, adding your planned amount each year (never more than the limit). It compares the result with the same savings in an ordinary taxable account. The 2026 figures were checked against IRS.gov. The result is an estimate for planning, not tax or financial advice.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Contribution limit. Savers whose income falls inside the phase-out range see their allowed contribution reduced in proportion to how far in they are.
  • Projecting growth. Growing the balance by an assumed return each year and adding that year's contribution shows a possible value at retirement.
  • Starting early. Comparing contributions that start at age 25 with ones that start at 35 shows the effect of ten extra years of growth.
  • Personal finance classes. Students project a balance year by year and compare it with the total amount actually contributed.

How to use it

  1. Choose your filing status. Enter your MAGI and your taxable compensation (pay from work) for 2026.
  2. Enter your age at the end of 2026, the age you plan to retire and how much is in your Roth IRA now.
  3. Enter how much you plan to put in each year and any traditional IRA contributions for 2026. Add the yearly return you expect and a tax rate for the comparison.
  4. Read your 2026 limit and the steps behind it. Then look at the projected balance, the tax-free growth and the year-by-year table.

What the inputs mean

Filing status (2026)
If you're married filing separately and lived with your spouse at any point in the year, your range is very narrow: $0 to $10,000. If you lived apart all year, the single range applies instead.
Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)
Modified AGI for a Roth starts from your adjusted gross income (AGI, the income figure on your tax return). It adds back a few items, such as some foreign income that was left out. It also leaves out income from converting a traditional IRA to a Roth. For many people it's the same as AGI. IRS Publication 590-A has the full worksheet.
Taxable compensation (earned income)
You can't put in more than you earned from work. Investment income, pensions and Social Security don't count. A married couple filing jointly can generally contribute for a spouse with little or no income, using their combined pay.
Your age at the end of 2026
The $1,100 catch-up (an extra amount for older savers) applies if you're 50 or older by December 31, 2026.
Planned yearly contribution
Capped at your allowed limit each year.
Traditional IRA contributions for 2026
The $7,500 limit covers all your IRAs together. So money you put in a traditional IRA for the same year lowers what can go into the Roth.
Tax rate for the taxable-account comparison
Only for the comparison. It imagines the same savings in a regular investment (brokerage) account, with the growth taxed every year at this rate. It's a simple way to show what tax-free growth is worth.

Formula and method

limit = $7,500 (+ $1,100 if 50 or older), capped at taxable compensation
share of range = (MAGI − range start) ÷ (range end − range start)
reduced limit = limit − limit × share, rounded up to the next $10 (minimum $200)
allowed = reduced limit − traditional IRA contributions for the year
balanceₜ₊₁ = balanceₜ × (1 + r) + min(planned, allowed)
taxable account: balanceₜ₊₁ = balanceₜ × (1 + r × (1 − tax rate)) + contribution

In the formulas, MAGI is your modified adjusted gross income. The range start and end are where the phase-out begins and ends for your filing status. r is the yearly return as a decimal (7% is 0.07). balanceₜ is the balance after year t, and balanceₜ₊₁ is the balance a year later.

For 2026, the phase-out range is $153,000 to $168,000 for single filers and heads of household. The same range applies to married people filing separately who lived apart all year. It's $242,000 to $252,000 for joint filers and qualifying surviving spouses. For married people filing separately who lived with their spouse, it's $0 to $10,000.

At or below the start of the range, you get the full limit. At or above the end, you get none.

Inside the range, the limit falls evenly in a straight line. The IRS rounds the result up to the next $10. If it's above zero but under $200, you can still put in $200. This follows Worksheet 2-2 in IRS Publication 590-A.

The projection adds one contribution at the end of each year and adds the year's return on top of the balance. Your income and the 2026 limits stay the same, so later years use the same phase-out result. The catch-up starts the year you turn 50.

Worked example

You're single and 30 at the end of 2026, with $85,000 of MAGI and wages. You have $5,000 in a Roth IRA, and you plan to put in $7,500 a year until 65, earning 7% a year.

  1. Your MAGI is below $153,000, so the full $7,500 limit applies.
  2. Balance after the first year: $5,000 × 1.07 + $7,500 = $12,850.
  3. After 35 years of $7,500 contributions: about $1,090,159.50.
  4. You put in $5,000 + $262,500, so about $822,659.50 is tax-free growth.
  5. The same savings in a taxable account, with growth taxed at 15% a year, reach about $864,717.77. That's about $225,441.73 less.

Result: The Roth IRA could hold about $1,090,159.50 at 65. With $160,000 of MAGI instead, the 2026 limit drops to $4,000, because your income is 7,000 ÷ 15,000 of the way through the range.

Understanding the result

The 2026 limit is the most you can put straight into a Roth IRA for the year. If the phase-out lowers it, the steps show exactly how far into the range your income is.

Here's something worth knowing. Pre-tax savings in a workplace plan, such as a traditional 401(k), lower your AGI and so your MAGI. That can sometimes raise your Roth limit.

The Roth advantage is the extra money you keep because the growth is never taxed. It gets bigger with time and with higher returns. That's why a Roth is often most valuable for younger savers. It also suits people who expect to be in a similar or higher tax bracket in retirement.

Assumptions and limitations

  • 2026 IRS limits and phase-out ranges, kept the same in later years. Real limits usually rise with inflation.
  • Your income and pay from work stay the same each year.
  • One contribution at the end of each year and a steady yearly return, with no withdrawals.
  • Qualified withdrawals are tax-free, so the Roth balance is shown with no tax taken out.
  • This is an estimate for learning, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check the IRS rules or ask a tax professional before you contribute.
  • It doesn't cover the rules for qualified withdrawals (the five-year rule and age 59½), early-withdrawal penalties, conversions, or fixing a contribution that was too big.
  • The taxable-account comparison is simplified. Real taxes depend on dividends, how long you hold investments and when you sell for a gain.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?

It's $7,500 if you're under 50. It's $8,600 if you're 50 or older by the end of the year: the $7,500 limit plus a $1,100 catch-up. The limit covers all your traditional and Roth IRAs together. You also can't put in more than your taxable pay from work. These figures come from the IRS announcement for 2026.

What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?

The amount you can put in phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of MAGI for single filers and heads of household. For married couples filing jointly, it's between $242,000 and $252,000. For married people filing separately who lived with their spouse during the year, it's between $0 and $10,000.

What if my income is too high for a Roth IRA?

You can't put money in directly. But the income limits don't apply to converting money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, and some people use that as a workaround. Conversions have their own tax effects, so it's worth getting advice first. A Roth 401(k) at work, if your job offers one, has no income limit either.

When is the deadline for 2026 contributions?

You can generally put money in for a tax year up to the tax filing deadline the next spring, not counting extensions. So you can usually make 2026 contributions until April 2027.

Can I take money out before retirement?

You can generally take out the money you put in at any time, with no tax or penalty. Earnings are different. To be tax-free, the account usually has to be at least five years old, and you have to be 59½ or meet another exception. This calculator assumes the money stays invested until retirement.

Sources

How this calculator is checked

Method: IRS Pub. 590-A Worksheet 2-2 (reduced Roth IRA contribution limit) with 2026 figures from IRS IR-2025-111 / Notice 2025-67; yearly future-value recursion with end-of-year contributions. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.

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