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Traditional IRA Calculator

Find your 2026 traditional IRA limit, how much you can deduct at your income, the tax it saves now and what the account is worth after tax at retirement.

Level: Grades 9–11

Printable worksheet

Traditional IRA Calculator

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

Inputs

Box 13 of your W-2 is checked if you are.

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 pay.

Capped at the yearly limit.

Your federal bracket plus any state rate.

The rate you expect on withdrawals.

Result

After-tax value at age 65

$614,202.51

You can put up to $7,500.00 in a traditional IRA for 2026, and $4,500.00 of it is deductible at your income. Contributing $7,500.00 a year at 7% could reach $708,455.90 by age 65, or about $614,202.51 after tax at 15%. This is an estimate, not tax advice.

IRA balance at age 65
$708,455.90
Your 2026 contribution limit
$7,500.00
Deductible for 2026
$4,500.00
Deduction status
Partly deductible (phase-out)
Tax saved by the 2026 deduction
$990.00
Tax saved by deductions over all years
$31,878.00
Total contributions
$225,000.00
Nondeductible contributions (come back tax-free)
$80,100.00
Tax on withdrawals
$94,253.38
Traditional IRA balance
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K354147535965

Age

  • Balance
  • After tax at the retirement rate

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Year-by-year projection (limits and income held at 2026 levels)
Year-by-year projection (limits and income held at 2026 levels)
Age at year endContributionDeductible partBalance
36$7,500.00$4,500.00$7,500.00
37$7,500.00$4,500.00$15,525.00
38$7,500.00$4,500.00$24,111.75
39$7,500.00$4,500.00$33,299.57
40$7,500.00$4,500.00$43,130.54
41$7,500.00$4,500.00$53,649.68
42$7,500.00$4,500.00$64,905.16
43$7,500.00$4,500.00$76,948.52
44$7,500.00$4,500.00$89,834.92
45$7,500.00$4,500.00$103,623.36
46$7,500.00$4,500.00$118,376.99
47$7,500.00$4,500.00$134,163.38
48$7,500.00$4,500.00$151,054.82
49$7,500.00$4,500.00$169,128.66
50$7,500.00$4,500.00$188,467.67
51$7,500.00$5,160.00$209,160.40
52$7,500.00$5,160.00$231,301.63
53$7,500.00$5,160.00$254,992.74
54$7,500.00$5,160.00$280,342.24
55$7,500.00$5,160.00$307,466.19
56$7,500.00$5,160.00$336,488.83
57$7,500.00$5,160.00$367,543.04
58$7,500.00$5,160.00$400,771.06
59$7,500.00$5,160.00$436,325.03
60$7,500.00$5,160.00$474,367.78
61$7,500.00$5,160.00$515,073.53
62$7,500.00$5,160.00$558,628.67
63$7,500.00$5,160.00$605,232.68
64$7,500.00$5,160.00$655,098.97
65$7,500.00$5,160.00$708,455.90

Step-by-step solution

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

    limit=$7,500.00

  2. Your income is inside the $81,000.00 to $91,000.00 phase-out range. The IRS keeps the share of the limit that matches how far you are from the top

    $7,500.00×$91,000.00−$85,000.00$10,000.00=$4,500.00

  3. Round up to the next $10, as the IRS does (anything between $0 and $200 becomes $200)

    deductible limit=$4,500.00

  4. This year you put in your planned amount or the limit, whichever is smaller. The deductible part is capped at the deductible limit

    deductible this year=$4,500.00

  5. The deduction lowers your taxable income, so it saves tax at your current rate

    $4,500.00×22%=$990.00

  6. Each year the balance earns its return, then that year's contribution is added

    after year 1=$0.00×(1+0.07)+$7,500.00=$7,500.00

  7. Repeat that for 30 years to get the balance when you retire

    IRA at age 65=$708,455.90

  8. Contributions you couldn't deduct were already taxed, so they come back tax-free. Only the rest is taxed

    $708,455.90−$80,100.00=$628,355.90

  9. Withdrawals are taxed as income. At a 15% rate, this is the tax

    $628,355.90×15%=$94,253.38

  10. Subtract that tax to find what the IRA is worth to you after tax

    $708,455.90−$94,253.38=$614,202.51

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 can put into a traditional IRA for 2026 and how much of it you can deduct. You'll also see what it could be worth after tax when you retire. An IRA is an individual retirement account. With a traditional one, the money you put in can lower this year's taxable income. You pay income tax later, when you take it out.

Whether you can deduct it depends on your income and on whether you or your spouse has a retirement plan at work. The calculator works out your deductible amount with the IRS method. Then it grows the account to retirement and takes off tax at the rate you expect then. The 2026 figures were checked against IRS.gov. The result is an estimate, not tax advice.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Checking a deduction. A covered single saver with $85,000 of MAGI finds that $4,500 of a $7,500 contribution is deductible in 2026.
  • Valuing the deduction. At a 22% rate, deducting $4,500 cuts this year's federal and state tax bill by $990.
  • Planning for retirement taxes. A saver expecting a 15% rate later takes 15% off the taxable part of the balance to see its real spending power.
  • Personal finance classes. Students grow yearly deposits with a recursive formula and then apply a tax rate to the pre-tax part of the total.

How to use it

  1. Choose your filing status, and tick whether you (and your spouse) have a retirement plan at work.
  2. Enter your MAGI, your pay from work and your age at the end of 2026.
  3. Enter the age you plan to retire, today's balance and how much you plan to put in each year.
  4. Enter your tax rate now, the rate you expect in retirement and a yearly return. Then read the deduction, the balance and its after-tax value.

What the inputs mean

I'm covered by a retirement plan at work, such as a 401(k)
You're covered if you or your employer put money in a workplace plan for the year, such as a 401(k), 403(b) or pension. Box 13 of your W-2 shows it. If neither you nor your spouse is covered, the whole contribution is deductible at any income.
My spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work
If only your spouse has a workplace plan, a much higher income range applies to you on a joint return: $242,000 to $252,000 for 2026.
Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)
Modified AGI for this rule starts from your adjusted gross income (AGI, the income figure on your tax return). It adds back a few items, such as the IRA deduction itself. IRS Publication 590-A has the full worksheet.
Taxable compensation (pay from work)
You can't put in more than you earned from work. Investment income, pensions and Social Security don't count.
Your age at the end of 2026
The $1,100 catch-up applies if you're 50 or older by December 31, 2026.
Planned yearly contribution
Capped at the yearly limit.
Your tax rate now
The rate on your top dollars of income now, your federal bracket plus any state rate. It's what each deducted dollar saves.
Expected tax rate in retirement
The rate you expect to pay on withdrawals in retirement. Many people expect a lower rate then, but it depends on your other income.

Formula and method

limit = $7,500 (+ $1,100 if 50 or older), capped at taxable compensation
deductible limit = limit × (range end − MAGI) ÷ (range end − range start), rounded up to the next $10
tax saved now = deductible amount × current tax rate
balanceₜ₊₁ = balanceₜ × (1 + r) + contribution
after-tax value = balance − (balance − nondeductible contributions) × retirement tax rate

In the formulas, MAGI is your modified adjusted gross income. The range start and end are where the deduction begins and finishes shrinking. r is the yearly return as a decimal (7% is 0.07), and balanceₜ is the balance after year t.

For 2026, if you're covered at work, the deduction phases out between $81,000 and $91,000 of MAGI for single filers and heads of household. It's $129,000 to $149,000 on a joint return. If only your spouse is covered, it's $242,000 to $252,000. Married people filing separately get $0 to $10,000.

Inside the range, the deductible amount falls in a straight line. The IRS rounds it up to the next $10, and anything above $0 but under $200 becomes $200. This follows Worksheet 1-2 in IRS Publication 590-A. You can still put in the full limit. The part you can't deduct is called a nondeductible contribution.

The projection adds one contribution at the end of each year and the year's return on top. Your income and the 2026 limits stay the same. At withdrawal, deducted money and all the growth are taxed. Nondeductible contributions come back tax-free, because you already paid tax on them.

Worked example

You're single and 35 at the end of 2026, with $85,000 of MAGI and pay. You have a 401(k) at work and put $7,500 a year in a new traditional IRA until 65. You're in a 22% bracket now, expect 15% in retirement and earn 7% a year.

  1. Your MAGI is inside the $81,000 to $91,000 range. Deductible: $7,500 × ($91,000 − $85,000) ÷ $10,000 = $4,500.
  2. Tax saved for 2026: $4,500 × 22% = $990.
  3. After 30 years of $7,500 contributions at 7%, the IRA holds about $708,455.90.
  4. Nondeductible contributions add up to $80,100: $3,000 a year before 50, then $2,340 a year. From 50, the catch-up raises the deductible part to $5,160.
  5. Tax at withdrawal: ($708,455.90 − $80,100) × 15% = $94,253.38.

Result: The IRA could be worth about $614,202.51 after tax at 65. Deductions over the 30 years save about $31,878 in tax along the way.

Understanding the result

The deductible amount is the part of your contribution that lowers this year's taxable income. If it's less than you put in, the rest is still allowed. It just won't cut your tax now.

The after-tax value is what the account is worth to spend, at the retirement rate you entered. Compare it with the Roth IRA calculator, where withdrawals are tax-free but you get no deduction.

If most of your contribution isn't deductible, a Roth IRA may be a better fit. That's because nondeductible traditional money still has its growth taxed later. The Roth vs traditional calculator compares the two side by side.

Assumptions and limitations

  • It uses the 2026 IRS limits and deduction ranges from IRS Notice 2025-67, held the same in later years. Real limits usually rise with inflation.
  • Your income, your pay and your workplace plan stay the same each year. One contribution goes in at the end of each year, at a steady yearly return.
  • Today's balance is treated as all pre-tax money. Tax rates are flat rates you enter. The tax saved by deductions isn't invested.
  • 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 required minimum distributions, early-withdrawal penalties before 59½, Roth conversions or Form 8606 records for nondeductible money.
  • Taking money out over many years, rather than all at once, can change the tax you pay. The single retirement rate is a simplification.

Frequently asked questions

What is the traditional IRA limit for 2026?

It's $7,500, or $8,600 if you're 50 or older by the end of the year. The limit is shared across all your IRAs, traditional and Roth. You also can't put in more than your taxable pay from work.

Can I deduct my IRA contribution if I have a 401(k)?

Sometimes. For 2026, a covered single filer gets the full deduction with MAGI up to $81,000. It shrinks to nothing at $91,000. Joint filers who are covered phase out between $129,000 and $149,000.

Is it worth contributing if I can't deduct it?

The growth is still tax-deferred, meaning it isn't taxed until you take it out. But a Roth IRA usually beats a nondeductible traditional IRA, if your income allows one. Roth growth can come out tax-free.

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 2026 contributions can usually be made until April 2027.

What does the after-tax value mean?

Withdrawals from a traditional IRA are taxed as income. The after-tax value takes the balance and subtracts tax at your retirement rate. Your nondeductible contributions are left out of that tax. It's the spending power the account gives you.

Sources

How this calculator is checked

Method: IRS Pub. 590-A Worksheet 1-2 (reduced IRA deduction) with 2026 limits and phase-out ranges from IRS Notice 2025-67 (src/lib/finance/tax-2026.ts); yearly future-value recursion with end-of-year contributions; after-tax value with nondeductible basis returned tax-free. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-26. Found a problem? Tell us.

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