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Calculator Answers

Roth IRA Calculator

Source: IRS Notice 2025-67, announced in IR-2025-111 on 13 November 2025, for the 2026 IRA contribution limit, catch-up and Roth income phase-out ranges · Source verified August 22, 2026

Blake Boege
Written by Blake Boege · Founder, Calculator Answers

A Roth IRA calculator is a retirement planning tool that models the tax-free growth of a Roth Individual Retirement Account over a specific period. It compounds an initial balance and annual contributions at a chosen annual rate of return. Since qualified withdrawals from a Roth IRA in retirement are not subject to federal income tax, this calculation demonstrates the potential accumulation of post-tax wealth. Individuals use it to evaluate saving milestones and optimize retirement contributions.

Estimate the future value of a Roth IRA from your current balance, annual contributions, expected return, and time horizon. We show total contributions, growth, and a year-by-year projection.

See also: IRA Calculator, 401k Calculator, and Compound Interest Calculator.

Quick Answer

Project the future value of your Roth IRA from your current balance, annual contributions, expected return, and years until retirement.

$

What's already in the account today. · e.g. 10,000

$

The amount you plan to contribute each year. Use whatever fits your plan — IRS limits change yearly. · e.g. 6,500

Whole years of compounding before withdrawal. · e.g. 30

%

Long-run S&P returns have averaged 6–10% before inflation. Your mileage will vary. · e.g. 7

If filled in, the year-by-year table includes your age each year. · e.g. 30

Projected balance

Estimated value after 30 years

$784,578.45

7% annual return · end-of-year contributions

Starting balance$10,000.00
Total contributions$225,000.00
Estimated growth$549,578.45
Annual contribution$7,500.00

Estimates only. Not financial, tax, or investment advice. Roth IRA contribution limits, income phase-outs, and withdrawal rules are set by the IRS and change over time — verify your eligibility before contributing.

Year-by-year projection

YearAgeContributionsGrowthBalance
131$7,500.00$700.00$18,200.00
232$7,500.00$1,274.00$26,974.00
333$7,500.00$1,888.18$36,362.18
434$7,500.00$2,545.35$46,407.53
535$7,500.00$3,248.53$57,156.06
636$7,500.00$4,000.92$68,656.98
737$7,500.00$4,805.99$80,962.97
838$7,500.00$5,667.41$94,130.38
939$7,500.00$6,589.13$108,219.51
1040$7,500.00$7,575.37$123,294.87
1141$7,500.00$8,630.64$139,425.51
1242$7,500.00$9,759.79$156,685.30
1343$7,500.00$10,967.97$175,153.27
1444$7,500.00$12,260.73$194,914.00
1545$7,500.00$13,643.98$216,057.98
1646$7,500.00$15,124.06$238,682.04
1747$7,500.00$16,707.74$262,889.78
1848$7,500.00$18,402.28$288,792.07
1949$7,500.00$20,215.44$316,507.51
2050$7,500.00$22,155.53$346,163.04
2151$7,500.00$24,231.41$377,894.45
2252$7,500.00$26,452.61$411,847.06
2353$7,500.00$28,829.29$448,176.36
2454$7,500.00$31,372.34$487,048.70
2555$7,500.00$34,093.41$528,642.11
2656$7,500.00$37,004.95$573,147.06
2757$7,500.00$40,120.29$620,767.35
2858$7,500.00$43,453.71$671,721.07
2959$7,500.00$47,020.47$726,241.54
3060$7,500.00$50,836.91$784,578.45
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Examples

$10k start, $6.5k/yr, 7%, 30 yrs

≈ $690,000 future value

$0 start, $6k/yr, 7%, 40 yrs

≈ $1.20M future value

$50k start, $7k/yr, 6%, 25 yrs

≈ $599,000 future value

$25k start, $5k/yr, 8%, 20 yrs

≈ $345,000 future value

How it works

Formula · Balance = start x (1 + r)^years + contribution x ((1 + r)^years - 1) / r. The growth arithmetic is an ordinary annuity and needs no source; the contribution limits do, and change annually

We compound the current balance forward year by year, then add the annual contribution at the end of each year. The future value includes both your contributions and the cumulative investment growth.

balanceₙ · balanceₙ₋₁ × (1 + r) + contribution

FV · P(1 + r)ⁿ + C × ((1 + r)ⁿ − 1) / r

The growth row in the result panel is the future value minus your starting balance and total contributions — the part that compound interest did the work for.

What is a Roth IRA?

A Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is a retirement savings account where you contribute money you've already paid taxes on. The trade-off: your investments grow tax-free AND your withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. This contrasts with a traditional IRA, where contributions are tax-deductible now but withdrawals are taxed in retirement.

Roth IRAs are most beneficial when you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you are now. Younger workers, people early in their careers, and anyone expecting future tax rates to rise are typical Roth IRA candidates.

Key Features:

  • Annual contribution limit (2026): $7,500 if under 50; $8,600 if 50 or older (includes $1,100 catch-up contribution)
  • Income limits apply (2026 phase-out starts at $153,000 for single filers, $242,000 for married filing jointly)
  • Contributions can be withdrawn anytime tax-free and penalty-free
  • Investment earnings withdrawn before age 59½ may be taxed and penalized
  • No required minimum distributions (RMDs) during the account holder's lifetime
  • Can be passed to heirs tax-free under most circumstances

Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA

The choice between Roth and Traditional IRA usually comes down to current vs. future tax rates:

Roth IRA (pay taxes NOW):

  • Contributions made with after-tax money (no immediate tax deduction)
  • Investment growth is tax-free
  • Withdrawals in retirement are tax-free (if rules are followed)
  • Best when you expect higher tax rates in retirement
  • Best for younger workers, early-career people, and lower-income earners

Traditional IRA (pay taxes LATER):

  • Contributions may be tax-deductible (lowering current year's tax bill)
  • Investment growth is tax-deferred
  • Withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income
  • Best when you expect lower tax rates in retirement
  • Best for higher-income earners now who anticipate lower retirement income

RULE OF THUMB: If your current tax rate is below your expected retirement tax rate, choose Roth. If your current rate is higher than your expected retirement rate, choose Traditional. If unsure, splitting contributions between both gives tax diversification.

Roth IRA contribution limits and rules

2026 Contribution Limits:

  • Under 50 (2026): $7,500 per year
  • 50 or older (2026): $8,600 per year, including an $1,100 catch-up contribution

Income limits for full contribution (2026):

  • Single filers (2026): up to $153,000 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)
  • Married filing jointly (2026): up to $242,000 MAGI
  • Above these thresholds, the contribution limit phases out (phase-out ranges: $153,000–$168,000 for single/head of household, $242,000–$252,000 for married filing jointly)
  • Single filers earning over $168,000 cannot contribute directly (consider backdoor Roth IRA)
  • Married filers over $252,000 cannot contribute directly

Contribution Deadlines:

  • You have until April 15 of the following year to make contributions for the current tax year
  • Can contribute for both years between January 1 and April 15

Key Rules to Remember:

  • Contributions can be withdrawn tax-free, penalty-free anytime
  • Earnings withdrawn before age 59½ AND before 5 years from first contribution face 10% penalty plus income tax
  • After age 59½ AND 5-year rule met, all withdrawals are completely tax-free
  • No required minimum distributions during your lifetime

What a Roth IRA could grow to at 7%

The table below projects the growth of a Roth IRA starting with a $0 balance under different annual contribution levels, assuming a constant 7% annual return.

Annual Contribution10 Years20 Years30 Years40 Years
$3,000$41,400$123,000$283,400$598,900
$6,000$82,900$246,000$566,800$1,197,800
$7,500 (Max)$103,600$307,500$708,500$1,497,300

Note: This assumes a constant 7% return and current contribution staying flat.

Working the projection by hand

The arithmetic is an ordinary annuity with a starting balance. Nothing more sophisticated is happening, and seeing it once makes the limits obvious.

  1. Grow whatever you start with: start × (1 + r)^years.
  2. Grow the stream of contributions: contribution × ((1 + r)^years − 1) ÷ r.
  3. Add the two.

At $7,500 a year for 30 years at 7%, starting from zero: 1.07 to the 30th is 7.612255, minus 1 is 6.612255, divided by 0.07 is 94.460786, times $7,500 is $708,456. Start with $10,000 instead of nothing and that $10,000 becomes $76,123 on its own, for $784,578 in total.

Note what step 2 assumes: one contribution a year, made at the end of the year, every year, without fail. Contribute monthly instead and the same annual total ends up slightly higher because each instalment compounds a little longer.

Every figure here that changes annually, with its year

Retirement numbers are re-set each year for inflation, so a figure without a year attached to it is not usable. These are the 2026 amounts, set by IRS Notice 2025-67 and announced in IR-2025-111 on 13 November 2025:

  • Contribution limit $7,500, up from $7,000 for 2025.
  • Catch-up from the year you turn 50: $1,100, up from $1,000, for $8,600 in total.
  • Roth phase-out, single and head of household: $153,000 to $168,000.
  • Roth phase-out, married filing jointly: $242,000 to $252,000.

The phase-out uses MODIFIED adjusted gross income, which is not a line on your return: it begins at AGI and adds certain items back. Inside the range the permitted contribution is reduced rather than cut off. This calculator does not ask for your income and does not model any of it.

Where the projection stops being useful

  • A constant return is the biggest assumption. Markets do not deliver the same number every year, and when you are contributing along the way the ORDER matters: the same average return arriving in a different sequence produces a different balance, because early contributions compound for longer.
  • The tool does not know the limit. It projects whatever contribution you type. It will not cap you at $7,500, will not stop at any age, and does not know whether you have the earned income that contributing requires.
  • Nothing here is in today's money. A balance thirty years out is a nominal figure. At 3% inflation it buys about 41% of what the same number buys now.
  • Fees are absent. An expense ratio or an advisory fee comes off the return you typed, and over thirty years a single percentage point is a large fraction of the end balance.

What this page will not do

It computes a balance from three numbers you supply and takes no position on whether a Roth suits you, whether it beats a traditional IRA or a 401(k), or what to invest the account in. That comparison turns on your tax rate now against your tax rate in retirement, which nobody knows, plus state taxes, required minimum distributions and your own circumstances. None of those is an input here, and a calculator that pretended otherwise would be guessing on your behalf.

Nothing you type leaves this page. The arithmetic runs in your browser. Your contribution, return and horizon are not sent to a server, are not written into the address bar, and are gone when you close the tab. There are no accounts and nothing to sign up for.

Related tools

Estimate, not advice. This is a calculator, not financial, tax, or investment advice. Roth IRA contribution limits and income phase-outs are set by the IRS and change over time — verify the current rules and your eligibility before contributing.

Sources: IRS Publication 590-A and the IRS 2026 contribution-limit announcement (irs.gov). Last reviewed: June 2026.

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Frequently asked questions

A Roth IRA is a U.S. retirement account funded with after-tax dollars. Contributions don't reduce your taxable income today, but qualified withdrawals in retirement — including all investment growth — are tax-free. That makes it a powerful long-term compounding vehicle if you expect your tax rate to be the same or higher in retirement.

We compound the current balance at the expected annual return rate, then add the annual contribution at the end of each year. Mathematically: each year's balance = previous balance × (1 + r) + contribution. The figure shown is in today's dollars before taxes and inflation — Roth withdrawals are tax-free in retirement, but inflation will reduce the real purchasing power.

The S&P 500 has averaged roughly 10% annual nominal return historically, or about 6–7% after inflation. Lower stock allocations and bond-heavier mixes target lower returns. The default of 7% reflects a typical real return assumption. Your actual return will vary year to year and is not guaranteed.

Yes — the IRS sets annual Roth IRA contribution limits and they change periodically. There are also income-based phase-outs that can reduce or eliminate your eligibility. We don't enforce a limit in the input box because the figure depends on the current year and your filing status — verify the current limit and your eligibility on the IRS website before contributing.

Maximum it out if you can — $7,500/year (under 50) or $8,600/year (50+), the 2026 limits set by IRS Notice 2025-67 (announced in IR-2025-111 on 13 November 2025) in 2026. If you can't max it, contribute at least enough to take full advantage of the tax-free growth. Even $50-100/month builds significant retirement savings over decades. The biggest mistake is not contributing at all.

A 401k is an employer-sponsored retirement account (often with employer match). A Roth IRA is an individual account you open yourself. Many people have both — contribute to your 401k up to the employer match (free money), then to a Roth IRA up to the limit, then back to the 401k if you have more to save. Roth IRAs offer more investment flexibility than most 401ks.

Yes, with caveats. Your CONTRIBUTIONS (the money you put in) can be withdrawn anytime tax-free and penalty-free. Your EARNINGS (investment growth) withdrawn before age 59½ AND before 5 years from first contribution typically face a 10% penalty plus income tax. Exceptions include first home purchase ($10,000 lifetime), qualified education expenses, and certain hardships.

A backdoor Roth IRA is a strategy for high earners who exceed the income limits for direct Roth contributions. You contribute to a traditional (non-deductible) IRA, then convert it to a Roth IRA. The conversion is taxable on any earnings, but allows access to Roth benefits regardless of income. Consult a tax professional before doing this — the "pro-rata rule" can create unexpected tax bills if you have other traditional IRA money.

Two requirements: (1) you must be at least 59½, AND (2) at least 5 years must have passed since your first Roth IRA contribution. Both conditions must be met. Once you satisfy both, all withdrawals — contributions and earnings — are completely tax-free for life.

The calculator uses standard compound growth math with your inputs (annual contribution, expected return, time horizon). It assumes consistent contributions and a steady annual return — real returns vary year to year. Use the calculator for planning estimates; actual results depend on market performance, contribution consistency, and tax law changes.

For 2026, the Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,500 if you are under age 50, and $8,600 if you are age 50 or older (which includes a $1,100 catch-up contribution). These limits are subject to income phase-outs starting at $153,000 for single filers and $242,000 for married couples filing jointly.

A Roth IRA will grow to approximately $307,500 in 20 years if you contribute the maximum limit of $7,500 annually and earn a constant 7% annual return, starting from a $0 balance. Actual growth will depend on your contribution consistency, the specific investments chosen, and market fluctuations.

The 2026 limits, set by IRS Notice 2025-67 and announced in IR-2025-111 on 13 November 2025: $7,500 a year, or $8,600 from the year you turn 50, because the catch-up is $1,100. These are INDEXED, meaning they are re-set annually for inflation, so a figure without a year attached to it is not usable. For contrast the 2025 limits were $7,000 and $1,000. If you are reading this in a later year, check the current notice rather than trusting the number here.

For 2026 the Roth contribution phase-out runs from $153,000 to $168,000 for single filers and heads of household, and from $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly, per the same IRS notice. The income they use is MODIFIED adjusted gross income, which is not the number on any single line of your return: it starts from AGI and adds certain items back. Inside the range your permitted contribution is reduced rather than eliminated. This calculator does not model the phase-out and does not ask for your income.

No, and that is worth being explicit about. The calculator multiplies out whatever annual contribution you type for however many years you type at whatever return you type. It does not cap the contribution at the limit, does not stop contributions at any age, does not model the phase-out, and does not know whether you have earned income at all, which is a statutory requirement for contributing. If you enter more than the limit it will happily project it.

No. The arithmetic runs in this page in your browser. Your contribution, return and time horizon are not sent to a server, are not written into the address bar, and are gone when you close the tab. There are no accounts and nothing to sign up for.