A Roth IRA is funded with money you have already paid tax on. In return, growth and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. The catch is that your income decides whether you can contribute at all. This Roth IRA calculator answers both questions. It applies the 2026 IRS income phase-out to find your personal contribution limit, then projects how the account could grow by the time you retire.
How to use the Roth IRA calculator
- Pick your filing status and enter your modified AGI. For most people that is the adjusted gross income on Form 1040, with any Roth conversion income left out.
- Enter your current age, the age you plan to retire and any current Roth balance.
- Enter the contribution you plan each year. If it is more than you are allowed, the calculator uses the allowed amount and tells you.
- Set an annual return. Optionally, enter the tax rate a regular brokerage account would pay on the same gains, to see what the Roth’s tax-free growth is worth.
2026 contribution limits and phase-out
The IRS sets the limits each year. The 2026 figures come from IRS Notice 2025-67:
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Contribution limit, under 50 | $7,500 |
| Contribution limit, 50 and older | $8,600 ($7,500 + $1,100 catch-up) |
| Single / head of household phase-out | $153,000 – $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly phase-out | $242,000 – $252,000 |
| Married filing separately phase-out | $0 – $10,000 |
Inside the range, the allowed amount shrinks in a straight line:
Round the result up to the next $10, and allow $200 whenever the result is above zero but below $200. Your contribution also cannot exceed your taxable compensation for the year. A spouse with no earnings can still contribute through a spousal IRA if you file jointly.
Worked example
A 35-year-old single filer with a modified AGI of $158,000 sits $5,000 into the $15,000-wide phase-out range:
- Allowed: $7,500 × ($168,000 − $158,000) ÷ $15,000 = $5,000 for 2026.
- Starting from $15,000 and contributing the allowed amount each January at a 7% return, the account reaches about $639,446 at 65.
- Contributions total $161,100. That includes the larger allowance after age 50, which this phase-out position limits to $5,740. The other $463,346 is earnings that are never taxed if the withdrawals are qualified.
- At a 15% capital-gains rate, a taxable account would owe roughly $69,500 on the same gains.
Starting earlier makes the biggest difference
$7,500 a year at 7%, starting from zero, retiring at 65:
| Start at age | Contributions | Balance at 65 |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $300,000 | $1,602,072 |
| 35 | $225,000 | $758,048 |
| 45 | $150,000 | $328,989 |
| 55 | $75,000 | $110,877 |
When a Roth IRA makes the most sense
A Roth pays off most when your tax rate in retirement will be the same as or higher than today. That often describes early-career workers, people who expect large pensions or required distributions, and anyone who wants tax-free money to draw on alongside taxable income. If your current rate is high and you expect a lower one later, a deductible traditional IRA may leave you with more. The Roth vs. traditional calculator runs that comparison, and the traditional IRA calculator checks whether your contribution would be deductible.
If your income is above the range, you cannot contribute directly. Some taxpayers instead make a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution and convert it. Because the IRS pro-rata rule treats all your pre-tax IRA balances together, that conversion can be partly taxable. Roth IRAs also have no required minimum distributions during the owner’s lifetime, which makes them useful for estate planning.
Estimates only, not tax or investment advice. Contribution rules depend on your full tax situation; IRS Publication 590-A is the authoritative source.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I contribute to a Roth IRA in 2026?
Up to $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, as long as you have at least that much taxable compensation. The limit is shared with traditional IRAs, so $7,500 is the total across all your IRAs, not per account.
What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?
For single and head-of-household filers the allowed contribution phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of modified AGI. For married couples filing jointly the range is $242,000 to $252,000. Married people filing separately who lived together during the year phase out between $0 and $10,000.
How is a reduced contribution calculated?
Multiply your normal limit by the share of the phase-out range you have not used up. Then round up to the next $10, and if the result is positive but under $200, you may contribute $200. A single filer under 50 with $158,000 of MAGI can put in $7,500 × $10,000 ÷ $15,000 = $5,000.
Can I take money out of a Roth IRA before retirement?
Your contributions can come out at any time without tax or penalty. Earnings are tax-free only in a qualified distribution, which generally means you are at least 59½ and your first Roth contribution was at least five tax years ago. Otherwise earnings may face income tax and a 10% additional tax.
What is the deadline for a 2026 contribution?
You can contribute for 2026 until the federal filing deadline in April 2027, not counting extensions. Tell the custodian which year the deposit is for when you contribute between January and April.