Roth IRA calculator: what will your tax-free account grow to?
Enter your age, what you have and what you plan to put in each year. The calculator applies the 2026 limit ($7,500, or $8,600 at 50 and over), checks the income phase-out, and projects the balance year by year.
1 · You
2 · The account
Last updated September 29, 2026. 2026 limits from IRS Notice 2025-67.
A Roth IRA calculator projects what your after-tax contributions can grow to, tax-free. For 2026 you can put in up to $7,500 ($8,600 if you are 50 or older), as long as your modified AGI is under $153,000 single or $242,000 married filing jointly. Example: $7,500 a year for 30 years at 6% grows to about $628,513, all of it tax-free after 59½.
How much can I contribute to a Roth IRA in 2026?
The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500, up from $7,000 in 2025. If you are 50 or older by December 31, 2026 you can add a $1,100 catch-up, for $8,600. The limit is shared across all your IRAs, traditional and Roth together, and you can’t contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year. Contributions for 2026 can be made until the April 15, 2027 filing deadline.
| 2026 figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Contribution limit, under 50 | $7,500 |
| Contribution limit, 50 and over | $8,600 |
| Full contribution if MAGI is below: single / head of household | $153,000 |
| No direct contribution at or above: single / head of household | $168,000 |
| Full contribution if MAGI is below: married filing jointly | $242,000 |
| No direct contribution at or above: married filing jointly | $252,000 |
| Married filing separately (lived with spouse) phase-out | $0 to $10,000 |
What happens if my income is inside the phase-out range?
Your limit shrinks in proportion to how far into the range you are, rounded up to the next $10, with a $200 minimum (IRS Publication 590-A, Worksheet 2-2). The calculator does this automatically.
Worked example. Single, age 40, MAGI $160,500. That is $7,500 into a $15,000-wide range, or 50%.
$7,500 × 50% = $3,750 reduction. $7,500 − $3,750 = $3,750 allowed for 2026.
How much will my Roth IRA be worth at retirement?
It depends on three things you control (how early you start, how much you put in, how long you leave it) and one you don’t (the return). Here is $7,500 a year, contributed at the start of each year, at three assumed returns:
| Years contributing | At 4% | At 6% | At 8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years ($75,000 in) | $93,648 | $104,787 | $117,341 |
| 20 years ($150,000 in) | $232,269 | $292,445 | $370,672 |
| 30 years ($225,000 in) | $437,463 | $628,513 | $917,594 |
| 40 years ($300,000 in) | $741,199 | $1,230,358 | $2,098,358 |
These are arithmetic, not forecasts. Real returns vary year to year, and a bad decade near the end matters more than a bad decade at the start.
When can I take money out of a Roth IRA?
- Your contributions: any time, for any reason, with no tax or penalty. They come out first (IRS ordering rules).
- Earnings: tax-free once you are 59½ and it has been at least five tax years since your first Roth IRA contribution. That is a “qualified distribution” under IRC §408A(d)(2).
- Earnings taken early: taxed as income and usually subject to the 10% additional tax, unless an exception applies (disability, up to $10,000 for a first home, and others listed in Pub 590-B).
- No RMDs: the original owner never has to take required minimum distributions from a Roth IRA.
Roth IRA or traditional IRA: which is better?
A traditional IRA may give you a deduction now and taxes you later; a Roth gives no deduction now and no tax later. If your tax rate in retirement will be higher than today, the Roth usually wins; if lower, the traditional usually wins. Tax-free Roth withdrawals also don’t count toward the income that makes Social Security taxable or that sets Medicare IRMAA surcharges, which matters more than most people expect.
What if I earn too much for a Roth IRA?
You can still get money into a Roth by converting. There is no income limit on conversions. A conversion is taxed as income in the year you do it. The Roth conversion calculator shows what a conversion costs and when it pays back; the Roth conversion checklist covers the traps.
Questions people ask
How much can I put in a Roth IRA in 2026?
What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?
How much will $7,500 a year in a Roth IRA grow to?
Is a Roth IRA calculator the same as a Roth conversion calculator?
What is the Roth IRA five-year rule?
Sources
Every figure on this page and where it comes from. Checked September 29, 2026.
- IRS Notice 2025-67 (2026 retirement plan and IRA amounts): $7,500 IRA limit, $1,100 catch-up, Roth phase-out ranges for 2026.
- IRS newsroom: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500: The same 2026 figures in plain language.
- IRS Publication 590-A: Who can contribute to a Roth IRA; Worksheet 2-2 for the reduced limit ($10 round-up, $200 minimum).
- IRS Publication 590-B: Qualified distributions, ordering rules, early-withdrawal exceptions.
- IRC §408A: Roth IRA rules: no RMDs for the owner, qualified distribution = 59½ plus five years.
- IRC §4973: 6% excise tax on excess contributions.
- IRS: Roth IRAs: Overview from the IRS.
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