Roth IRA Contribution & Growth Calculator

Project tax-free retirement wealth with 2026 IRS limits

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Roth IRA Contribution & Growth Calculator is a free, browser-based tool that lets you project tax-free retirement wealth with 2026 irs limits — with zero signup, zero installation. Your data never leaves your browser. Part of 111+ free developer and business tools at wowhow.cloud, built and maintained by a team with 14+ years of hands-on development experience.

TOOLRoth IRA Contribution & Growth Calculator

Current Age

Retirement Age

Current Roth IRA Balance$10,000

$0$500K

Annual Contribution$7,000

$0$7,000 limit

2026 limit: $7,000 (under 50) / $8,000 (age 50+). Currently age 30 → limit is $7,000.

Expected Annual Return7%

1%Conservative 4%S&P avg 7%15%

Filing Status

Modified AGI (MAGI)$90,000

2026 phase-out: Single $150,000 – $165,000

Fully Eligible

Your MAGI is below the phase-out threshold. You can contribute up to $7,000.

Projected Balance at Retirement

$1,074,424

Years

Tax-Free

100%

Eff. Return

7.0%

Total Contributions

$255,000

your money in

Total Growth

$819,424

tax-free earnings

Tax-Free Withdrawal

$1,074,424

Roth IRA advantage

Annual Contribution

$7,000

2026 allowed

Contributions vs Growth

Contributions

$255,000

Tax-Free Growth

$819,424

Growth is 321% of total contributions — all tax-free at withdrawal.

Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA

Assuming 22% tax rate on Traditional IRA withdrawals

Roth IRA

After-tax contributions → tax-free growth & withdrawal

$1,074,424

Traditional IRA

Pre-tax contributions → taxed at withdrawal (22%)

$838,051

Roth advantage (after-tax)

+$236,373

Roth IRA$1,074,424

Traditional IRA (after tax)$838,051

Year-by-Year Projection

First 5 years + every 5 years

Year	Age	Balance	Contributions	Growth
1	31	$17,700	$17,000	$700
2	32	$25,939	$24,000	$1,939
3	33	$34,755	$31,000	$3,755
4	34	$44,188	$38,000	$6,188
5	35	$54,281	$45,000	$9,281
10	40	$116,387	$80,000	$36,387
15	45	$203,493	$115,000	$88,493
20	50	$325,665	$150,000	$175,665
25	55	$497,018	$185,000	$312,018
30	60	$737,348	$220,000	$517,348
35	65	$1,074,424	$255,000	$819,424

Projections are estimates only. Based on 2026 IRS contribution limits and phase-out thresholds. Assumes constant annual return — actual investment returns vary. The Roth vs Traditional comparison assumes a 22% marginal tax rate at withdrawal; your actual rate may differ. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making retirement account decisions.

About Roth IRA Contribution & Growth Calculator

A Roth IRA is one of the most powerful tax-free retirement accounts available to American workers. Unlike a 401(k) or Traditional IRA, Roth contributions are made after tax — so every dollar of growth, dividends, and withdrawals in retirement is completely tax-free. This calculator applies 2026 IRS contribution limits, checks your MAGI against the phase-out thresholds, and projects your balance year by year so you can see the compounding effect of tax-free growth over a multi-decade horizon.

How It Works

The calculator starts with your current Roth IRA balance and adds your planned annual contribution at the end of each year. Growth is compounded annually at the expected return rate: Balance(n) = Balance(n-1) × (1 + r) + Contribution, where r is the annual return.

Eligibility is checked against 2026 IRS phase-out thresholds. For single filers, the contribution is proportionally reduced between $150,000 and $165,000 MAGI — rounding to the nearest $10 per IRS rules with a $200 minimum. For married filing jointly, the range is $236,000–$246,000. Above the upper limit, direct Roth contributions are not allowed.

The Roth vs Traditional IRA comparison assumes both accounts grow identically (same return rate, same nominal contributions), but the Traditional IRA balance is multiplied by (1 − 0.22) at retirement to simulate a 22% federal tax on all withdrawals. If your actual expected retirement tax rate is different, the advantage calculation scales linearly — each 1% higher tax rate on Traditional adds approximately 1% more advantage to Roth.

Who Is This For

A 28-year-old software engineer earning $95,000 who wants to see how maxing out a Roth IRA at $7,000/year from age 28 to 65 at 7% return compares to investing in a taxable brokerage account.

A 52-year-old with $85,000 already saved checking whether the $8,000 catch-up contribution limit applies and how much more she can accumulate by age 67 versus retiring at 65.

A married couple earning combined $240,000 MAGI seeing their contribution limit reduced to the partial phase-out amount and calculating the exact reduced contribution for 2026.

A 35-year-old deciding between contributing to a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA, comparing the after-tax withdrawal values at age 65 under the 22% tax rate assumption.

A high earner researching the Backdoor Roth IRA who wants to understand the long-term value difference versus leaving the same amount in a taxable investment account.

Scope note: This calculator models a single fixed annual return rate. Real investment returns vary year to year and are not guaranteed. The Roth vs Traditional comparison assumes a flat 22% tax rate at withdrawal — your actual marginal rate in retirement will depend on total income, Social Security, RMDs from other accounts, and future tax law changes. Contribution limits and phase-out thresholds are indexed by the IRS and may change annually. This tool does not model Roth conversions, Backdoor Roth IRA mechanics, or inherited IRA rules. Consult a qualified financial planner for personalized retirement advice.

How to Use

Enter your current age and target retirement age

Add your current Roth IRA balance and planned annual contribution

Select your filing status and enter your MAGI to check 2026 eligibility

Set your expected annual return rate (default 7% — S&P 500 historical average)

View projected balance, tax-free growth, year-by-year table, and Roth vs Traditional comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

$7,000 per year if you are under age 50. $8,000 per year if you are age 50 or older (the $1,000 catch-up contribution). These limits apply to the total across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined — not per account.

For 2026, single filers begin phasing out at $150,000 MAGI and are fully ineligible above $165,000. Married filing jointly filers phase out between $236,000 and $246,000. If your income exceeds the limit, consider a Backdoor Roth IRA conversion.

A Backdoor Roth IRA is a strategy for high earners who exceed the direct contribution income limit. You make a non-deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA (no income limit), then convert it to a Roth IRA. Be aware of the pro-rata rule if you have pre-tax IRA balances elsewhere.

Contributions are made with after-tax dollars — you get no upfront deduction. In return, qualified withdrawals in retirement (after age 59½ and after the account has been open 5+ years) are completely tax-free, including all investment earnings. This is the core Roth advantage over Traditional IRA.

Contributions (not earnings) can be withdrawn at any time without tax or penalty — you already paid tax on them. Earnings are penalty-free and tax-free after age 59½ AND after the account has been open at least 5 years (the 5-year rule). Early withdrawal of earnings may trigger a 10% penalty plus income tax.

A Roth IRA is generally better if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you are now — you pay tax today at the lower rate and pay nothing later. A Traditional IRA is generally better if you are in a high bracket now and expect a lower bracket in retirement, since you defer tax to the lower-rate years. The calculator shows the after-tax comparison assuming a 22% withdrawal tax on the Traditional IRA.

All calculations happen entirely in your browser. No personal or financial data is sent to any server.