IRA Calculator
Traditional versus Roth IRA side by side, with the 2026 contribution limit, the deduction and income phase-outs, and your marginal rate now against later.
IRA Calculator: with the default inputs, roth advantage (+) or traditional advantage (−) is $106,360.
Withdrawals before 59½ are generally penalised, so this should be at least 60.
The 2026 limit is $7,500, or $8,600 from age 50.
Drives both the traditional deduction and whether you may contribute to a Roth at all.
A 401(k), 403(b) or pension. If neither you nor a spouse is covered, the traditional deduction is unlimited by income.
Your top federal bracket today.
The honest guess. If you have no idea, use the same rate — the comparison then turns on the phase-outs alone.
After-tax value at withdrawal, Roth minus traditional.
- Which wins
- Roth, by $106,360 of after-tax value.
- Roth — after-tax value at withdrawal
- $708,456
- Traditional — after-tax value, including the side account
- $602,096
- Traditional IRA balance before tax
- $708,456
- Side account from the tax you saved
- $0The traditional deduction frees up cash each year; this invests it in a taxable account.
- Your 2026 contribution limit
- $7,500
- Deductible part of a traditional contribution
- $0
- Roth contribution you're allowed
- $7,500
- Combined marginal rate now
- 22%
- Combined marginal rate in retirement
- 22%
Assumptions
- Contribution limits and every phase-out range are the 2026 figures from IRS Notice 2025-67; the limit is held flat over the horizon rather than indexed to inflation.
- Phase-outs apply the statutory mechanics of 26 U.S.C. §219(g)(2) and §408A(c)(3): ratable reduction, rounded down to the next lowest $10, never reduced below $200 until it reaches zero.
- Contributions are made at the end of each year and both accounts earn the same constant return.
- The traditional side invests its annual tax saving in a taxable account at the same return, with gains taxed once at the capital-gains rate at withdrawal. Annual dividend and interest drag is not modelled.
- Non-deductible traditional contributions create basis that comes out tax-free; the pro-rata rule across other IRAs is not modelled.
- One flat marginal rate is applied in retirement. Required minimum distributions, the taxation of Social Security, and state retirement-income exclusions are not modelled.
- State marginal rates come from the site's own 51-jurisdiction rate schedules, each dated to its source.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Contribution limit, under 50 | $7,500 |
| Contribution limit, 50 and over | $8,600 |
| Traditional deduction phase-out — single / head of household, covered at work | $81,000 – $91,000 |
| Traditional deduction phase-out — married filing jointly, contributor covered | $129,000 – $149,000 |
| Traditional deduction phase-out — contributor not covered, spouse covered | $242,000 – $252,000 |
| Roth phase-out — single / head of household | $153,000 – $168,000 |
| Roth phase-out — married filing jointly | $242,000 – $252,000 |
IRS Notice 2025-67. Married filing separately is $0–$10,000 for both and is not indexed.
| Age | Roth balance | Traditional balance | Side account |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | $7,500 | $7,500 | $0 |
| 37 | $15,525 | $15,525 | $0 |
| 38 | $24,112 | $24,112 | $0 |
| 39 | $33,300 | $33,300 | $0 |
| 40 | $43,131 | $43,131 | $0 |
| 41 | $53,650 | $53,650 | $0 |
| 42 | $64,905 | $64,905 | $0 |
| 43 | $76,949 | $76,949 | $0 |
| 44 | $89,835 | $89,835 | $0 |
| 45 | $103,623 | $103,623 | $0 |
| 46 | $118,377 | $118,377 | $0 |
| 47 | $134,163 | $134,163 | $0 |
How this is worked out
The formula
Contribution limit = $7,500, plus $1,100 from age 50 (2026) Phase-out: allowed = limit × (1 − (MAGI − start) ÷ (end − start)), rounded down to $10, never below $200 until it hits zero Balance = C × [ (1 + r)^n − 1 ] ÷ r Roth after tax = balance Traditional after tax = (balance − non-deductible basis) × (1 − retirement rate) + basis + side account Side account = the annual tax saving invested at the same return, gains taxed at the capital-gains rate
Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.
What you enter
- Current age
- A number.from 18 to 100 · whole numbers only · defaults to 35
- Age you'll withdraw
- Withdrawals before 59½ are generally penalised, so this should be at least 60.from 19 to 110 · whole numbers only · defaults to 65
- Annual contribution
- The 2026 limit is $7,500, or $8,600 from age 50.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 7500
- Modified adjusted gross income
- Drives both the traditional deduction and whether you may contribute to a Roth at all.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 95000
- Filing status
- Choose one of 3 options.Single · Married filing jointly · Head of household
- You're covered by a retirement plan at work
- A 401(k), 403(b) or pension. If neither you nor a spouse is covered, the traditional deduction is unlimited by income.defaults to on
- Your spouse is covered by a plan at work(under More options)
- Only matters when you file jointly and are not covered yourself — a separate, much higher phase-out applies.defaults to off
- Annual return
- A number.a percentage · from -20 to 30 · defaults to 7
- Federal marginal rate now
- Your top federal bracket today.a percentage · from 0 to 60 · defaults to 22
- Federal marginal rate in retirement
- The honest guess. If you have no idea, use the same rate — the comparison then turns on the phase-outs alone.a percentage · from 0 to 60 · defaults to 22
- State(under More options)
- Adds that state's marginal rate to both sides, using its own rate schedule.Alabama · Alaska — no income tax · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida — no income tax · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada — no income tax · New Hampshire — no income tax · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota — no income tax · Tennessee — no income tax · Texas — no income tax · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington — no income tax · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming — no income tax · Skip state tax
- Taxable income in retirement(under More options)
- Used only to find your state marginal rate in retirement.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 60000
- Capital gains rate on the side account(under More options)
- The traditional side invests its tax saving in a taxable account; this taxes the gains at the end.a percentage · from 0 to 40 · defaults to 15
What you get back
- Roth advantage (+) or traditional advantage (−)main answer
- After-tax value at withdrawal, Roth minus traditional.
- Which wins
- Roth — after-tax value at withdrawal
- Traditional — after-tax value, including the side account
- Traditional IRA balance before tax
- Side account from the tax you saved
- The traditional deduction frees up cash each year; this invests it in a taxable account.
- Your 2026 contribution limit
- Deductible part of a traditional contribution
- Roth contribution you're allowed
- Combined marginal rate now
- Combined marginal rate in retirement
What this assumes
- Contribution limits and every phase-out range are the 2026 figures from IRS Notice 2025-67; the limit is held flat over the horizon rather than indexed to inflation.
- Phase-outs apply the statutory mechanics of 26 U.S.C. §219(g)(2) and §408A(c)(3): ratable reduction, rounded down to the next lowest $10, never reduced below $200 until it reaches zero.
- Contributions are made at the end of each year and both accounts earn the same constant return.
- The traditional side invests its annual tax saving in a taxable account at the same return, with gains taxed once at the capital-gains rate at withdrawal. Annual dividend and interest drag is not modelled.
- Non-deductible traditional contributions create basis that comes out tax-free; the pro-rata rule across other IRAs is not modelled.
- One flat marginal rate is applied in retirement. Required minimum distributions, the taxation of Social Security, and state retirement-income exclusions are not modelled.
- State marginal rates come from the site's own 51-jurisdiction rate schedules, each dated to its source.
About this calculator
Traditional and Roth IRAs hold the same investments and differ in exactly one way: when you pay the tax. A traditional contribution may be deductible now and every dollar comes out taxable later; a Roth contribution is never deductible and qualified withdrawals are never taxed. If your marginal rate were identical in both years, the two would produce the same after-tax result to the penny. The entire decision is a bet on which rate is higher.
Why the phase-outs decide it more often than the rates
Both accounts come with income limits, and they are not the same limits. For 2026, a single filer covered by a workplace plan loses the traditional deduction between $81,000 and $91,000 of modified AGI, but can contribute fully to a Roth until $153,000. Between those two points a "traditional" contribution is simply a non-deductible one — no deduction now, taxable growth later, and paperwork on Form 8606 forever. For most people in that band the answer is Roth, and no rate forecast is required.
Above the Roth phase-out entirely — $168,000 single, $252,000 married filing jointly — direct Roth contributions stop. The workaround is a non-deductible traditional contribution converted to Roth, but the pro-rata rule taxes the conversion in proportion to all your pre-tax IRA money, which quietly ruins it for anyone holding a rollover IRA.
How the comparison is made fair
Comparing $7,500 into a Roth with $7,500 into a traditional is not apples to apples: the traditional contribution costs less out of pocket, because it cuts this year's tax bill. This calculator invests that saving in a taxable side account at the same return and taxes its gains at a capital-gains rate at the end. That is the honest version, and it is why the traditional side can win even at equal marginal rates.
How to use it
Enter your age, when you would withdraw, your income, and whether you have a plan at work — that last switch matters more than people expect, because with no workplace plan on either side a traditional contribution is deductible at any income. Under More options, add your state: the calculator pulls that state's own rate schedule to add a state marginal rate to both sides, both today and at your projected retirement income.
Where this breaks down
Future tax rates are unknowable, and the current federal brackets are themselves a matter of legislation. The model uses one flat marginal rate in retirement, where a real withdrawal is stacked on top of Social Security and pension income and can push you through more than one bracket, or trigger the taxation of Social Security itself. It holds the contribution limit flat rather than indexing it, so long horizons understate both accounts. Required minimum distributions from the traditional account are not modelled — they force taxable withdrawals from 73 whether you want them or not, which is itself an argument for the Roth. And state retirement-income exclusions, which several states grant generously, are not applied.
Frequently asked questions
▸How much can I contribute to an IRA in 2026?
$7,500 across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older by the end of the year (IRS Notice 2025-67). You also cannot contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year.
▸Should I choose a traditional or a Roth IRA?
Roth if you expect a higher marginal rate when you withdraw than you pay now, traditional if you expect a lower one. Where you cannot tell, the phase-outs usually decide it: if the deduction is phased out at your income, a traditional contribution buys you nothing today and Roth wins by default.
▸What are the Roth IRA income limits for 2026?
The contribution phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of modified AGI for single filers and heads of household, and between $242,000 and $252,000 for married couples filing jointly. Married filing separately phases out between $0 and $10,000.
▸Can I contribute to an IRA if I have a 401(k)?
Yes, always — the contribution limit is independent of your 401(k). What being covered at work changes is the traditional deduction, which then phases out between $81,000 and $91,000 of modified AGI for single filers and $129,000 to $149,000 for joint filers.
▸What is a backdoor Roth IRA?
A non-deductible traditional IRA contribution followed by a conversion to Roth, used by people above the Roth income limits. The catch is the pro-rata rule: the conversion is taxed in proportion to all your pre-tax IRA balances, so it only works cleanly if you hold no other traditional, SEP or SIMPLE IRA money.
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The questions people ask next to a ira.
Project a Roth IRA's tax-free balance and compare it, for the same take-home cost, with a traditional IRA taxed on withdrawal at your rates now and later.
Project your 401(k) at retirement from salary, contribution rate, employer match and growth within the 2026 IRS deferral limit, and see the employer's share.
Project savings at retirement, the inflation-adjusted income they can sustain, the shortfall vs. your spending goal, and the extra monthly saving to close it.
Required minimum distribution from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, with the beginning age under SECURE 2.0, the tax due and the 25% penalty for missing one.
Estimate 2026 or 2025 federal and state income tax from gross or taxable income and filing status — real brackets for all 50 states and DC, with sources.
Project investment growth with monthly contributions, annual raises, fund expense ratios and inflation — with a yearly split of what you invested vs. earned.