# How will my Roth IRA grow?

Projects a Roth IRA balance at retirement from yearly contributions within the IRS limit and income phase-out, and compares it with a taxable account.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/roth-ira-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/roth-ira-calculator.json
- Version: f394f384b870

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Your age 30, Retirement age 65, Roth IRA balance today $10,000.00, Yearly contribution $7,500.00, Modified adjusted gross income $90,000.00, Tax filing status Single, Expected yearly return 7%, Tax rate on a taxable account 22%): At 7% a year, your Roth IRA grows to $1,216,116.76 by age 65, $365,531.59 more than the same money in a taxable account.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| age | Your age | Your age at the end of this year. |
| retire | Retirement age | The age you stop contributing. Contributions run for (retirement age − your age) years. |
| balance | Roth IRA balance today | What is in your Roth IRA now. |
| contrib | Yearly contribution | What you plan to put in each year. The calculator lowers it to your IRS limit if it is more. |
| magi | Modified adjusted gross income | Your modified AGI for Roth IRA purposes. Above a limit, the most you can put in is reduced. |
| status | Tax filing status | Single (also head of household, or married filing separately and living apart all year), married filing jointly, or married filing separately and living together. |
| rate | Expected yearly return | The yearly return. It stays the same every year. |
| tax | Tax rate on a taxable account | The tax rate on the returns of a taxable account, paid every year, for the comparison. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| total | At retirement your Roth IRA holds | The Roth IRA balance at the end of the last year before retirement. |
| contributions | Your contributions | Every contribution from now until retirement, after the IRS limit. |
| growth | Tax-free growth | The balance at retirement minus today’s balance and your contributions. |
| taxable | Same money in a taxable account | The balance if the same money had been in an account whose returns are taxed every year. |
| advantage | Roth IRA advantage | The Roth IRA balance minus the taxable account balance. |
| allowed | Most you can put in this year | Your 2026 Roth IRA limit at your age and income, after the income phase-out. |

## Method

Each year, contribution = min(your amount, the IRS limit after the income phase-out), added at the start of the year; the Roth balance grows by (1 + R) and a taxable account by (1 + R × (1 − tax rate)).

## Assumptions

- The 2026 IRS limit and income ranges stay the same in later years, and your income stays the same.
- Your taxable pay is at least your contribution.
- Contributions are made at the start of each year.
- The return stays the same every year. Real returns go up and down.
- The taxable account pays tax on all its returns each year at one rate; the Roth IRA pays none.
- Withdrawals are assumed to be qualified (age 59½ or older and the account at least 5 years old), so they are tax-free.
- This is an estimate for planning, not financial advice.

## Worked examples

1. age = 30, retire = 31, balance = $0.00, contrib = $6,000.00, magi = $100,000.00, status = single, rate = 10%, tax = 22% gives total = $6,600.00, taxable = $6,468.00, advantage = $132.00, allowed = $7,500.00. Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: 6,000 × 1.10; 6,000 × (1 + 0.10 × 0.78).
2. age = 40, retire = 41, balance = $0.00, contrib = $7,500.00, magi = $155,555.00, status = single, rate = 0%, tax = 0% gives allowed = $6,230.00, contributions = $6,230.00. Source: IRS Publication 590-A Worksheet 2-2 with the 2026 single range $153,000 to $168,000; hand calculation.
3. age = 55, retire = 56, balance = $0.00, contrib = $10,000.00, magi = $250,000.00, status = joint, rate = 0%, tax = 0% gives allowed = $1,720.00, contributions = $1,720.00. Source: IRS Publication 590-A Worksheet 2-2 with the 2026 joint range $242,000 to $252,000 and the $8,600 limit at 50.
4. age = 40, retire = 41, balance = $0.00, contrib = $7,500.00, magi = $167,900.00, status = single, rate = 0%, tax = 0% gives allowed = $200.00. Source: IRS Publication 590-A Worksheet 2-2, line 8: a result under $200 becomes $200.
5. age = 30, retire = 60, balance = $10,000.00, contrib = $7,500.00, magi = $90,000.00, status = single, rate = 7%, tax = 22% gives total = $834,170.36, contributions = $225,000.00. Source: hand calculation in content.mdx.

## FAQ

### How much can I put in a Roth IRA in 2026?

For 2026 the IRA limit is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (a $1,100 catch-up). The limit is shared by all your traditional and Roth IRAs, and it is reduced if your income is in the Roth IRA phase-out range.

### What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?

The limit phases out for modified AGI from $153,000 to $168,000 if you are single or head of household, and from $242,000 to $252,000 if you are married filing jointly. If you are married filing separately and lived with your spouse during the year, it phases out from $0 to $10,000. At or above the top of your range you cannot put money in a Roth IRA directly.

### How is the reduced limit worked out?

With IRS Worksheet 2-2: take your MAGI minus the start of your range, divide by the width of the range ($15,000 single, $10,000 joint or separate), multiply your full limit by that, and subtract it from the full limit. Round up to the next $10. If the answer is under $200 but your MAGI is still below the top of the range, you can put in $200.

### Why compare with a taxable account?

In a Roth IRA, growth is tax-free when you take qualified withdrawals. In an ordinary taxable account, you pay tax on interest, dividends, and gains. The comparison taxes the taxable account’s whole return every year at the rate you enter, which is a simple way to see what the tax-free growth is worth.

### When can I take money out of a Roth IRA tax-free?

Your own contributions can come out at any time. Earnings come out tax-free in a qualified distribution: generally after age 59½ and at least 5 years after your first Roth IRA contribution. Other withdrawals of earnings may be taxed and may carry a 10% additional tax.

### Do I have to take required minimum distributions from a Roth IRA?

No. The original owner of a Roth IRA does not have to take required minimum distributions. Beneficiaries who inherit one may have to.

## Sources

- Internal Revenue Service, IR-2025-111 (November 13, 2025): IRA limit increases to $7,500 for 2026, with the Roth IRA income ranges. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), Table 2-1 and Worksheet 2-2. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), chapter 2. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b
- Internal Revenue Service, Roth IRAs. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-iras
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov: Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/investment-accounts/tax-advantaged-accounts/retirement-savings/individual-retirement-accounts-iras