Roth IRA Calculator

Retirement growth comparison

See how a Roth IRA could grow by retirement

Compare the same starting balance and contributions in a Roth IRA and a simplified taxable investment account, year by year.

Roth vs. taxable
Annual schedule
Visible tax assumptions

Investment details

Build your projection

Enter one level annual contribution and a constant return assumption.

Current balanceAnnual contributionper yearFor 2026, the combined traditional and Roth IRA limit is generally $7,500, or $8,600 at age 50+, subject to compensation and Roth eligibility rules.

Current ageRetirement age

Expected annual return%A constant planning assumption, not a forecast or guaranteed return.Taxable-account earnings tax rate%Applied to positive investment earnings each year in the simplified taxable comparison.Annual contribution timingBeginning-of-year contributions receive that year's growth.

Results match the assumptions shown in the form.

Projected Roth IRA balance at age 65$1,066,343

That is $315,098 more than the simplified taxable account under the same principal schedule.

Taxable account at retirement$751,245

Total principal$292,500

Projected Roth advantage$315,098

Modeled taxable earnings tax$152,915

Balance accumulation graph

Roth, taxable account, and principal by age

Projected values in U.S. dollars

Roth IRA$1,066,343
Taxable account$751,245
Total principal$292,500

Retirement comparison

Roth IRA vs. taxable account at age 65

Both columns start with and receive the same after-tax principal.

MeasureRoth IRATaxable account

Balance at age 65$1,066,343$751,245

Total principal$292,500$292,500

Investment growth retained$773,843$458,745

Modeled tax on annual earnings$0$152,915

Under the entered assumptions, the Roth IRA finishes with $315,098 more because the model does not subtract annual investment-income tax inside the Roth IRA.

Annual schedule

Roth and taxable-account projection by age

36 rows include today and every whole age through retirement. Dollar amounts are display-rounded; calculations retain full precision.

Swipe or scroll horizontally to see every column.

Annual Roth IRA, taxable account, principal, advantage, and modeled tax schedule
Age	Projection	Contribution	Total principal	Roth IRA	Taxable account	Roth advantage	Modeled tax
30	Now	—	$30,000	$30,000	$30,000	$0	—
31	Year 1	$7,500	$37,500	$39,300	$38,850	$450	$450.00
32	Year 2	$7,500	$45,000	$49,158	$48,098	$1,060	$582.75
33	Year 3	$7,500	$52,500	$59,607	$57,763	$1,845	$721.47
34	Year 4	$7,500	$60,000	$70,684	$67,862	$2,822	$866.44
35	Year 5	$7,500	$67,500	$82,425	$78,416	$4,009	$1,017.93
36	Year 6	$7,500	$75,000	$94,870	$89,444	$5,426	$1,176.24
37	Year 7	$7,500	$82,500	$108,063	$100,969	$7,093	$1,341.67
38	Year 8	$7,500	$90,000	$122,046	$113,013	$9,033	$1,514.54
39	Year 9	$7,500	$97,500	$136,869	$125,599	$11,271	$1,695.20
40	Year 10	$7,500	$105,000	$152,581	$138,751	$13,831	$1,883.98
41	Year 11	$7,500	$112,500	$169,236	$152,494	$16,742	$2,081.26
42	Year 12	$7,500	$120,000	$186,890	$166,857	$20,034	$2,287.42
43	Year 13	$7,500	$127,500	$205,604	$181,865	$23,739	$2,502.85
44	Year 14	$7,500	$135,000	$225,440	$197,549	$27,891	$2,727.98
45	Year 15	$7,500	$142,500	$246,467	$213,939	$32,528	$2,963.24
46	Year 16	$7,500	$150,000	$268,755	$231,066	$37,688	$3,209.08
47	Year 17	$7,500	$157,500	$292,380	$248,964	$43,416	$3,465.99
48	Year 18	$7,500	$165,000	$317,423	$267,667	$49,755	$3,734.46
49	Year 19	$7,500	$172,500	$343,968	$287,213	$56,755	$4,015.01
50	Year 20	$7,500	$180,000	$372,106	$307,637	$64,469	$4,308.19
51	Year 21	$7,500	$187,500	$401,932	$328,981	$72,952	$4,614.56
52	Year 22	$7,500	$195,000	$433,548	$351,285	$82,263	$4,934.71
53	Year 23	$7,500	$202,500	$467,061	$374,593	$92,468	$5,269.27
54	Year 24	$7,500	$210,000	$502,585	$398,949	$103,635	$5,618.89
55	Year 25	$7,500	$217,500	$540,240	$424,402	$115,838	$5,984.24
56	Year 26	$7,500	$225,000	$580,154	$451,000	$129,154	$6,366.03
57	Year 27	$7,500	$232,500	$622,464	$478,795	$143,668	$6,765.00
58	Year 28	$7,500	$240,000	$667,311	$507,841	$159,470	$7,181.93
59	Year 29	$7,500	$247,500	$714,850	$538,194	$176,656	$7,617.61
60	Year 30	$7,500	$255,000	$765,241	$569,913	$195,329	$8,072.91
61	Year 31	$7,500	$262,500	$818,656	$603,059	$215,597	$8,548.69
62	Year 32	$7,500	$270,000	$875,275	$637,696	$237,579	$9,045.88
63	Year 33	$7,500	$277,500	$935,291	$673,893	$261,399	$9,565.44
64	Year 34	$7,500	$285,000	$998,909	$711,718	$287,191	$10,108.39
65	Year 35	$7,500	$292,500	$1,066,343	$751,245	$315,098	$10,675.77

Same principal, different annual growth

The taxable account keeps return × (1 − entered tax rate) each year; the Roth path uses the full entered return.

Tax shown is a simplified drag

It is not tax due. The model omits realization timing, losses, dividends versus gains, state tax, fees, and withdrawals.

Projection is not eligibility

Roth contribution and qualified-distribution treatment depend on current federal rules and personal facts this growth model does not decide.

Roth accumulation comparison

Compare declared Roth IRA growth with a simplified taxable account

This United States educational projection applies declared contributions, timing, returns, and a simplified annual tax rate. It does not determine Roth eligibility, earned compensation, contribution room, qualified distributions, investment suitability, or individualized investment, tax, retirement, estate, or legal advice.

Key ideas · Roth accumulation comparison

Key ideas in Compare declared Roth IRA growth with a simplified taxable account

2026 combined IRA limit: $7,500
2026 age-50 total: $8,600, subject to compensation
Comparison tax model: Flat annual rate on positive earnings

Construct the Roth growth path with contribution timing visible
Enter the opening balance, periodic contribution, years, annual return, and whether deposits occur at the beginning or end of each period. The result separates contributions from modeled growth. Use a net return or account separately for fees, because investment expenses reduce the amount that compounds. A constant rate cannot show volatility, loss, allocation drift, or the effect of buying at different prices.
Keep Roth projections outside eligibility and investment recommendations
The page cannot calculate modified AGI, backdoor Roth tax consequences, pro-rata basis, conversion tax, recharacterization, required records, or creditor and estate rules. It does not select investments or guarantee returns. IRS limits and phaseouts are year-specific United States rules and should not be carried into another year or jurisdiction.
Check 2026 Roth IRA contribution eligibility before projecting deposits
For United States federal tax year 2026, the combined contribution limit across traditional and Roth IRAs is generally $7,500, or $8,600 for someone age 50 or older, but no more than taxable compensation. Roth contribution eligibility can be reduced by modified adjusted gross income and filing status. Rollovers do not use the regular contribution limit, and spouse contributions require their own conditions.
Read the simplified taxable-account contrast cautiously
The comparison applies one declared flat rate to each year's positive investment earnings. Real taxable accounts can generate dividends, interest, realized gains, losses, wash sales, capital-gain rates, tax-exempt income, foreign credits, and timing effects. A fund may distribute taxable gains even when no shares are sold. The simplified result therefore illustrates tax drag under one convention, not a tax-return forecast.

Compare declared Roth IRA growth with a simplified taxable account: This United States educational projection applies declared contributions, timing, returns, and a simplified annual tax rate. It does not determine Roth eligibility, earned compensation, contribution room, qualified distributions, investment suitability, or individualized investment, tax, retirement, estate, or legal advice.

Construct the Roth growth path with contribution timing visible

Enter the opening balance, periodic contribution, years, annual return, and whether deposits occur at the beginning or end of each period. The result separates contributions from modeled growth. Use a net return or account separately for fees, because investment expenses reduce the amount that compounds. A constant rate cannot show volatility, loss, allocation drift, or the effect of buying at different prices.

Run lower-return, missed-contribution, and shorter-horizon cases. The projection should not describe Roth growth as tax-free without distinguishing contribution, account, and distribution rules. Contributions, conversions, earnings, five-year periods, age, disability, death, first-home treatment, and ordering can affect distribution taxation. This calculator does not decide whether a future withdrawal is qualified.

For a container-neutral return and contribution target, use the investment calculator without attaching Roth tax treatment to its mathematical result.

Keep Roth projections outside eligibility and investment recommendations

The page cannot calculate modified AGI, backdoor Roth tax consequences, pro-rata basis, conversion tax, recharacterization, required records, or creditor and estate rules. It does not select investments or guarantee returns. IRS limits and phaseouts are year-specific United States rules and should not be carried into another year or jurisdiction.

Verify 2026 contribution and income limits with IRS Publication 590-A and retain Forms 5498, 8606 when applicable, statements, and contribution confirmations. Seek qualified tax and financial help for excesses, conversions, distributions, and investment choices. The output is a transparent educational scenario, not tax advice, a suitability finding, or a legal conclusion.

Check 2026 Roth IRA contribution eligibility before projecting deposits

For United States federal tax year 2026, the combined contribution limit across traditional and Roth IRAs is generally $7,500, or $8,600 for someone age 50 or older, but no more than taxable compensation. Roth contribution eligibility can be reduced by modified adjusted gross income and filing status. Rollovers do not use the regular contribution limit, and spouse contributions require their own conditions.

The calculator intentionally projects the amount entered rather than deciding eligibility. Verify compensation, age, all IRAs, filing status, and 2026 modified-AGI phaseout against current IRS guidance. An excess contribution can create tax and correction issues, so a mathematically accepted input is not evidence that the deposit is permitted. Keep contribution-year and deposit-date records because IRA deadlines differ from calendar-year payroll timing.

Compare a workplace deferral and employer match separately in the 401(k) calculator because IRA and plan limits are not interchangeable buckets.

Read the simplified taxable-account contrast cautiously

The comparison applies one declared flat rate to each year's positive investment earnings. Real taxable accounts can generate dividends, interest, realized gains, losses, wash sales, capital-gain rates, tax-exempt income, foreign credits, and timing effects. A fund may distribute taxable gains even when no shares are sold. The simplified result therefore illustrates tax drag under one convention, not a tax-return forecast.

Keep identical gross return and contribution assumptions when comparing containers so the modeled difference comes from the declared annual tax treatment. Then test fees separately, because available investments and expenses can differ. A larger Roth projection does not prove that a Roth contribution, conversion, or specific security is suitable for the user.

If the task is an original owner's 2026 distribution minimum, switch to the 2026 RMD calculator; current law generally does not impose owner RMDs on a Roth IRA while alive.

Important limitations

Roth IRA Calculator uses the rates, dates, fees, and assumptions entered or explicitly cited by this formula. It does not replace a current quote, eligibility decision, filing calculation, contract, or professional financial advice.

Review the stated scope, calculation method, assumptions, supported inputs, and effective dates, and obtain qualified advice before using a high-stakes result.

This formula passed its registered engineering tests and is published under an explicit site-owner policy authorization. No independent expert, QA, editorial, legal, or third-party review is claimed. Verify consequential results with a qualified professional.

This subject may affect health, finance, tax, legal, or other consequential decisions. It has not received an independent domain-expert review; consult a qualified professional before relying on it.