How does this Roth IRA calculator grow the balance?

Each year from your current age through the year before retirement, the prior Roth balance earns the full return, then that year's contribution is added (it earns no interest until the next year). A taxable account beside it uses an after-tax return of r × (1 − tax) on the same deposits so you can see the Roth advantage at retirement.

What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?

The IRS limit for 2026 is $7,500 if you are under 50, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (that figure includes catch-up). Turn on Maximize contributions to use those amounts automatically each year based on your age at the start of the year. You also need earned income, and high MAGI can reduce or block a direct contribution.

Why is a Roth IRA compared with a taxable account?

Roth contributions are after-tax, so the fair comparison is the same after-tax dollars invested in a regular brokerage account. The taxable-account comparison assumes the entire return is taxed each year at your entered rate; Roth growth is not. The difference at retirement is the Roth advantage shown here. This is not a Roth vs traditional IRA comparison (traditional contributions may be deductible up front).

Who can contribute to a Roth IRA?

You need earned income at least as large as the contribution. For 2026, the ability to contribute phases out and then ends above $168,000 MAGI if you file single or head of household, or $252,000 if you are married filing jointly. People over those thresholds sometimes use a backdoor Roth (contribute to a traditional IRA, then convert).

Can I withdraw Roth IRA money before retirement?

Contributions (not earnings) can be withdrawn tax-free and penalty-free at any time. Earnings are tax- and usually penalty-free after age 59½ if the account has been open at least five years. Earlier earnings withdrawals can be taxed and may face a 10% penalty, with exceptions such as disability, a first home (lifetime $10,000), or qualified education expenses.

Roth IRA Calculator

Estimate a Roth IRA balance at retirement and compare it with a taxable account, including principal, interest, tax, and a year-by-year schedule.

Maintained by CalculatorBuddy TeamUpdated September 29, 2026Editorial methodology

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Roth IRA balance at retirement

$1,066,343

Estimated result

According to provided information, the Roth IRA account can accumulate $315,098 more than a regular taxable account by age 65.

Taxable account balance at retirement: $751,245
Advantage: $315,098
Total principal: $292,500
Roth IRA total interest: $773,843
Taxable account total interest: $611,660
Roth IRA total tax: $0
Taxable account total tax: $152,915

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Roth IRA composition

Principal27%
Taxable growth43%
Roth advantage30%

Compare scenarios

Keep a baseline, then change an assumption to see its effect side by side.

Roth IRA vs taxable account

	Roth IRA	Taxable account
Balance at age 65	$1,066,343.00	$751,245.00
Total principal	$292,500.00	$292,500.00
Total interest	$773,843.00	$611,660.00
Total tax	$0.00	$152,915.00

Annual schedule

Age	Principal start	Principal end	Roth start	Roth end	Taxable start	Taxable end
30	$30,000.00	$37,500.00	$30,000.00	$39,300.00	$30,000.00	$38,850.00
31	$37,500.00	$45,000.00	$39,300.00	$49,158.00	$38,850.00	$48,098.00
32	$45,000.00	$52,500.00	$49,158.00	$59,607.00	$48,098.00	$57,763.00
33	$52,500.00	$60,000.00	$59,607.00	$70,684.00	$57,763.00	$67,862.00
34	$60,000.00	$67,500.00	$70,684.00	$82,425.00	$67,862.00	$78,416.00
35	$67,500.00	$75,000.00	$82,425.00	$94,870.00	$78,416.00	$89,444.00
36	$75,000.00	$82,500.00	$94,870.00	$108,063.00	$89,444.00	$100,969.00
37	$82,500.00	$90,000.00	$108,063.00	$122,046.00	$100,969.00	$113,013.00
38	$90,000.00	$97,500.00	$122,046.00	$136,869.00	$113,013.00	$125,599.00
39	$97,500.00	$105,000.00	$136,869.00	$152,581.00	$125,599.00	$138,751.00
40	$105,000.00	$112,500.00	$152,581.00	$169,236.00	$138,751.00	$152,494.00
41	$112,500.00	$120,000.00	$169,236.00	$186,890.00	$152,494.00	$166,857.00
42	$120,000.00	$127,500.00	$186,890.00	$205,604.00	$166,857.00	$181,865.00
43	$127,500.00	$135,000.00	$205,604.00	$225,440.00	$181,865.00	$197,549.00
44	$135,000.00	$142,500.00	$225,440.00	$246,467.00	$197,549.00	$213,939.00
45	$142,500.00	$150,000.00	$246,467.00	$268,755.00	$213,939.00	$231,066.00
46	$150,000.00	$157,500.00	$268,755.00	$292,380.00	$231,066.00	$248,964.00
47	$157,500.00	$165,000.00	$292,380.00	$317,423.00	$248,964.00	$267,667.00
48	$165,000.00	$172,500.00	$317,423.00	$343,968.00	$267,667.00	$287,213.00
49	$172,500.00	$180,000.00	$343,968.00	$372,106.00	$287,213.00	$307,637.00
50	$180,000.00	$187,500.00	$372,106.00	$401,932.00	$307,637.00	$328,981.00
51	$187,500.00	$195,000.00	$401,932.00	$433,548.00	$328,981.00	$351,285.00
52	$195,000.00	$202,500.00	$433,548.00	$467,061.00	$351,285.00	$374,593.00
53	$202,500.00	$210,000.00	$467,061.00	$502,585.00	$374,593.00	$398,949.00
54	$210,000.00	$217,500.00	$502,585.00	$540,240.00	$398,949.00	$424,402.00
55	$217,500.00	$225,000.00	$540,240.00	$580,154.00	$424,402.00	$451,000.00
56	$225,000.00	$232,500.00	$580,154.00	$622,464.00	$451,000.00	$478,795.00
57	$232,500.00	$240,000.00	$622,464.00	$667,311.00	$478,795.00	$507,841.00
58	$240,000.00	$247,500.00	$667,311.00	$714,850.00	$507,841.00	$538,194.00
59	$247,500.00	$255,000.00	$714,850.00	$765,241.00	$538,194.00	$569,913.00
60	$255,000.00	$262,500.00	$765,241.00	$818,656.00	$569,913.00	$603,059.00
61	$262,500.00	$270,000.00	$818,656.00	$875,275.00	$603,059.00	$637,696.00
62	$270,000.00	$277,500.00	$875,275.00	$935,291.00	$637,696.00	$673,893.00
63	$277,500.00	$285,000.00	$935,291.00	$998,909.00	$673,893.00	$711,718.00
64	$285,000.00	$292,500.00	$998,909.00	$1,066,343.00	$711,718.00	$751,245.00

Roth IRA balance at retirement$1,066,343

Project a Roth IRA from a starting balance and annual contributions to retirement, and compare it with the same deposits in a taxable account. You get balances, principal, interest, tax, the Roth advantage, and a year-by-year schedule. 2026 contribution limits are built in when you maximize.

2026 Roth IRA limits

Rule	2026 amount
Contribution under age 50	$7,500
Contribution age 50+	$8,600
MAGI cutoff (single / HoH)	$168,000
MAGI cutoff (married filing jointly)	$252,000

Examples

Defaults: $30,000 start, $7,500 a year, age 30 to 65

At 6% with a 25% taxable-account tax rate, the Roth IRA reaches $1,066,343 at 65 and the taxable account $751,245. Principal is $292,500. The Roth advantage is $315,098.

Maximize 2026 limits

The same start and ages, but each year at the IRS max ($7,500, then $8,600 from the year you turn 50). The Roth IRA reaches $1,091,947, the taxable account $774,108, principal $309,000, and the advantage $317,839.

Start at $0 from age 40

$6,000 a year from 40 to 65 at 7% with a 22% tax rate grows the Roth to $379,494 versus $305,210 taxable — a $74,284 advantage.

Formula

Each age from current age through retirement age minus one. The contribution is added at year-end, so it earns no return until the next year:

Roth end      = Roth start × (1 + r) + contribution
Taxable end   = Taxable start × (1 + r × (1 − tax)) + contribution
Principal end = Principal start + contribution

Tax on the taxable account that year is start × r × tax. Roth tax is $0. Totals: principal is the opening balance plus every contribution; displayed interest and tax are rounded to the nearest whole dollar; advantage is Roth balance minus taxable balance.

When Maximize contributions is Yes, the annual contribution field is ignored and each year uses the 2026 IRS Roth IRA limit by age at the start of the year: $7,500 under 50, $8,600 at 50+.

Because new contributions sit idle until the following year, starting a year earlier (or raising the contribution) usually moves the retirement balance more than a small change in the assumed return.

Sources and limits

The limits and earned-income rule come from the IRS IRA contribution-limit guidance. Income eligibility and distribution rules are covered in IRS Publication 590-A and Publication 590-B. The taxable comparison does not distinguish interest, qualified dividends, realized capital gains, losses, or fees, so it should not be read as a tax forecast.

Compare account types on the same basis

Use the IRA Calculator to compare Traditional, Roth, and taxable accounts under the same before-tax contribution assumption. A fair comparison needs consistent contributions, investment returns, time periods, and tax assumptions; the account label alone does not determine the result.

Frequently asked questions

How does this Roth IRA calculator grow the balance?: Each year from your current age through the year before retirement, the prior Roth balance earns the full return, then that year's contribution is added (it earns no interest until the next year). A taxable account beside it uses an after-tax return of r × (1 − tax) on the same deposits so you can see the Roth advantage at retirement.
What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?: The IRS limit for 2026 is $7,500 if you are under 50, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older (that figure includes catch-up). Turn on Maximize contributions to use those amounts automatically each year based on your age at the start of the year. You also need earned income, and high MAGI can reduce or block a direct contribution.
Why is a Roth IRA compared with a taxable account?: Roth contributions are after-tax, so the fair comparison is the same after-tax dollars invested in a regular brokerage account. The taxable-account comparison assumes the entire return is taxed each year at your entered rate; Roth growth is not. The difference at retirement is the Roth advantage shown here. This is not a Roth vs traditional IRA comparison (traditional contributions may be deductible up front).
Who can contribute to a Roth IRA?: You need earned income at least as large as the contribution. For 2026, the ability to contribute phases out and then ends above $168,000 MAGI if you file single or head of household, or $252,000 if you are married filing jointly. People over those thresholds sometimes use a backdoor Roth (contribute to a traditional IRA, then convert).
Can I withdraw Roth IRA money before retirement?: Contributions (not earnings) can be withdrawn tax-free and penalty-free at any time. Earnings are tax- and usually penalty-free after age 59½ if the account has been open at least five years. Earlier earnings withdrawals can be taxed and may face a 10% penalty, with exceptions such as disability, a first home (lifetime $10,000), or qualified education expenses.