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Roth IRA Calculator

Estimate only

Project what your Roth IRA could be worth at retirement — and how much of that balance is your own contributions versus tax-free growth.

Reviewed by the ClearTally editorial team · Last updated July 17, 2026 · Methodology & sources

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2026 IRS limits: $7,500 at your age.

%

Tax-free balance at retirement

$1,165,677

After 35 years of growth

Total contributions

$245,000

New money you add

Investment growth

$910,677

Starting balance

$10,000

Growth over time

Assumes a constant return and that you contribute the same amount every year, spread evenly through the year. Real returns vary, and IRS limits normally rise over time — so a long projection is conservative on the contribution side. Income phase-outs that can limit or block direct Roth contributions aren't modelled. Estimate only, not investment or tax advice.

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How it works

A Roth IRA is funded with money you've already paid tax on, and in exchange qualified withdrawals in retirement come out tax-free. That makes the number this calculator shows unusual: it's what you'd actually keep. A traditional 401(k) or IRA balance of the same size still has income tax owed on it when you withdraw, so comparing the two at face value overstates the traditional account.

We compound your current balance plus each year's contribution at your expected return until your retirement age, using the same growth engine as our compound interest calculator. Contributions are capped at the IRS limit for your age — $7,500 for 2026, rising to $8,600 from age 50 with the catch-up — and that limit covers all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined, not each account. The projection holds the limit and your contribution flat; in reality the IRS raises limits over time, so a long projection errs on the conservative side.

Example:a 30-year-old with $10,000 already invested who adds $7,000 a year until 65 at a 7% average return lands near $1.17 million. Only $245,000 of that is money they put in — the other ~$911,000 is growth, and in a Roth it isn't taxed on qualified withdrawal. Time is doing about four times the work of the contributions.

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FAQ

The IRS caps IRA contributions at $7,500 a year (2026 IRS limits), rising to $8,600 once you're 50 or older thanks to the catch-up. Two things trip people up: that limit is shared across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined rather than applying per account, and you can't contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year. This calculator caps your entry automatically and tells you when it has.

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