Roth IRA Calculator (2026): Balance in Today's Money

How the Roth IRA balance is calculated

The calculator checks what you are allowed to contribute first. Then it grows the money year by year.

Apply the age limit. The 2026 limit is $7,500. From age 50 you can add a catch-up of $1,100, which makes $8,600.
Apply the income phase-out. This follows the IRS steps for a reduced Roth IRA contribution. Take your modified adjusted gross income (your income after certain adjustments, called MAGI), subtract the start of the range for your filing status, and divide by the width of the range. That share of the limit is taken away.
Allowed = limit − limit × (income − start of range) ÷ width of range
The IRS rounds the result up to the next $10 and does not let it fall below $200 until it reaches zero.
Grow the balance. The smaller of what you entered and what you are allowed goes in each year, in twelve equal parts at the end of each month. The yearly return is turned into a monthly rate that compounds to exactly the figure you enter. If you pay in one lump sum early in the year instead, your balance would be a little higher than shown.
Convert to today's money. Prices rise, so a dollar at retirement buys less than a dollar now.
Today's money = future balance ÷ (1 + inflation) ^ years

If you are under 50 now and will pass 50 before you retire, the higher limit is used from that year on. The IRS goes by your age at the end of the year, so if you turn 50 later this year, enter 50.

The return and inflation boxes are assumptions, not forecasts. Change them to see how much the answer moves. This is an estimate. Investments in a Roth IRA can lose value, and no return is promised.

Worked examples

Each example uses a 6% yearly return and 2.5% inflation. Neither is a forecast.

A 30-year-old saving $6,000 a year

Single, income of $70,000, $5,000 already in the account, retiring at 65.

Contribution entered$6,000
2026 limit at this age$7,500
Allowed after the income test$7,500
Counted this year$6,000
Total contributions over 35 years$210,000
Growth$510,232
Balance at age 65$725,232
In today's money$305,592

A 52-year-old who wants to put in $10,000

Single, income of $95,000, $40,000 in the account, retiring at 67. The entry is above the limit, so it is cut to the limit with the catch-up.

Contribution entered$10,000
2026 limit at this age$8,600
Allowed after the income test$8,600
Counted this year$8,600
Total contributions over 15 years$129,000
Growth$132,483
Balance at age 67$301,483
In today's money$208,163

A married couple inside the phase-out range

Filing jointly at age 40 with income of $247,000, which is half way through the $242,000 to $252,000 range. One spouse wants to contribute the full $7,500 and retire at 65. From age 50 the catch-up lifts the allowed amount to $4,300.

Contribution entered$7,500
2026 limit at this age$7,500
Allowed after the income test$3,750
Counted this year$3,750
Total contributions over 25 years$102,000
Growth$122,490
Balance at age 65$224,490
In today's money$121,088

Balance at 65 by starting age

This table shows what starting earlier is worth. Each row contributes the most allowed every year until 65: $7,500 before age 50 and $8,600 from 50.

Starting from $0, contributing the 2026 maximum each year, 6% yearly return, 2.5% inflation. Assumptions for illustration, not a forecast.
You start at	Years to 65	You pay in	Balance at 65	In today's money
Age 22	43	$339,000	$1,470,874	$508,685
Age 25	40	$316,500	$1,218,599	$453,844
Age 30	35	$279,000	$884,803	$372,830
Age 35	30	$241,500	$635,371	$302,908
Age 40	25	$204,000	$448,981	$242,176
Age 45	20	$166,500	$309,699	$189,001
Age 50	15	$129,000	$205,620	$141,974
Age 55	10	$86,000	$116,439	$90,962

The last two columns tell different stories. The future balance looks large because it is measured in the cheaper dollars of the future. The last column is the one to compare with prices you know.

Roth IRA limit by income for 2026

Below the range you can contribute the full amount. Inside it, the allowed amount falls in a straight line, and at the top it is zero.

Single filers and heads of household, 2026. Worked out with the IRS reduced-contribution steps.
Modified AGI	Allowed, under 50	Allowed, 50 or older
$150,000	$7,500	$8,600
$153,000	$7,500	$8,600
$156,000	$6,000	$6,880
$159,000	$4,500	$5,160
$162,000	$3,000	$3,440
$165,000	$1,500	$1,720
$167,500	$250	$290
$168,000	$0	$0

Married filing jointly, 2026. The income is the couple's joint modified AGI.
Joint modified AGI	Allowed, under 50	Allowed, 50 or older
$240,000	$7,500	$8,600
$242,000	$7,500	$8,600
$244,000	$6,000	$6,880
$246,000	$4,500	$5,160
$248,000	$3,000	$3,440
$250,000	$1,500	$1,720
$251,500	$380	$430
$252,000	$0	$0

Roth IRA rules to know

You contribute after tax. There is no deduction for Roth IRA contributions. That is the price of tax-free withdrawals later.
Qualified withdrawals are tax-free. A withdrawal is qualified when two things are true. It comes after the 5-year period that begins with the first tax year you contributed to a Roth IRA. And you are 59½ or older, or disabled, or it pays for qualified first-time homebuyer expenses, or it is paid after your death.
Other withdrawals can cost you. Part of a withdrawal that is not qualified may be taxable, and a 10% additional tax may apply before age 59½ unless an exception applies.
No required minimum distributions for you. The original owner of a Roth IRA never has to take money out. Traditional IRAs make you start at age 73.
One limit for all your IRAs. The $7,500 covers traditional and Roth IRAs together, and your contributions cannot be more than your taxable pay for the year. A spouse with no pay can still contribute on a joint return if the other spouse has enough.
The deadline is the tax filing date. You can contribute for 2026 until your 2026 return is due, not counting extensions.
Going over is taxed. Contributions above your limit are taxed at 6% for each year they stay in the account.

What the result leaves out

Future limits. The IRS usually raises the limits over time. The calculator keeps the 2026 figures for every year, which suits a fixed dollar contribution.
Changes in your income. It uses the income you enter for every year. A raise could move you into the phase-out range later.
Uneven returns. Real investments rise and fall, and they can lose money. A steady 6% is a way to picture growth, not a promise.
Fees. Fund and account fees lower the return. To allow for them, enter a lower return.
Your taxable pay. It does not check that you earned at least as much as you contribute.

Common mistakes

Reading the future balance as spending power. Use the today's money figure when you plan.
Using salary instead of MAGI. The income test uses modified adjusted gross income from your tax return, which can be lower or higher than your salary.
Counting the limit per account. Two IRAs do not give you two limits.
Missing the catch-up. From the year you turn 50 you can add $1,100 more.
Assuming tax-free means any time. The 5-year period and the age 59½ rule both matter for earnings.

Questions people ask

What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?

$7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older. The limit covers all your traditional and Roth IRAs added together, and you cannot put in more than your taxable pay for the year.

What is the Roth IRA income limit for 2026?

For single filers and heads of household the allowed contribution shrinks between $153,000 and $168,000 of modified adjusted gross income. For married couples filing jointly the range is $242,000 to $252,000. At the top of the range it is zero.

Are Roth IRA withdrawals tax-free?

Qualified withdrawals are. The IRS calls a withdrawal qualified when it is made after the 5-year period that starts with the first year you contributed to a Roth IRA, and you are 59½ or older, disabled, or using it for qualified first-time homebuyer expenses, or it is paid after your death.

Do I get a tax deduction for Roth IRA contributions?

No. The IRS says you cannot deduct contributions to a Roth IRA. You pay income tax on the money first, and the benefit comes later as tax-free qualified withdrawals.

Does a Roth IRA have required minimum distributions?

Not for the original owner. The IRS says you do not have to take distributions from your own Roth IRA at any age. Traditional IRAs require them from age 73, and people who inherit a Roth IRA have their own rules.

When is the deadline to contribute for 2026?

You can contribute for 2026 at any time in the year and up to the due date of your 2026 tax return, not counting extensions. For most people that is in April 2027.

What does "in today's money" mean?

It is the future balance divided by the rise in prices between now and then. It tells you what the balance would buy at today's prices, which is the number to compare with what you spend now.

What if I am married and file separately?

If you lived with your spouse at any time in the year, the range is $0 to $10,000, so most separate filers cannot contribute. If you lived apart all year, the IRS treats you like a single filer for this limit.

Sources

Figures last checked against these sources on October 10, 2026. This page gives general information and estimates, not tax, legal or financial advice.