Roth IRA Calculator for 2026
This Roth IRA calculator answers two questions: how much you are allowed to contribute for 2026 at your income, and what regular contributions could grow to. Example: a single filer aged 35 with a modified AGI of $90,000 may contribute the full $7,500; starting from $10,000 and adding $7,500 a year at an assumed 7% return, the balance after 30 years is $784,578.45.
How it is calculated
A Roth IRA is funded with money that has already been taxed; in return, qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. How much you may put in each year depends on three things: the annual limit, your taxable compensation and your modified adjusted gross income. This page works out the amount for 2026 and then projects the balance.
Contribution limits for 2026
The limit is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older at the end of the year (a $1,100 catch-up contribution). It covers all your traditional and Roth IRAs together, and you can never contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year.
Income limits (phase-out)
| Filing status | Full contribution below | No contribution from |
|---|---|---|
| Single, head of household | $153,000 | $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly | $242,000 | $252,000 |
| Married filing separately (lived with spouse) | more than $0 reduces it | $10,000 |
Inside the range the limit shrinks in proportion, following Worksheet 2-2 of IRS Publication 590-A: subtract the lower threshold from your modified AGI, divide by the width of the range ($15,000, or $10,000 for joint and separate returns), multiply by your limit and subtract the result from the limit. The answer is rounded up to the next $10, and if it is below $200 you may still contribute $200.
Worked example: reduced limit
Single, modified AGI $160,000, under 50: ($160,000 − $153,000) ÷ $15,000 = 0.4667; $7,500 × 0.4667 = $3,500; $7,500 − $3,500 = $4,000. At 55 the same income allows $4,590 ($8,600 less 46.67% is $4,586.67, rounded up). A couple filing jointly with $247,000 is exactly halfway through the range and may contribute $3,750 each.
Growth projection
The projection adds the assumed return once a year and then the contribution: balance × (1 + return) + contribution. With $10,000 today, $7,500 a year and 7%, the balance is $123,294.87 after 10 years, $346,163.04 after 20 and $784,578.45 after 30 – of which $225,000 are contributions and $549,578.45 growth. At 5% the 30-year figure is $541,510.78. The return is your assumption; nobody can know it in advance.
What is not included
Future limits usually rise with inflation, and your income will change – the projection keeps both fixed. It ignores the rules for withdrawing earnings before age 59½, the five-year rule, conversions from a traditional IRA and state taxes.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I contribute to a Roth IRA in 2026?
Up to $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, but never more than your taxable compensation. Above a modified AGI of $153,000 (single) or $242,000 (married filing jointly) the amount is reduced, and from $168,000 or $252,000 no direct contribution is possible.
How is the reduced Roth IRA limit calculated?
Take the share of the phase-out range you have already passed and cut the limit by that share. Single with $160,000: $7,000 into a $15,000 range is 46.67%, so $7,500 becomes $4,000. The result is rounded up to the next $10 and is never less than $200 inside the range.
What counts as modified AGI for a Roth IRA?
It starts from your adjusted gross income and makes a few adjustments – for example, income from converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is taken out again. IRS Publication 590-A contains the worksheet (Worksheet 2-1).
Does the limit apply per account?
No. $7,500 (or $8,600) is the total for all your traditional and Roth IRAs in the year. Contributions to a 401(k) at work have their own, separate limit.
Until when can I contribute for 2026?
Contributions for a tax year can be made until the due date of that year’s tax return, not including extensions – for 2026 that is in April 2027.
What return should I assume?
That is your decision; the calculator makes no recommendation. It helps to run several scenarios, for instance 4%, 6% and 8%, and to remember that the projection is in future dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
Sources and legal basis
- Notice 2025-67: Internal Revenue Service: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111 of 13 Nov 2025: IRA limit $7,500, catch-up $1,100, Roth phase-out $153,000–168,000 or $242,000–252,000, married filing separately $0–10,000)
- 26 U.S.C. § 219(b), § 408A(c): Internal Revenue Service: Retirement topics – IRA contribution limits (2026: $7,500, $8,600 from age 50, at most taxable compensation; as of 23 Sep 2026)
- Internal Revenue Service: Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (Chapter 2 Roth IRAs: Table 2-1 and Worksheet 2-2 – reduction, rounding up to $10, minimum amount $200; “What’s New for 2026”)
- Internal Revenue Service: Roth IRAs (overview, rules for contributions and distributions)
As of: · Editorial policy
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