Check your 2026 Roth IRA eligibility from income and filing status, then project tax-free growth and compare with a traditional IRA
US Roth IRAs. Amounts are in US dollars. Limits and income ranges as of 2026.
Enter your modified AGI, taxable compensation and age to see how much you can contribute.
This calculator's method was checked against the sources below on .
Works out how much you may put into a Roth IRA for 2026 from your filing status, modified AGI, age and taxable compensation, using the IRS phase-out ranges and Worksheet 2-2 method, and then projects the tax-free growth year by year. It also compares Roth with a traditional IRA and explains the 5-year and age 59½ rules.
Reduced limit = Limit - (MAGI - range start) / range width x Limit, rounded UP to the next $10, minimum $200 inside the range | Balance = (Balance + contributions) x (1 + return - fees) each year
Limit$7,500 for 2026, or $8,600 at 50+, and never more than taxable compensationRangesingle $153,000 to $168,000; joint $242,000 to $252,000; married filing separately (lived together) $0 to $10,000For 2026 you can contribute up to $7,500 in total across all your IRAs, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older ($7,500 plus a $1,100 catch-up). You also cannot contribute more than your taxable compensation for the year. Income above certain levels reduces or removes the limit. Source: IRS news release on 2026 limits.
The limit starts to shrink at modified AGI of $153,000 for single filers and heads of household (gone at $168,000), and $242,000 for married filing jointly (gone at $252,000). If you are married filing separately and lived with your spouse, the range is $0 to $10,000. Inside the range the IRS reduces your limit in proportion to how far you are into the range, rounds it up to the next $10, and never goes below $200 until you reach the top.
Subtract the bottom of your range from your modified AGI, divide by the width of the range ($15,000, or $10,000 for joint or separate filers), and multiply by your limit. Subtract that from your limit and round up to the next $10. For example a single filer with $160,000 of MAGI and the $7,500 limit: (160,000 − 153,000) ÷ 15,000 = 46.7%, so the reduction is $3,500 and the limit is $4,000.
Contributions can be withdrawn at any time with no tax or penalty because you already paid tax on them. Earnings are tax-free and penalty-free only for a qualified withdrawal: the account has been open for 5 tax years (counted from January 1 of the year of your first Roth IRA contribution) and you are 59½ or older, disabled, deceased, or using up to $10,000 for a first home. Other withdrawals of earnings can be taxed and may carry a 10% penalty.
Yes. On a joint return, a spouse with little or no income can contribute to their own IRA, called a spousal IRA, as long as your combined taxable compensation is at least the total contributed to both IRAs. The Roth income limits still apply to your joint modified AGI.
It mostly comes down to your tax rate now versus in retirement. If you expect a higher rate later, or want tax-free income and no required withdrawals, Roth is attractive. If your rate will be lower later and you can deduct the contribution, traditional can be better. Whether a traditional contribution is deductible depends on your income and whether you have a workplace plan. Many people split between both.
Above the top of the range you cannot contribute directly. Some people make a non-deductible contribution to a traditional IRA and convert it to Roth, which has its own tax rules (such as the pro-rata rule if you have other pre-tax IRA money). A Roth 401(k) at work has no income limit. Talk to a tax professional before using conversions.