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Traditional vs Roth IRA Calculator

Compare a traditional and a Roth IRA side by side: money after tax at retirement, tax saved now, and the retirement tax rate where they break even.

Tool inputs stay in your browser · optional AI search sends your query

Good to know: Scope: a side-by-side estimate in US dollars of the same yearly saving put in a traditional IRA (tax deduction now, taxed when you withdraw) or a Roth IRA (no deduction now, qualified withdrawals not taxed), using the IRS 2026 IRA limit of $7,500 ($8,600 if you are 50 or older by the end of the year), which is one limit for all your IRAs. You choose the comparison: the same take-home cost (the traditional IRA also gets your tax savings, up to the limit) or the same deposit in both. Not included: whether you can deduct a traditional IRA or contribute to a Roth at your income (the 2026 IRS income ranges are shown in the results, but not checked), the rule that you need taxable compensation at least equal to your contribution, Social Security or Medicare effects of retirement income, required minimum distribution amounts, early-withdrawal penalties, Roth conversions, 401(k) plans, state rules, fees and future law changes. Tax rates and the return are your own assumptions. Everything stays in this browser tab; nothing is sent or saved. Independent ToolsKo estimate. Sources reviewed November 11, 2026.

How to use it (step by step)

  1. 1Enter your age at the end of 2026, the age you plan to retire, and how much you want to save each year.
  2. 2Enter your tax rate now and the tax rate you expect in retirement (your top federal bracket plus any state income tax rate), a yearly return to assume, and choose how to compare.
  3. 3Read which account leaves you more money after tax and the break-even retirement tax rate. Try a few retirement tax rates, because nobody knows future tax rates for sure.

Words to know

Traditional IRA
A personal retirement account where you may deduct what you put in, so you pay less tax now. You pay income tax when you take the money out.
Roth IRA
A personal retirement account where you put in money you already paid tax on. If you follow the IRS rules, the money and its growth come out without tax.
Tax rate (marginal)
The tax rate on your last dollars of income: your top federal bracket plus any state income tax rate. A deduction saves tax at this rate.
Break-even tax rate
The retirement tax rate at which both accounts leave you the same money after tax. Below it the traditional IRA wins; above it the Roth wins.

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Sources & methods

References checked November 11, 2026. Read each tool’s scope and assumptions before relying on its result.

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