See how your Roth IRA could grow, completely tax-free
💡 Why This Matters A Roth IRA is one of the few accounts where your investment growth is never taxed again — not now, not at retirement. Seeing how much of your future balance comes from tax-free growth (versus what you actually put in) makes the long-term value of starting early a lot more concrete.
The Roth IRA is named after Senator William Roth, who championed the 1997 legislation that created it. Unlike almost every other retirement account, there's no required minimum distribution during your lifetime — your money can keep growing tax-free for as long as you want.
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This calculator projects your Roth IRA balance by compounding your current balance and monthly contributions at your expected annual return, month by month, from your current age to your retirement age. Because Roth contributions are made with after-tax dollars, every dollar of growth this calculator projects is money you'll never pay tax on again, unlike a traditional IRA or 401k.
The main figure is your projected balance at retirement, with a breakdown showing how much came from your own contributions versus investment growth. Because Roth growth is tax-free, the growth portion of your result represents money that's fully yours at withdrawal — no tax bill waiting on the other end, which isn't true for most other retirement accounts.
This calculator doesn't account for the Roth IRA's income eligibility limits, which phase out direct contributions above certain income thresholds — check current IRS guidance if your income is near that range. It also assumes a constant rate of return, which real markets don't provide, and doesn't factor in the 5-year rule or early withdrawal penalties on earnings.
If you're under the annual contribution limit, try increasing your monthly amount to see how much extra tax-free growth you'd gain over time. If you're near or over the limit, this calculator will flag it — consider maxing out your Roth IRA first before contributing to other taxable accounts, since the tax-free growth here is hard to beat.
Example: Say you're 30 years old with a $10,000 current balance, contributing $500 a month, with a 7% expected annual return. By age 65, this projects to a balance of about $1,015,589 — made up of $220,000 in total contributions and $795,589 in tax-free investment growth.
For 2026, the IRS limit is $7,000 per year if you're under 50, or $8,000 per year if you're 50 or older. This calculator will flag your entry if your monthly contribution exceeds the annual limit for your age.
Yes — because you contribute with after-tax dollars, qualified withdrawals in retirement, including all investment growth, are completely tax-free. This is different from a traditional IRA or 401k, where withdrawals are taxed as income.
Yes — you can withdraw your original contributions (not earnings) at any time, tax- and penalty-free, since you already paid tax on that money. Withdrawing earnings early generally triggers taxes and a 10% penalty, with some exceptions.
Yes — eligibility to contribute directly phases out above certain income thresholds, which the IRS adjusts periodically. This calculator assumes you're eligible to contribute the amount you enter; check current IRS limits if your income is near the phase-out range.