Roth IRA Calculator

Understanding the Roth IRA: Tax-Free Retirement Growth

A Roth IRA is one of the most powerful retirement savings vehicles available to American investors. Unlike a Traditional IRA, where contributions may be tax-deductible but withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, a Roth IRA flips the equation: you contribute after-tax dollars today, but all qualified withdrawals in retirement are completely tax-free. This includes not just your original contributions but all of the investment growth accumulated over decades. For younger savers who expect their income and tax bracket to rise over time, this trade-off can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax savings over a lifetime.

2025 Roth IRA Contribution Limits

For the 2025 tax year, the IRS allows individuals under age 50 to contribute up to $7,000 per year to a Roth IRA. Those aged 50 and older can take advantage of a $1,000 catch-up provision, bringing their maximum annual contribution to $8,000. These limits apply to the total of all your Traditional and Roth IRA contributions combined. For example, if you contribute $3,000 to a Traditional IRA, you can contribute at most $4,000 to a Roth IRA in the same year (assuming you are under 50). Contributions must come from earned income, meaning you need wages, salary, or self-employment income at least equal to your contribution amount.

Income Eligibility and Phase-Out Ranges

Not everyone can contribute directly to a Roth IRA. The IRS imposes income limits based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) and filing status. For 2025, single filers can make full contributions if their MAGI is below $150,000. Between $150,000 and $165,000, the allowed contribution is gradually reduced. Above $165,000, direct Roth contributions are not permitted. Married couples filing jointly have a phase-out range of $236,000 to $246,000. Married Filing Separately filers face the strictest limits, with the phase-out range spanning just $0 to $10,000. If your income exceeds these thresholds, you may still be able to fund a Roth IRA through the backdoor Roth strategy.

Roth vs Traditional IRA: Making the Right Choice

The core question between a Roth and Traditional IRA comes down to when you want to pay taxes. A Traditional IRA gives you a tax deduction now but taxes withdrawals in retirement. A Roth IRA offers no upfront deduction but provides tax-free withdrawals. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you are today, the Roth is typically the better choice because you lock in today's lower rate. If you expect your retirement tax rate to be lower, a Traditional IRA might save you more. In practice, many financial advisors recommend having both types for tax diversification, giving you flexibility to manage your taxable income year by year in retirement.

The Backdoor Roth Strategy

High earners who exceed the Roth IRA income limits can still get money into a Roth through a two-step process known as the backdoor Roth conversion. First, you make a non-deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA (there are no income limits for non-deductible contributions). Then, you convert that Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The conversion itself is a taxable event, but since you made a non-deductible contribution, little to no tax is owed, provided you have no other pre-tax IRA balances. Be aware of the pro-rata rule: if you have existing pre-tax Traditional IRA funds, the IRS will treat any conversion as coming proportionally from pre-tax and after-tax money, potentially creating an unexpected tax bill.

The 5-Year Rule and Withdrawal Guidelines

The Roth IRA has an important provision known as the 5-year rule. To withdraw earnings tax-free and penalty-free, you must be at least 59.5 years old and the Roth IRA must have been open for at least five tax years. This clock starts on January 1 of the year you make your first Roth IRA contribution. Your original contributions (not earnings) can always be withdrawn tax-free and penalty-free at any time, since you already paid taxes on that money. This makes the Roth IRA uniquely flexible compared to other retirement accounts: it serves as a retirement vehicle but also provides an accessible emergency fund layer for your contributions.

Maximizing Your Roth IRA

1. Contribute early in the year. Making your full contribution in January rather than spreading it across the year gives your money up to 11 extra months of tax-free growth.
2. Invest aggressively for the long term. Since Roth IRA growth is tax-free, it makes sense to hold your highest-growth assets here. Stocks and growth-oriented index funds benefit the most from tax-free compounding.
3. Avoid unnecessary withdrawals. While you can withdraw contributions at any time, letting your entire balance compound tax-free for decades produces the greatest benefit.
4. Consider Roth conversions in low-income years. If you experience a year with unusually low income (sabbatical, career change, early retirement), converting Traditional IRA funds to Roth at a low tax rate can be extremely advantageous.
5. No Required Minimum Distributions. Unlike Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions (RMDs) during the original owner's lifetime. This makes them an excellent wealth transfer tool and allows your money to continue growing tax-free for as long as you like.