Roth vs Traditional Calculator
Compare Roth and traditional retirement contributions after tax, based on your tax rate now and in retirement.
Free · No sign-up · Your inputs stay in your browser
Your numbers
Pay the tax now or later
Your projection
Traditional leaves more after tax
Traditional, after tax
$498,072
Roth, after tax
$457,054
Difference
$41,018
With the same budget, the winner is whichever tax rate is lower: today's or retirement's. 2026 limits are $24,500 for a 401(k) and $7,500 for an IRA, and Roth IRA eligibility phases out at higher incomes.
About this tool
Method, assumptions, practical next steps, and limits.
It comes down to two tax rates
With the same budget, a traditional contribution taxed later and a Roth contribution taxed now end up equal when the two tax rates match. Whichever rate is lower wins.
How the calculation works
Traditional after tax = future value × (1 − retirement tax rate)
Roth after tax = future value × (1 − current tax rate)
$7,000 a year for 30 years at 6% grows to about $585,967. With a 22% rate today and 15% in retirement, the traditional account leaves about $498,072 after tax and the Roth $457,054.
What else matters
2026 contribution limits are $24,500 for a 401(k) and $7,500 for an IRA, with catch-up amounts for age 50 and older. Roth IRA eligibility phases out at higher incomes. Roth accounts have no required minimum distributions for the original owner, and splitting contributions between both hedges against not knowing future tax rates.
