Traditional vs Roth IRA Calculator
Two separate questions get run together here and they should not be. Whether you may contribute is one thing; whether the contribution is deductible is another, and only one of them applies to each account type.
On this page
The 2026 limits
The combined limit across all your IRAs — traditional and Roth together — is $7,500 for 2026, plus a $1,100 catch-up from age 50. Splitting between the two account types does not raise it.
A contribution also may not exceed your taxable compensation for the year, which is what makes a spousal IRA a separate rule rather than an obvious extension.
Two different income tests
This is where most confusion lives, and the two tests do genuinely different things.
Traditional IRA: income affects the deduction, not the contribution. Anyone with taxable compensation may contribute at any income. What income can remove is the deduction — and only when you or your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan. With no workplace coverage on either side there is no income limit at all.
Roth IRA: income affects whether you may contribute at all. Above the phase-out range a direct Roth contribution is not permitted, regardless of workplace coverage.
So a high earner with a 401(k) may find a traditional contribution allowed but not deductible, and a Roth contribution not allowed at all. Both facts, together, at the same income.
The 2026 phase-out ranges
Traditional deduction, when covered by a workplace plan: $81,000 to $91,000 for single and head of household filers, $129,000 to $149,000 for married filing jointly. Where only a spouse is covered, the range is $242,000 to $252,000. Married filing separately is $0 to $10,000.
Roth eligibility: $153,000 to $168,000 for single and head of household, $242,000 to $252,000 for married filing jointly, and $0 to $10,000 for married filing separately.
Inside a range the allowance reduces linearly, is rounded up to the next $10, and never falls between $1 and $200 while any allowance remains — so a nearly-phased-out contribution is $200, not $37.
The nondeductible contribution nobody mentions
If your deduction is fully phased out you may still contribute — the money simply goes in after tax. That creates basis in the IRA, which has to be tracked on Form 8606 for the life of the account.
Failing to track it means paying tax twice on the same money: once when it went in, again when it comes out. The form is not optional and the record-keeping outlives most people's memory of why they started it.
A worked example
Age 38, married filing jointly, $96,000 modified AGI, covered by a workplace plan, contributing $7,500 for 27 years at 7%, 22% now and 18% expected in retirement.
The full $7,500 limit applies, with no catch-up at 38. At $96,000 the joint range of $129,000 to $149,000 has not started, so the whole contribution is deductible. Roth eligibility does not begin phasing out until $242,000, so a full Roth is also available. Both doors are open, and the choice is purely about tax rates.
Over 27 years at 7% the contributions reach about $562,000 either way. The traditional balance is worth $461,000 after 18% tax, plus roughly $99,000 from investing the annual $1,650 tax saving. The Roth is worth $562,000 and taxed at nothing. On these rates the Roth is ahead by about $2,000 — close enough that the flexibility of having both should probably decide it.
Raise the income to $175,000 and the picture changes completely: the traditional deduction is gone entirely, the Roth is still fully available, and there is no real contest.
What this does not cover
- Conversion strategies. Converting nondeductible contributions to a Roth has tax consequences that depend on every other traditional IRA you hold, under a rule that aggregates them all. Nothing here recommends or models it.
- Spousal IRAs. A non-working spouse can contribute against the working spouse's compensation, under its own rules.
- The saver's credit. A credit for lower-income savers that can be worth more than the deduction.
- Withdrawal rules. Roth contributions can be withdrawn at any time; earnings and traditional balances cannot without consequences.
- Required minimum distributions. They apply to traditional IRAs and not to Roth IRAs during the owner's life.
For the workplace-plan version of the same tax question, see the Roth vs traditional 401(k) calculator. Every figure here is listed on our sources page.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I contribute to an IRA in 2026?
$7,500 across all your IRAs combined, plus a $1,100 catch-up from age 50 — so $8,600 for someone 50 or over.
The limit is also capped at your taxable compensation for the year, and splitting between a traditional and a Roth does not increase it.
Can I contribute to a traditional IRA if I have a 401(k)?
Yes. Workplace coverage never prevents a traditional IRA contribution; it only affects whether that contribution is deductible, and only once your income enters the phase-out range.
Above the range you may still contribute on a nondeductible basis, which has to be reported on Form 8606.
What is modified AGI and how do I find it?
Adjusted gross income with certain deductions added back. For most people it is very close to AGI from the front of the return.
The definition differs slightly between the traditional-deduction test and the Roth test. This calculator applies the figure you enter to both, which is close enough for planning and not precise enough for a filing position.
What happens if my income is too high for a Roth IRA?
A direct Roth contribution is not permitted for that year. A nondeductible traditional contribution remains available and is often what people do instead.
What happens next is a question with real tax consequences that depend on your other IRA balances, and it is one for a tax professional rather than a calculator.
Should I choose a traditional or a Roth IRA?
If the traditional contribution is not deductible, the Roth is almost always the better of the two — same money in, tax-free growth instead of taxable-on-withdrawal.
If it is deductible, the question becomes the same rate comparison as for a 401(k): traditional wins at a lower retirement rate, Roth at a higher one.
Is the deadline the end of the calendar year?
No — IRA contributions for a tax year can generally be made until the filing deadline for that year, which is later than 31 December.
That is unlike a 401(k), where the deferral has to come out of payroll during the calendar year.
Related calculators
This calculator is provided for general educational and estimation purposes only and is not tax, investment, or retirement advice. Modified AGI has a specific definition that differs slightly between the two phase-out tests. Consult a tax professional before relying on these figures, particularly if a nondeductible contribution or a conversion is involved.