Individual Retirement Account
Roth IRA Calculator
Roth growth is 100% tax-free — no annual drag on dividends/realized gains.
Withdrawals are TAX-FREE — that 4% goes further than a taxable account's 4%.
2026 contribution limits
| Item | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution limit, under 50 | $7,500 | $7,000 |
| Age 50+ catch-up | $1,100 | $1,000 |
| Total, age 50 and over | $8,600 | $8,000 |
The limit applies across all your IRAs combined, Roth and Traditional together. You cannot put $7,500 in each. It is also capped by your earned income: if you earned $4,000 in 2026, that is your limit.
Income phase-outs
This is where most people discover they cannot contribute directly. Eligibility phases out over a band of modified adjusted gross income; below the band you can contribute fully, above it you cannot contribute at all, and inside it your limit shrinks proportionally.
| Filing status | Full contribution below | No contribution above |
|---|---|---|
| Single / head of household | $153,000 | $168,000 |
| Married filing jointly | $242,000 | $252,000 |
| Married filing separately (lived with spouse) | $0 | $10,000 |
Married filing separately is brutal here
If you are married, file separately and lived with your spouse at any point during the year, the phase-out runs from $0 to $10,000. In practice that means almost no direct Roth contribution. This band is not indexed for inflation and has been $0 to $10,000 for decades.
Worked example: single filer with MAGI of $158,000
- Phase-out range
- $153,000 - $168,000
- Amount into the range
- $5,000 of $15,000
- Proportion of range used
- 33.3%
- Full limit (under 50)
- $7,500
- Reduced contribution limit
- about $5,000
Why the Roth matters for public employees
If you have a pension, your retirement income is largely fixed and largely taxable. A Roth IRA is one of the few levers that gives you untaxed income on top of it, and that flexibility is worth more than the raw arithmetic suggests. Being able to draw $10,000 from a Roth without pushing yourself into a higher bracket, or without increasing the share of your Social Security that becomes taxable, is a real benefit in a year when you need extra money.
- No required minimum distributions during the original owner’s lifetime, unlike a Traditional IRA or a 403(b). The money can keep growing untouched.
- Contributions can be withdrawn at any time without tax or penalty, because you already paid tax on them. Earnings are different — those generally need you to be 59½ with the account open five years.
- The five-year rule starts on January 1 of the tax year of your first contribution. Opening one early, even with a small amount, starts the clock.
If you earn too much
Being over the phase-out does not necessarily end it. You can always make a non-deductible Traditional IRA contribution regardless of income, and many people then convert it — an approach commonly called a backdoor Roth. It is legal and widely used, but the pro-rata rule means that if you hold other pre-tax IRA money, part of the conversion becomes taxable. If you have a rollover IRA from an old employer, get advice before trying it; the tax bill can be an unpleasant surprise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026?+
$7,500 if you are under 50, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older including the $1,100 catch-up. The limit applies across all your IRAs combined and cannot exceed your earned income for the year.
What are the 2026 Roth IRA income limits?+
For single filers and heads of household, eligibility phases out between $153,000 and $168,000 of modified adjusted gross income. For married filing jointly it is $242,000 to $252,000. For married filing separately where you lived with your spouse, it is $0 to $10,000.
Can I contribute to a Roth IRA and a 403(b) in the same year?+
Yes. They are separate limits with separate rules. You can defer $24,500 into a 403(b) and contribute $7,500 to a Roth IRA in 2026, provided your income is below the Roth phase-out.
Can I withdraw from a Roth IRA before 59 and a half?+
You can withdraw your own contributions at any time, tax-free and penalty-free, because they were made with after-tax money. Earnings generally require you to be 59 and a half with the account open at least five years, though exceptions exist for first-time home purchase, disability and a few other cases.
Does a Roth IRA have required minimum distributions?+
Not during the original owner's lifetime. This is a meaningful advantage over a Traditional IRA or a 403(b), and it makes the Roth useful for leaving money to heirs as well as for your own flexibility.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of the following. Where a plan does not publish a number we needed, the page says so rather than guessing.
- IRS Notice 2025-67 — 2026 IRA limits and phase-out ranges
- IRS — IRA limit increases to $7,500 for 2026 — announcement of the 2026 figures
- IRS — Roth IRAs — qualified distributions and the five-year rule
Keep reading
Plan data on this page was last checked against the system’s own published material on September 19, 2026. Retirement systems change their rules; if you spot something out of date, tell us.