Year by year
$7,500.00 a year from age 30, 2026 limits, 7% a year.
| Age | You put in | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | $7,500.00 | $44,497.41 |
| 39 | $7,500.00 | $106,907.33 |
| 44 | $7,500.00 | $194,440.47 |
| 49 | $7,500.00 | $317,210.24 |
| 54 | $7,500.00 | $489,401.18 |
| 59 | $7,500.00 | $730,907.88 |
| 64 | $7,500.00 | $1,069,633.52 |
Long tables show every fifth year. The contribution is for that one year and the balance is at the end of it.
Results are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or legal advice.
Roth IRA limits for 2026 and 2027
| Limit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution limit | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| From age 50 | $8,600 | $8,600 |
| Single: limit shrinks above | $153,000 | $158,000 |
| Single: no contribution from | $168,000 | $173,000 |
| Married, joint: limit shrinks above | $242,000 | $250,000 |
| Married, joint: no contribution from | $252,000 | $260,000 |
| Married, separate: limit shrinks above | $0 | $0 |
| Married, separate: no contribution from | $10,000 | $10,000 |
Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 (tax year 2026) and IRS Notice 2026-66 (tax year 2027). Figures last checked against the IRS notices on November 13, 2026.
The income figures are modified adjusted gross income (MAGI): your adjusted gross income with a few items added back. "Single" includes head of household. Below the first figure you can put in the full limit. Between the two figures your limit shrinks. From the second figure up, you cannot contribute to a Roth IRA directly. The married-filing-separately range is fixed by law and does not rise with inflation.
How a reduced limit is worked out
Inside the income range, the IRS reduces your limit in proportion to how far through the range you are (Worksheet 2-2 in Publication 590-A):
The range is $15,000 wide for single filers and $10,000 wide for married filers. If the answer is above zero but below $200, your limit is $200.
Take a single filer aged 30 with income of $160,500 in 2026. They are (160,500 − 153,000) ÷ 15,000 = 50% of the way through the range, so the reduction is 50% × $7,500 = $3,750 and the limit is $3,750. At $154,321 the reduction is 1,321 ÷ 15,000 × 7,500 = $660.50, which leaves $6,839.50 and rounds up to $6,840.
Worked examples
The full limit from 30 to 65
$7,500 a year for 35 years is $262,500 paid in. At a 7% return it grows to $1,069,633.52, so $807,133.52 of the balance is growth. In a Roth IRA that growth can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement, which is the whole point of the account.
Asking for more than the limit
Enter $9,000 a year and the calculator holds each year to the limit: $7,500 up to age 49 and $8,600 from 50. Over 35 years that is 20 × 7,500 + 15 × 8,600 = $279,000 paid in, growing to $1,098,151.46.
Starting at 40 with $20,000
$6,000 a year from 40 to 65 at 6%, on top of $20,000 already in the account, reaches $423,981.90. You pay in $150,000 over the 25 years.
Roth or traditional
Both kinds of IRA share one limit, and the money grows the same way inside them. The difference is when tax is paid. With a Roth you contribute money that has already been taxed and take qualified withdrawals tax-free. With a traditional IRA you may be able to deduct the contribution now, and withdrawals are taxed as income later. A Roth tends to suit people who expect to be in the same or a higher tax bracket in retirement; nobody can know that for certain, which is why many people hold both kinds.
What this calculator assumes
- Your income, filing status and the limits stay the same every year. The catch-up amount is added from the year you turn 50.
- Contributions go in evenly through the year, and the same return applies every year.
- You have at least as much taxable pay as you contribute. Married couples filing jointly can also fund an IRA for a spouse with little or no pay.
Questions people ask
What is the Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026 and 2027?
$7,500 in 2026 and $7,500 in 2027. If you are 50 or older by the end of the year it is $8,600 in 2026 and $8,600 in 2027. The limit covers all your IRAs together, traditional and Roth, and you cannot put in more than your taxable pay for the year.
What are the Roth IRA income limits?
For 2026 the limit starts to shrink at $153,000 of modified adjusted gross income for single filers and reaches zero at $168,000. For married couples filing jointly the range is $242,000 to $252,000. For 2027 the ranges are $158,000 to $173,000 and $250,000 to $260,000.
When can I take money out of a Roth IRA?
Your own contributions can come out at any time without tax or penalty. Earnings are tax-free once the account has been open for five tax years and you are 59½ or older, or disabled, or using up to $10,000 for a first home. The IRS calls these qualified distributions and explains them in Publication 590-B.
What is the deadline for contributing?
The due date of your tax return for that year, not counting extensions. Contributions for 2026 can be made until the April 2027 filing deadline. Tell your provider which year the money is for.
Can I have a Roth IRA and a 401(k)?
Yes. The limits are separate, so in 2026 you could put $24,500 into a 401(k) and $7,500 into a Roth IRA if your income allows. Having a workplace plan does not affect your Roth IRA limit.
Does a Roth IRA have required minimum distributions?
Not while you are alive. The original owner of a Roth IRA never has to take money out, which is one reason people keep Roth money for last. Traditional IRAs and most workplace accounts do have them; see the RMD calculator.