About this tool
Roth IRA Calculator is a free, in-browser tool that projects how large a Roth IRA could grow by the time you retire. Enter your current balance, the amount you add each year, how many years you have left, and an expected annual return — an optional contribution-growth field lets you model raising your deposits over time. Every figure is computed locally as you type; nothing is uploaded.
The projection compounds your starting balance forward as B₀·(1+r)ⁿ and adds the future value of your yearly contributions as an annuity. Contributions are treated as beginning-of-year deposits (annuity-due), the usual convention for IRA funding, so each year's money earns one extra period of growth. The result is split into what you contributed and what compound growth added, plus the multiple your money grew by.
Because a Roth is funded with after-tax dollars, qualified withdrawals in retirement are 100% tax-free — the projected balance is money you keep, unlike a traditional pre-tax account that is taxed on the way out. Use it to size a savings plan, compare return assumptions, or see the long-run cost of skipping a year of contributions.
Frequently asked questions
Are the contributions treated as start-of-year or end-of-year?
Start of year (an annuity-due). IRA deposits are usually made early, so each year's contribution compounds for the full year. That is why the projected balance is a little higher than an end-of-year (ordinary annuity) assumption would give.
What does the contribution-growth field do?
It raises your annual contribution by that percentage each year, modelling deposits that grow with your income. Leave it at 0 for a flat yearly contribution. The tool uses a growing-annuity formula so the math stays exact even when growth and return rates are close.
Why is the balance called tax-free?
A Roth IRA is funded with money you have already paid income tax on, so qualified withdrawals after age 59½ (and a 5-year holding period) are not taxed again. The whole projected balance — contributions plus growth — is yours to withdraw, subject to IRS rules.
Does the tool enforce the annual contribution limit?
No — you enter the contribution yourself, so it works for any year or country. The IRS caps Roth contributions each year (for example $7,000, or $8,000 if you are 50 or older, in recent years), so check the current limit before committing to a number. All math runs privately in your browser.
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