Traditional IRA Calculator

Table of Contents

Project your Traditional IRA

Estimate account growth and a hypothetical after-tax value. Add nondeductible basis, contribution deductions, or an optional Roth and taxable-account comparison. All amounts are USD.

Starts January 1, 2026. This is a no-withdrawal illustration, not an eligibility check or retirement distribution plan. Required minimum distributions are not modeled.

Age on December 31, 2025 Final year-end age Starting Traditional IRA balance ($) Existing nondeductible basis ($) Effective annual return, after fees (%) Assumed withdrawal tax rate (%) Contribution frequency Contribution timing

Use the modeled annual maximum

Planned annual contribution ($) Uses fixed 2026 caps: $7,500 before age 50 and $8,600 from the year you turn 50. Planned amounts above the cap are reduced. Assumes sufficient compensation and no other IRA contributions.

Deductible portion of each new contribution (%) Enter your assumed eligible deduction percentage. The rest is tracked as nondeductible basis; the calculator does not determine your deduction eligibility.

Estimate contribution tax savings

Assumed marginal tax rate for deductions (%)

Compare equal deposits in Roth and taxable accounts

Tax rate on positive annual taxable-account gains (%)

Understanding this comparison

Age 30 at the end of 2025 through age 65 models 35 full years, 2026–2060. Each year includes a contribution. Annual return is constant; the monthly equivalent is (1 + annual return)^1/12 − 1. Amounts remain unrounded until display.

Contribution limits and deductions

The modeled 2026 combined regular IRA cap is $7,500, or $8,600 at age 50 or older by year-end. Actual contributions are also limited by eligible compensation. The projection holds the 2026 caps constant and assumes no contributions to other IRAs.

Deductibility can depend on income, filing status and workplace-plan coverage for you or your spouse. The percentage you enter is an assumption, not an eligibility determination. Estimated contribution tax savings are shown separately, without investment growth, and are not added to the ending balance.

Nondeductible basis and the after-tax estimate

Basis starts at your entered amount and increases by the nondeductible portion of each contribution. The hypothetical tax is max(ending balance − basis, 0) × your withdrawal tax rate. This represents a simplified full distribution of the modeled account, with no intervening withdrawals, conversions or penalties.

Actual partial distributions generally involve the pro-rata treatment of basis across traditional, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs. This tool does not prepare Form 8606 or model other accounts. A basis amount larger than the balance can occur after losses; this model does not create a tax refund for that difference.

Roth and taxable accounts

Each alternative starts with the same numerical balance and receives the same deposits. This is an equal-deposit comparison, not an equal-cost or conversion analysis. Traditional contribution deductions are shown separately. Roth figures are account balances, not a guarantee that withdrawals qualify for tax-free treatment.

The taxable model deducts tax on positive investment growth at each year-end. It gives no loss tax credit and does not model deferred gains, dividend categories or tax brackets. Taxes are paid from that account.

No withdrawals or required minimum distributions are modeled. At ages when RMDs apply, this uninterrupted-growth projection is not an actual account forecast. Use the RMD Calculator for a separate distribution estimate.

Sources: IRS contribution limits · IRS deduction rules · IRS distributions and basis. Rules reviewed September 27, 2026.