Roth vs Traditional IRA Calculator
Compare after-tax retirement income from a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) against a traditional pre-tax account, given today’s tax rate and your expected rate in retirement.
Your numbers
- Roth after-tax value
- $384,784
- Traditional after-tax value
- $394,910
- Traditional
- Roth
How the roth vs traditional ira calculator works
Traditional: contribution grows untaxed, then withdrawals are taxed at the retirement rate. Roth: you pay tax today, contribute the after-tax amount and withdraw tax-free. If you invest the tax savings from traditional, the two are equal when rates match.
Example
Using the default inputs (Pre-tax amount to invest per year: $7,500; Tax rate today: 24%; Tax rate in retirement: 22%; Years until withdrawal: 25; Annual return: 7%), the calculator returns traditional wins by of $10,126. Change any field above to see your own result and charts update instantly.
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Frequently asked questions
When is Roth better?
When you expect a higher tax rate in retirement than today, such as early in your career.
When is traditional better?
When your current marginal rate is higher than your expected retirement rate.
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Estimates are for educational purposes only and are not financial, tax or legal advice. Results depend on your inputs and simplified assumptions; tax figures reflect 2026 federal rules and may differ from your situation. See our disclaimer. © 2026 FinanzCalc.