IRA Calculator: Traditional IRA Growth, Deduction, and After-Tax Value
Set your age, retirement age, balance, and annual contribution to project a traditional IRA to retirement. You also see what this year's deduction saves at your current tax rate and what the balance is worth after tax on withdrawal.
Penalty-free withdrawals begin at 59½
The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500; it rises to $8,600 at 50+
7% is a common long-run stock market assumption
The rate your last dollar of income is taxed at today; sets what the deduction is worth
The rate you expect withdrawals to be taxed at later
Balance at age 65
$898,762
30 years of tax-deferred compounding
Total contributions
$250,000
pre-tax dollars, deducted the year they went in
Growth
$648,762
untaxed until you withdraw it
This year's deduction is worth
$1,650
$7,500 deducted at your 22% marginal rate
After-tax value at retirement
$763,948
if withdrawals are taxed at 15%
Tax owed on the way out
$134,814
spread across retirement withdrawals, not due at once
Milestones along the way
| Age | Contributed | Growth | Balance | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $62,500 | $15,694 | $78,194 | $66,465 |
| 45 | $100,000 | $52,802 | $152,802 | $129,882 |
| 50 | $137,500 | $119,943 | $257,443 | $218,827 |
| 55 | $175,000 | $229,208 | $404,208 | $343,577 |
| 60 | $212,500 | $397,554 | $610,054 | $518,546 |
| 65 | $250,000 | $648,762 | $898,762 | $763,948 |
After-tax applies your retirement rate to the whole balance at each age; real withdrawals are taxed a slice at a time, bracket by bracket.
Educational estimate for the 2026 tax year, not tax advice. Federal figures follow IRS inflation adjustments; state estimates use statewide rates and standard deductions only and exclude local income taxes (city, county, school district), State Disability Insurance, and credits. Where a state publishes separate married tables, married thresholds may be approximated. Verify your exact withholding with a tax professional or your payroll provider.
Pre-tax going in, taxed coming out
A traditional IRA is the mirror image of a Roth. Contributions can be deducted from this year's taxable income, so a $7,500 contribution at a 22% marginal rate trims the bill by about $1,650 right away. The money then grows without annual tax on dividends or gains, and every dollar you withdraw in retirement is taxed as ordinary income at that year's rate. The bet is simple: deduct at today's rate, pay at tomorrow's.
How the projection is built
The calculator compounds your balance at the return you set and adds each year's contribution at year end, so contributions are the money you put in and growth is everything the account earned on top. The deduction stat multiplies this year's contribution by your marginal rate now, which is what the deduction is actually worth to you. The after-tax stat applies your expected retirement rate to the whole ending balance, since none of it has been taxed yet. The contribution field defaults to the 2026 IRA limit and notes the catch-up allowance once you are 50, both pulled from the current IRS figures rather than typed in.
Worked example: 30 years of full contributions
A 35-year-old with $25,000 already saved contributes $7,500 a year until 65 at a 7% return. Total contributions come to $250,000; the balance at 65 is about $898,762, so $648,762 is growth. Each year's deduction is worth $1,650 at a 22% rate, roughly $49,500 of tax deferred over the run. If withdrawals are taxed at 15%, the after-tax value is about $763,948, and the $134,814 difference is the tax bill that was postponed, not avoided.
Deductibility depends on workplace coverage
Anyone with earned income can contribute, but the deduction has a condition. If you (or your spouse) are covered by a workplace plan such as a 401(k), the deduction phases out above income levels the IRS adjusts most years. Above the range, the contribution still goes in and still grows tax-deferred; it just is not deducted, and it creates after-tax basis you track on your return. Many people in that position use the Roth route instead, or the backdoor version of it.
When this projection earns its keep
It matters most for people without a workplace plan, freelancers deciding between an IRA and a solo plan, and anyone weighing the deduction now against the Roth's tax-free later. Two things sit past the edge of the chart. Required minimum distributions eventually force withdrawals from a traditional IRA whether you need the money or not; the RMD calculator shows the size. And the Roth question never fully goes away: the Roth IRA calculator runs the same projection tax-free, and the Roth vs. traditional calculator puts the two tax rates side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I contribute to a traditional IRA?
For 2026, $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, with the catch-up included. The limit is shared across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined, and you need at least that much earned income for the year.
Is a traditional IRA contribution tax-deductible?
Fully, if neither you nor your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan. If one of you is covered, the deduction phases out above income levels the IRS updates most years. A non-deductible contribution is still allowed and still grows tax-deferred; you just track the after-tax basis so it is not taxed twice on the way out.
What is the difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA?
Timing of the tax. Traditional contributions can be deducted now and withdrawals are taxed later; Roth contributions are made with after-tax money and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. Traditional IRAs also face required minimum distributions later in life, while Roth IRAs do not during the owner's lifetime.
When can I withdraw from a traditional IRA?
Withdrawals after 59½ are taxed as ordinary income with no penalty. Taking money earlier generally adds an additional federal tax on top of the income tax, with exceptions for things like a first home purchase, higher education costs, and disability. Later in retirement, required minimum distributions make withdrawals mandatory whether you need the money or not.
How accurate is this calculator?
It projects a steady return with contributions added at the end of each year and uses your two tax-rate inputs as flat rates; real withdrawals are taxed bracket by bracket, so the after-tax figure is a planning estimate rather than a forecast. Educational estimate for the 2026 tax year, not tax advice. Federal figures follow IRS inflation adjustments; state estimates use statewide rates and standard deductions only and exclude local income taxes (city, county, school district), State Disability Insurance, and credits. Where a state publishes separate married tables, married thresholds may be approximated. Verify your exact withholding with a tax professional or your payroll provider.
Does this calculator save my numbers?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
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