Roth vs Traditional Calculator

2026 rules

Compare what a Roth and a traditional contribution are worth after tax when you withdraw.

Your numbers

Yearly contribution (pre-tax dollars)

Your tax rate now (federal + state)

Expected tax rate in retirement

Years until you withdraw

Yearly return

Result

Comes out aheadTraditional

Traditional: balance at withdrawal$581,564
less tax at your retirement rate-$87,235
Traditional after tax$494,329
Roth: after-tax contribution each year$7,800
Roth after tax$453,620
Difference$40,709
Break-even retirement tax rate22%

When the tax rate is the same now and later, both end up equal. The choice comes down to whether your rate will be higher or lower when you withdraw.

How it works

With the same pre-tax dollars, a traditional account grows the whole amount and is taxed at withdrawal, while a Roth is taxed now and grows tax-free. If your tax rate is the same both times, they come out exactly even.

So the choice turns on your rate now versus later. Traditional wins if you expect a lower rate in retirement; Roth wins if you expect a higher one, or if you can max out the account, since a Roth dollar holds more after-tax value.

2026 figures: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments); IRS Notice 2025-67 (2026 retirement plan limits); CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles.

Questions

What tax rate will I have in retirement?

Add up Social Security, pensions and expected RMDs, and look up the bracket. Many retirees with large traditional balances land in the same bracket they had while working.

Can I do both?

Yes. Splitting contributions spreads your tax risk, and employer matches go into the traditional side unless your plan offers Roth matching.