Traditional IRA Calculator
Project traditional IRA growth on a deductible contribution -- tax-deferred until withdrawal -- with the tax bill shown separately from the pre-tax balance.
2026 limit: $7,500/yr ($8,600 at 50+).
Your expected ordinary-income rate in retirement.
Pre-tax balance
$689,105.36
Tax owed at withdrawal
$151,603.18
After-tax balance
$537,502.18
Total contributed
$210,000.00
Investment growth over the period: $479,105.36, all of it still tax-deferred until this withdrawal.
How it's calculated
The contribution grows tax-deferred at your full entered rate -- no drag from annual taxation, unlike a taxable account -- using the same annual-contribution future-value formula as every growth calculator on this site, compounded monthly:
balancepre-tax = PMT × [((1 + i)n − 1) / i]
Then, at withdrawal, ordinary-income tax applies to the whole balance:
balanceafter-tax = balancepre-tax × (1 − tax rate)
Worked example
The calculator's own defaults: $7,000/yr for 25 years at 7%, taxed at 22% on withdrawal.
| Pre-tax balance | $457,572.15 |
| Tax owed | $100,665.87 |
| After-tax balance | $356,906.27 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2026 traditional IRA contribution limit?
$7,500/yr under 50, $8,600/yr at 50+ -- the same combined limit shared with a Roth IRA across all your IRAs. Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf). Whether the contribution is fully deductible also depends on your income and whether you or a spouse is covered by a workplace plan, which this calculator doesn't check.
How is this different from the 401(k) calculator?
The math is the same tax-deferred growth; the difference is the contribution limit and the source. A 401(k) is payroll-based with a much higher limit and often an employer match; a traditional IRA is self-directed, has a lower limit, and never has a match. If your workplace offers a match, the 401(k) calculator's employer-match callout usually makes contributing there first the stronger move.
Will I really pay tax at a flat rate on the whole withdrawal?
In practice, traditional IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income and stack on top of your other retirement income across tax brackets, not at one flat rate on the whole amount. This calculator uses a single stated rate as a simplification -- enter your expected effective (not marginal) rate in retirement for a more realistic number.
What if my contribution isn't fully tax-deductible?
A non-deductible contribution still grows tax-deferred, but you won't owe tax again on that original contribution at withdrawal (only on the growth) -- track your basis with IRS Form 8606. This calculator assumes a fully deductible contribution; a partly non-deductible one will owe somewhat less tax than shown here.
When do I have to start withdrawing from a traditional IRA?
The IRS requires minimum withdrawals (RMDs) starting at age 73 under current law, rising to 75 in 2033. The RMD calculator shows exactly how much, using the IRS's own Uniform Lifetime Table.
Figures on this page are estimates from the inputs you enter, not financial advice, and this site is not affiliated with any employer, plan administrator, bank or the IRS. Real accounts vary by plan rules, taxes and fees this tool doesn't model -- see the Terms.