The Roth vs. traditional IRA choice comes down to one question: will your tax rate be higher now or later? Traditional IRAs give you a tax deduction today and tax withdrawals in retirement; Roth IRAs flip it — you pay tax on contributions now, but qualified withdrawals (including all the growth) come out tax-free. This calculator projects both paths from your annual contribution, current and retirement ages, both tax rates, and expected return, so you can see the after-tax wealth each route produces.

A 35-year-old in Denver contributing $7,000 a year until 65, earning 7 percent, taxed at 22 percent now and expecting 18 percent in retirement, is a classic comparison. The traditional IRA's upfront deductions compound into a bigger pre-tax balance, but the retirement tax bill shrinks it; the Roth grows to a smaller pre-tax number that arrives entirely tax-free. When the retirement rate sits below the current rate, traditional usually wins on paper — and the calculator shows by how much.

Tax law, income limits, and employer-plan coverage complicate real eligibility — high earners face Roth income caps and traditional deduction phase-outs. This is an educational projection using constant assumed rates, not tax or investment advice. Talk to a qualified professional before choosing.

With the pre-filled defaults — Annual Contribution $7,000, Current Age 35, Retirement Age 65, Current Tax Rate 22%, Retirement Tax Rate 18%, Expected Annual Return 7% — the Traditional IRA vs Roth IRA Calculator returns Years to Retirement 30, Traditional IRA (Pre-tax) $661,225.50, Roth IRA (Pre-tax) $515,755.89, Traditional IRA (After-tax) $542,204.91, Roth IRA (After-tax) $515,755.89. Change any input and those results update instantly, so you can see exactly how each number you enter moves the answer.