Roth vs. Pre-Tax Retirement Contribution Calculator

Which type of account, and what you're already working with.

Account type

Workplace plan (401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP) IRA

Current Roth balance

$

Current pre-tax balance

$

Your annual contribution this year

$

Expected annual increase to your contribution

%

Leave at 0 if you plan to contribute the same dollar amount every year

Employer match (annual $, workplace plans only)

$

Shown separately below — your Roth vs. pre-tax election doesn't change how much your employer contributes

Roth IRA contributions and Traditional IRA deductibility both phase out based on income. We'll check where you fall.

Estimated modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)

$

Are you covered by a workplace retirement plan?

No Yes

Is your spouse covered by a workplace retirement plan?

No Yes

This can affect your Traditional IRA deduction even if you aren't covered yourself

This comparison lives or dies on your marginal tax rate now vs. in retirement — not your effective rate. We'll explain the difference if you use the estimator below.

Filing status

Single Married Filing Jointly Head of Household Married Filing Separately

Your current marginal federal tax rate

%

Your current marginal state tax rate

%

Expected marginal federal tax rate in retirement

%

Expected marginal state tax rate in retirement

%

Enter 0% if you expect to retire in a state with no income tax

Compared to today, do you expect your income (and tax bracket) to be...

About the same Higher later in your career Lower later in your career

Informational only — used in the notes below, not in the math, since your entered rates already reflect your own expectations

Your current age

Age you plan to start withdrawing

Expected annual investment return

%

Years you expect to draw down the account in retirement

For context only — we compare the after-tax value at the start of retirement, assuming your retirement tax rate stays constant across your withdrawal years

Expected annual inflation

%

Invest the current-year tax savings from the pre-tax option If left unchecked, we assume the tax savings are spent rather than invested — this makes a real difference (see your results)

Show results in today's dollars (inflation-adjusted)

Curious about splitting your contribution between both? Enter a percentage to see a blended result alongside the all-Roth and all-pre-tax outcomes.

Percent of your contribution to Roth (rest goes pre-tax)

%

Roth vs. Pre-Tax Retirement Contribution Calculator

Your Roth vs. Pre-Tax Comparison

View 1: Equal Contribution Amount

View 2: Equal Impact on Take-Home Pay The More Meaningful Comparison

Your Existing Balances, Projected Forward

How the Decision Changes With Your Retirement Tax Rate

Your Split-Contribution Result

Your Employer Match (Shown Separately)

Assumptions Used

Roth vs. Pre-Tax Retirement Contribution Calculator

Before You Begin

Your Roth vs. Pre-Tax Comparison

View 1: Equal Contribution Amount

View 2: Equal Impact on Take-Home Pay The More Meaningful Comparison

Your Existing Balances, Projected Forward

How the Decision Changes With Your Retirement Tax Rate

Your Split-Contribution Result

Your Employer Match (Shown Separately)

Assumptions Used

Related Articles