Roth IRA Eligibility Calculator
How much you can contribute to a Roth IRA this year at your income — the full limit, a reduced amount, or zero (with the backdoor route explained).
Your details
Rough figures are fine — you can refine later.
How we calculate this
We apply the IRS Roth IRA phase-out to your MAGI.
1. Limit. The base IRA limit plus a catch-up if you're 50+, both from tax-constants.json.
2. Phase-out. For your filing status we read the [floor, ceiling] MAGI range. At or below the floor you get the full limit; at or above the ceiling, zero. Between, the amount is reduced linearly.
3. Rounding. The reduced amount is rounded down to the nearest $10, with a $200 floor for any nonzero partial — the IRS rounding convention.
MAGI here is your input; a precise MAGI can differ from AGI by a few add-backs. This is a planning estimate, not tax advice — confirm with a CPA/EA.
Primary sources
- IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to IRAs
- IRS Amount of Roth IRA Contributions You Can Make
- IRS Retirement Topics — IRA Contribution Limits
Can you contribute to a Roth IRA this year?
A Roth IRA is one of the best deals in the tax code: you contribute after-tax money, and everything it earns comes out completely tax-free in retirement. The catch is an income limit. Earn above a certain modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and your ability to contribute directly shrinks, then disappears. This calculator tells you exactly where you land.
Enter your MAGI, filing status, age, and tax year. The tool returns your allowed contribution — the full limit, a reduced amount, or zero with the backdoor route explained.
How the phase-out works
For your filing status there's a MAGI range with a floor and a ceiling:
- Below the floor: you can contribute the full limit (higher if you're 50+).
- At or above the ceiling: you can't contribute directly at all.
- In between: your limit is reduced proportionally the higher your income climbs, rounded down to the nearest $10 (with a $200 minimum for any nonzero partial).
The ranges move a little each year with inflation; this tool uses the current-year figures from our versioned constants file.
Above the ceiling? Use the backdoor
If your income is too high for a direct Roth, you're not shut out — you can use a backdoor Roth. You contribute to a *traditional* IRA (which has no income limit on the contribution itself) and then convert it to a Roth. There's no income limit on the conversion.
One warning: the pro-rata rule. If you already hold pre-tax money in any traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA, the conversion is taxed proportionally across all of it — you can't cherry-pick only the after-tax dollars. If your only IRA is the fresh non-deductible contribution, the conversion is usually clean. If you have other balances, talk to a CPA before converting.
Self-employment doesn't change the limit
The Roth income limits are the same whether your income comes from a W-2 job or freelancing — what matters is your MAGI and filing status. What's different for the self-employed is everything *around* the Roth: you can pair it with a Solo 401(k) or SEP for far larger total shelter. The Roth is the tax-free layer; the employer plans are the bulk deferral.
What this is
A planning estimate. Your precise MAGI can differ from AGI by a few add-backs, and the deadline to contribute for a year runs to that year's filing deadline. Not tax advice — confirm your eligibility and any conversion with a CPA or EA.
Common questions
What are the Roth IRA income limits? + −
Eligibility phases out over a MAGI range that depends on your filing status. Below the floor you can contribute the full limit; above the ceiling you cannot contribute directly; in between you get a reduced amount. This calculator applies the current-year ranges from our tax-constants file to your MAGI.
What is a backdoor Roth? + −
If your income is above the Roth ceiling, you can contribute to a traditional IRA (which has no income limit on the contribution) and then convert it to a Roth. There is no income limit on the conversion itself. Watch the IRS pro-rata rule if you hold other pre-tax IRA money — the conversion may be partly taxable.
Does self-employment change my Roth limit? + −
No — the Roth IRA limit is the same whether your income is from a job or self-employment. What matters is your modified AGI and filing status. Self-employed savers often pair a Roth IRA with a Solo 401(k) or SEP for much larger total shelter.
When is the contribution deadline? + −
You can contribute for a tax year up until that year’s filing deadline (typically mid-April of the following year), not counting extensions. So you have a few months after year-end to fund the prior year.
Keep going
Prepared for tax year 2026. Every rate and cap on this page cites a primary IRS or SSA source. Estimates only — not tax or financial advice. — for planning purposes only, not tax, legal, or financial advice.