Roth Conversion Calculator 2026
Compare converting traditional IRA to Roth now vs leaving it in traditional. See after-tax outcomes at retirement.
Should You Convert to Roth?
A Roth conversion moves money from a traditional IRA (or other pre-tax account) into a Roth IRA. You report the converted amount as taxable income in the year of the conversion and pay tax at your current rate; from then on, the money grows tax-free and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. There is no limit on how much you can convert in a year, but converting a large sum can push you into a higher bracket, so many people convert in chunks over several years.
When converting makes sense
Converting is often attractive when you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you are today—for example, if you have a year with unusually low income (career break, early retirement before Social Security) or you have a large traditional balance and will face big RMDs. Roth accounts have no RMDs during your life, so converting can reduce future forced withdrawals and leave more tax-free money for heirs. Our calculator compares the after-tax value at retirement if you convert a portion now (and pay tax today) versus leaving everything in traditional (and paying tax later).
Pay the conversion tax from outside funds
Ideally, pay the conversion tax from savings or other taxable accounts rather than from the IRA. If you use IRA money to pay the tax, you lose the benefit of that amount growing tax-free in the Roth and may face an early-withdrawal penalty if you are under 59½. Our calculator assumes you pay the tax from other funds. For contribution-level comparisons, use our IRA calculator; for a full retirement plan, try our retirement calculator.
Roth Conversion FAQ
It depends on your current vs. expected retirement tax rate, time horizon, and whether you can pay the conversion tax from outside funds. If you expect a higher rate in retirement or want to reduce RMDs and leave tax-free money to heirs, converting can make sense. Our calculator shows after-tax value for both scenarios so you can compare.
Years when your income is temporarily lower—early retirement before Social Security, a sabbatical, or a year with large deductions—are often ideal because you pay tax at a lower rate. You can also spread conversions over many years to stay in a target bracket. Use the calculator to test different current and retirement tax rates.
There is no dollar limit on Roth conversions. You can convert any amount in a given year; the full amount is taxable as ordinary income. Converting too much in one year can push you into a higher bracket, so many people convert incrementally over time.
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Use our retirement calculator for Monte Carlo simulations, Social Security, and country-specific planning.
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