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Meridary

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Roth Conversion Tax Calculator

What a conversion actually costs, the correct blended rate, not marginal × amount.

Reviewed September 2, 2026

Short answer

A conversion is taxed at the blended (span-integrated) rate across the brackets it fills, not your top marginal rate times the amount. Converting $30,000 on $80,000 of single income in 2026 costs $6,600, a flat 22%.

$
$
Extra federal tax$6,600.00Cost of this conversion
Effective rate22.0%Blended across brackets
Room before conversion$41,800.00Before the 22% bracket ends

This conversion adds approximately $6,600.00 of federal income tax, an effective rate of 22.0% across the converted amount. It does not include state tax or income-related benefit and premium changes.

2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, post-OBBBA). Single and married-filing-jointly are modeled; head of household and married-filing-separately are not. Federal income tax only, state tax, IRMAA, NIIT, and the effect on Social Security taxation are not included. The cost shown is the span-integrated effective rate over the converted amount, so a conversion that crosses a bracket is taxed partly at each rate.

This is an educational estimate, not tax or financial advice. Figures reflect the law year shown and the inputs you provide. Consult a qualified professional before acting.

Sources

  • Revenue Procedure 2025-32Internal Revenue Service

    The 2026 federal income-tax brackets and standard deductions.

    Accessed September 2, 2026

  • Roth IRAsInternal Revenue Service

    Roth IRA contribution, distribution, and conversion tax treatment.

    Accessed September 2, 2026

How it’s calculated

  1. Start from your other 2026 taxable income after the standard deduction, which sets the bracket the conversion stacks on top of.
  2. Add the conversion above it; each dollar is taxed at the bracket it lands in, so a conversion crossing a bracket is taxed partly at each rate.
  3. Sum the tax across that span and divide by the amount converted for the true effective rate, not marginal × amount.

Worked Roth conversion example

Other ordinary income
$80,000
Conversion
$30,000
Filing status
Single
Tax year
2026

Result

$6,600 of additional federal income tax, a 22% effective rate.

After the standard deduction, this example's conversion remains inside the 22% bracket. A conversion that spans brackets would be split across those rates instead.

What this calculator does not cover

  • State income tax, NIIT, credits, and deductions other than the standard deduction are not modeled.
  • The result does not price IRMAA, ACA premium-tax-credit changes, or additional Social Security taxation.
  • Only single and married-filing-jointly statuses are supported.

Frequently asked

Why isn't it just my tax bracket times the amount?
Because a large conversion can climb through several brackets. The correct cost integrates the rate across the whole span you convert; your top marginal rate overstates it, and your current bracket alone understates it.
What does this calculator leave out?
Federal income tax only, single or married-filing-jointly. It does not model state tax, Medicare IRMAA, NIIT, or how the added income changes Social Security taxation. A full Meridary plan sequences the flat state rate and the Social Security effect together with the conversion; IRMAA and the ACA cliff stay in these free calculators rather than the projection engine, and NIIT is out of scope.

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