How does the tax treatment differ for traditional IRAs compared to Roth IRAs?

The reasoning behind the correct answer is based on the fundamental tax treatment associated with traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.

Traditional IRAs typically allow individuals to make contributions that may be deductible on their tax returns, which means that if you contribute to a traditional IRA, those contributions can reduce your taxable income for that year, potentially providing you with immediate tax savings. The taxes on those funds, including any earnings, are deferred until you withdraw them, usually during retirement, at which point they are taxed as ordinary income.

On the other hand, contributions to Roth IRAs are made with after-tax dollars, meaning you pay taxes on your income before making contributions to the account. As a result, the contributions do not provide an immediate tax deduction. However, the significant advantage of Roth IRAs is that qualified withdrawals in retirement are completely tax-free, allowing for tax-free growth on investments within the account.

This distinction is crucial for effective retirement planning and tax strategy, highlighting the different implications for contributions, withdrawals, and overall tax burden both before and after retirement. Thus, the correct answer effectively captures these key points about how these two types of retirement accounts differ in their tax treatment.