I don't think I'm confusing anything. I understand everything that has been said in response to my question. I just think I'm not making my question clear. I'm not looking for any tax benefit for 2017 by virtue of an IRA contribution. My interest in the Roth contribution for 2017 is simply for the down the road tax benefits. So, my question comes down to one thing -- eligibility to make the contribution. If I have earned income in excess of the contribution that I intend to make (which is $6,500 -- I am 53), then am I eligible to make that contribution even though my taxable income will be drawn down this year to zero because of non IRA deductions? In other words, is there some small print that says you can't make a Roth contribution in a year in which you would not otherwise owe any income tax because of non-IRA deductions. The only reason I ask the question is that most IRA contribution decisions have to do with taxability or non-taxability in the year of contribution. Because of my low earned income this year, that is a non-issue, and it would seem that I could make the Roth contribution, and get all of those benefits, without having to consider the issue of being taxed on the contribution, simply because this is a rare year where my income will not produce any income tax owed. I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking something.
