<prompt> Human: So a couple of years ago, I switched jobs and rolled the contributions from my former employers 401k plan into a Vanguard traditional IRA. However, for the past 18 months or so, Ive been auto-drafting about 300 per month from my checking account into that traditional IRA. Obviously, the goal was to continue building my retirement funds, but it dawned on my recently that Im actually going to be taxed twice once when that money comes out of my paycheck, once when I cash out the IRA since Im contributing after-tax dollars. Am I right in thinking this? Is anyone aware of whether or not I can get any sort of tax relief from the after-tax finds Ive already contributed or am I SOL?  <response>: Thats not how it works. Your IRA is funded with pre-tax dollars. However, as you have noted, you are currently putting in post-tax dollars. This is the way you have to do it, all dollars in your pocket are post-tax, the government typically doesnt let you get your hands on pre-tax because they think youll spend all of them and then have nothing left to pay your taxes. All you do is wait until tax time, tell the government you funded your tIRA with 3600 post-tax dollars instead of 3600 pre-tax dollars and theyll convert your post-tax dollars to pre-tax dollars by giving you back the tax you paid on those dollars in the form of a 3600 tax deduction. That make sense? 