The Roth 401(k) began in 2006 as a provision of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 . It was based on the already-existing Roth IRA, allowing investors to stash their after-tax money in a safe place, for later use.
Contribute to a Roth 401(k) and you won’t be able to claim it as a tax deduction, but you also won’t owe any taxes on any qualified distributions. If you participate in a 403(b) plan, you’re also eligible to participate in a Roth fund.