What Year Did Roth IRA Began? 
The Roth IRA was borne out of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 . The law was signed into effect on August 5 , 1997 . The first year a Roth IRA was available was 1998 . The Roth IRA is named after Senator William Roth of Delaware who served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee from 1995 until he left office in 2001 . 