Depends on the spirit of the reduction and income levels. A Roth IRA was designed specifically for wage earners to have a tax-friendly investment vehicle to save for retirement. This benefits them and society. I don’t think you can say the same thing about the OP here.

The 401k was a literal tax loophole - it was never intended to be a tax-deferred retirement vehicle. Some accountant just noticed it in the tax code and figured that most Americans could actually take advantage of it.

https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/your-401k-...

I assume you're sticking to your morals and don't use the 401k loophole?

> This benefits them and society. I don’t think you can say the same thing about the OP here.

The OP is given a tax incentive to build businesses in depressed economic zones and low-income areas.

Both roth ira and this special tax "loop hole" are incentives the gov't implemented to encourage a beneficial behaviour.

The spirit of the tax benefit, like all tax benefits, was to help some special interest avoid their taxes.

I'd say if you did what Theil did and use your Roth to purchase your own startup, yes. If you use it to play the market or invest in index funds, no.