RMD calculator (required minimum distribution)

Find this year's required minimum distribution from your IRA or 401(k), using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table and the SECURE 2.0 start ages.

$
Sum of Traditional IRAs, or one plan
%
For future years

Your 2026 RMD at age 74

$19,608

$500,000 ÷ 25.5 (Uniform Lifetime Table). That is 3.9% of the balance.

$0$150k$300k$450k$600k7580859095
BalanceRMD ×10 (for scale)Age →

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An AI reads the numbers above and explains what they mean for you, in plain English. It only runs when you press the button.

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Explainer: why the percentage climbs every year

The divisor is roughly how many more years the IRS expects the account to pay out. Each birthday it shrinks, so the share you must take grows. Step through the years:

Age 74 (2026): $500k ÷ 25.5 = $19,608, or 3.9% of the account.

At 75 you take about 4.1%; by 85 it's 6.3%; by 95 it's 11.2%. Growth above that rate still lets the balance rise for a while.

Your RMD schedule

AgeYearStart balanceDivisorRMD
742026$500,00025.5$19,608
752027$504,41224.6$20,505
762028$508,10323.7$21,439
772029$510,99722.9$22,314
782030$513,11722$23,323
792031$514,28321.1$24,374
802032$514,40520.2$25,466
812033$513,38619.4$26,463
822034$511,26918.5$27,636
832035$507,81517.7$28,690
842036$503,08116.8$29,945
852037$496,79216$31,050
862038$489,03015.2$32,173
872039$479,70014.4$33,312
882040$468,70613.7$34,212
892041$456,21912.9$35,366
902042$441,89612.2$36,221
912043$425,95911.5$37,040
922044$408,36510.8$37,812
932045$389,08110.1$38,523
942046$368,0869.5$38,746
952047$345,8078.9$38,855
962048$322,3008.4$38,369
972049$298,1277.8$38,221
982050$272,9017.3$37,384
992051$247,2936.8$36,367

RMD rules in short

  • Start age: 73 if born 1951–1959, 75 if born 1960 or later (SECURE 2.0).
  • Deadline: December 31 each year; the first one can wait until April 1 of the next year.
  • IRAs can be combined: work out each IRA's RMD, then take the total from any of them. 401(k)s must each pay their own.
  • Charitable giving: from 70½ a qualified charitable distribution straight from an IRA counts toward your RMD without being taxed.
  • Lower future RMDs by converting some Traditional money to Roth before they start; see the Roth conversion calculator.

Questions people ask

How is my RMD calculated?

Take your account balance on December 31 of the previous year and divide it by the distribution period for your age in the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 75 the divisor is 24.6, so a $500,000 balance means an RMD of $20,325.

At what age do RMDs start?

Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs start at 73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959, and at 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year, but then you take two in one year.

Which accounts have RMDs?

Traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and Traditional and Roth 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans have had them, but Roth 401(k)s no longer do from 2024. Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner.

What if my spouse is more than 10 years younger?

If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, you use the IRS Joint and Last Survivor table instead, which gives a smaller RMD. This calculator uses the Uniform Lifetime Table.

What is the penalty for missing an RMD?

The excise tax is 25% of the amount you should have withdrawn, reduced to 10% if you correct it within two years.