About the Required Minimum Distribution Calculator
Work out your required minimum distribution (RMD): the least you must withdraw this year from a traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or other tax-deferred retirement account once you reach RMD age. Enter last year's December 31 balance and your age at the end of this year.
The calculator divides the balance by the distribution period in the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, the table most account owners use. The full table is on the page for reference.
How it works
Your RMD for a year is the account balance on December 31 of the year before, divided by a number from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. The number is called the distribution period and gets smaller each year, so the share you must take out grows with age.
At 73 the distribution period is 26.5, so a $100,000 balance gives an RMD of $3,773.58, about 3.8% of the account. At 80 it is 20.2 and at 90 it is 12.2: a $100,000 balance then gives $8,196.72. From 120 on the period stays at 2.0.
RMDs now start at 73 for most people, under the SECURE 2.0 Act. Your first RMD can wait until April 1 of the year after you turn 73, but the second is then due by December 31 of that same year. Each account's RMD is worked out from its own balance, though IRA RMDs can be added together and taken from any of your IRAs.
Assumptions and limits
- For account owners; inherited IRAs follow different rules.
- Uses the Uniform Lifetime Table. If your spouse is the only beneficiary and more than 10 years younger than you, the IRS Joint Life and Last Survivor table gives a smaller RMD.
- Roth IRAs have no RMDs while the owner is alive. Not tax advice: check with your plan or a tax adviser.
Worked examples
First RMD at 73
$1,000,000 on December 31 ÷ 26.5 = $37,735.85 to take out this year.
At 75
$500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325.20.
At 80
$250,000 ÷ 20.2 = $12,376.24.
How to use the Required Minimum Distribution Calculator
- Previous Year-End Account Balance. Enter the account's value on December 31 of last year.
- Age at Year-End. Choose how old you will be at the end of this year.
- Read your RMD. The withdrawal factor and the minimum to take out this year.
Frequently asked questions
How is the required minimum distribution calculated?
Divide the account's balance on December 31 of last year by the distribution period for your age at the end of this year, from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 73 the period is 26.5, so a $100,000 balance means taking out at least $3,773.58.
At what age do RMDs start?
For most people RMDs start at 73, under the SECURE 2.0 Act; for people born in 1960 or later the age rises to 75. The first RMD may be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but then two RMDs fall in that one year.
What happens if I don't take my RMD?
The amount you should have taken but didn't is subject to an IRS excise tax of 25%, lowered to 10% if you correct it within two years. Taking out more than the minimum is always allowed; the extra doesn't count toward next year's RMD.
Do Roth IRAs have required minimum distributions?
Not while the owner is alive. Since 2024, Roth accounts in 401(k) and 403(b) plans don't need RMDs during the owner's lifetime either. Beneficiaries who inherit a Roth account do have to follow withdrawal rules.
Which retirement accounts have RMDs?
Traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and workplace plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans. If you still work and don't own 5% or more of the company, your current employer's plan can usually wait until you retire.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you enter or upload stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.