RetirementCalculator.net

RMD Calculator

See your required minimum distribution this year and every year after, the tax it triggers, and the lifetime total you will be required to withdraw.

Updated June 2026 with SECURE 2.0 start ages and the current IRS Uniform Lifetime Table

Your birth year sets when RMDs begin: age 73 if born 1951-1959, age 75 if born 1960 or later.

$

Balance as of December 31 last year.

$
$

403(b), 457(b), SEP, or SIMPLE IRA balances. Roth IRAs are excluded: they have no RMDs during your lifetime.

5%
0%10%

How the balance grows between distributions. Retirees often assume 4% to 6%.

$

Social Security, pension, and other income before the RMD. Used to estimate the tax bracket your RMD lands in.

0%
0%13%

Set to 0% if your state does not tax retirement income.

60
4090

Required minimum distribution

$0

RMD Start Age

73

under SECURE 2.0

Tax This Year

$0

federal + state, estimated

Lifetime RMDs

$0

Lifetime Tax

$0

on those distributions

How it works: each year's RMD is your prior year-end balance divided by an IRS life-expectancy factor that shrinks as you age. So the required percentage rises every year, even when the balance falls.

The tax catch: every dollar of a traditional RMD is taxed as ordinary income, can push more of your Social Security into the taxable range, and may raise your Medicare premiums. Missing an RMD triggers a 25% penalty on the shortfall.

View full RMD schedule
Year Age Factor Balance RMD Tax After tax

Required distributions by age

Each bar is the dollar amount you must withdraw that year. RMDs climb as the IRS factor shrinks, then taper once the balance is drawn down.

Projected values are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual results will vary.

By Ryan England Last Updated:

The basics

How required minimum distributions work

The IRS wants its tax

You deferred tax for decades inside a traditional account. RMDs are how the IRS finally collects it, forcing a taxable withdrawal each year once you reach the start age.

Start age 73 or 75

SECURE 2.0 set the start age at 73 for those born 1951-1959 and 75 for those born in 1960 or later. The first one can be delayed to April 1 of the following year.

Balance divided by a factor

Each RMD is your prior year-end balance divided by a life-expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 73 that factor is 26.5, about 3.8% of the balance.

The percentage rises

The factor shrinks every year, so the required share climbs: roughly 3.8% at 73, near 5% by 80, and over 8% past 90. The schedule above shows your full path.

Taxed as ordinary income

Every dollar from a traditional account is taxed at your ordinary rate. A large RMD can also tax more of your Social Security and raise Medicare premiums.

Roth is exempt

Roth IRAs never require lifetime RMDs, and since 2024 neither do Roth 401(k)s. Converting before RMDs begin can shrink the balance the rules apply to.

Lower the lifetime bill

Strategies to reduce RMDs and their tax

Convert to Roth early

In the lower-income years between retiring and your RMD start age, converting part of a traditional IRA to Roth shrinks the pre-tax balance, and every future RMD with it. You pay tax now to avoid larger forced withdrawals later.

Use a QCD for charity

From age 70 1/2, a qualified charitable distribution sends up to $108,000 a year straight from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD and is left out of your taxable income entirely.

Bunch in low-income years

Take voluntary withdrawals or conversions in years when your income dips, filling up the lower brackets before RMDs and Social Security stack on top.

Mind the Social Security tax

Because an RMD raises combined income, it can push up to 85% of your Social Security into the taxable range. Coordinating the timing of both can keep more of your benefit tax-free.

Watch the IRMAA cliffs

A spike in income can lift your Medicare Part B and D premiums two years later. Smoothing withdrawals keeps your modified AGI below the IRMAA thresholds.

Automate the distribution

The 25% penalty for a missed RMD is steep. Setting up an automatic year-end withdrawal with your custodian removes the risk of forgetting entirely.

Keep going

Related calculators

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Roth IRA Calculator →

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Retirement Income Calculator →

See how RMDs fit into your overall withdrawal plan and how long your savings last.

Social Security Calculator →

RMDs can make more of your benefit taxable. Plan the timing of both together.

401(k) Calculator →

Your 401(k) balance at retirement drives the RMDs that follow. Project it here.

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See the full picture with a readiness score, and where RMDs fit in your plan.

Common questions

What age do RMDs start?
Under SECURE 2.0, required minimum distributions start at age 73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959, and at age 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. People born in 1950 or earlier are already subject to RMDs, which began at 70 1/2 or 72 under the prior rules. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you turn the start age, but doing so stacks two distributions into one tax year (IRS: RMD FAQs).
How is my RMD calculated?
Your RMD for a year is your account balance on December 31 of the prior year divided by a life-expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At age 73 the factor is 26.5, so a $500,000 balance gives a $18,868 RMD. The factor shrinks each year, so the required percentage rises as you age, even if your balance falls (IRS Publication 590-B).
Which accounts require RMDs?
Traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and governmental 457(b)s all require minimum distributions. Roth IRAs never require RMDs during the original owner's lifetime, and starting in 2024 Roth 401(k)s no longer require them either. If you have several pre-tax accounts, the rules on combining them differ: you can total all your traditional IRAs and take the combined RMD from any one of them, but each 401(k) must take its own RMD separately.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
Missing an RMD, or taking too little, triggers an excise tax of 25% of the shortfall. SECURE 2.0 cut this from the old 50% penalty, and it drops to 10% if you correct the mistake within a two-year window. You report and, if eligible, request a waiver of the penalty on Form 5329. The simplest protection is to set up an automatic year-end distribution with your custodian (IRS: RMD FAQs).
Can I avoid the tax on my RMD?
You cannot skip the RMD itself, but a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) lets you send up to $108,000 a year (the 2025 limit, indexed annually) directly from your IRA to a charity. The amount counts toward your RMD and is excluded from your taxable income, which can be more valuable than a deduction. You must be at least 70 1/2, and the transfer has to go straight from the custodian to the charity (IRS: RMD FAQs). Roth conversions in the years before RMDs begin are the other main lever, since they shrink the pre-tax balance the RMD is based on.
Do RMDs affect my Social Security and Medicare?
Yes, indirectly. A traditional RMD is ordinary income, so it raises your combined income and can push more of your Social Security benefit into the taxable range, up to 85% of it. A large RMD can also lift your modified adjusted gross income above the IRMAA thresholds, which raise your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums two years later. Planning withdrawals before RMDs force your hand can soften both effects.
Does this calculator handle a younger spouse?
If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger than you, the IRS uses the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table instead of the Uniform Lifetime Table, which produces a smaller RMD. The calculator flags this case when you enter it, but the schedule shown uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, so your actual RMD would be somewhat lower. Confirm the exact figure with the IRS Joint Life table or your custodian.