Once you reach your RMD age, the IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount from your tax-deferred retirement accounts every year — your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) — and tax it as ordinary income. Miss it and the penalty is steep: up to 25% of the amount you should have taken.
Enter your prior year-end balance and birth year below. This calculator uses the official IRS Uniform Lifetime Table to show this year's RMD, your RMD start age (73 or 75 under SECURE 2.0), the deadline, and a year-by-year projection of how your RMDs grow.
When Do RMDs Start? (SECURE 2.0 Rules)
- Born 1950 or earlier — RMDs already began at age 72 (or 70½ for the oldest savers).
- Born 1951–1959 — your RMD age is 73.
- Born 1960 or later — your RMD age is 75.
You must take your first RMD by April 1 of the year after you reach your start age — but delaying means two RMDs land in the same tax year. Every RMD after that is due by December 31.
Which Accounts Require RMDs?
Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs all require RMDs. Roth IRAs never require RMDs during the owner's lifetime, and as of 2024 Roth 401(k)s no longer do either. If you have several traditional IRAs, you can total the RMDs and take the full amount from any one of them — but 401(k) RMDs must be taken from each plan separately.
How to Shrink Your Future RMDs
Large RMDs can push you into higher tax brackets and raise your Medicare premiums. Two of the most effective levers: Roth conversions in your lower-income years before RMDs begin (money in a Roth is never subject to RMDs), and Qualified Charitable Distributions — giving up to $105,000 a year directly from your IRA to charity, which satisfies your RMD without adding to taxable income.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do RMDs start?
It depends on your birth year. Born 1950 or earlier: RMDs began at 72 (or 70½ for the oldest savers). Born 1951–1959: your RMD age is 73. Born 1960 or later: your RMD age is 75. Your first RMD is due by April 1 of the year after you reach your start age; every one after that by December 31.
How is an RMD calculated?
Divide your prior December 31 account balance by the life-expectancy factor for your age from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At age 73 the factor is 26.5, so a $500,000 balance gives an RMD of about $18,868. The factor shrinks each year, so RMDs claim a larger share of the balance as you get older.
What is the penalty for missing an RMD?
A 25% excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw — reduced to 10% if you correct it within a two-year window and file Form 5329. Taking the full RMD by December 31 avoids the penalty entirely.
Do Roth accounts have RMDs?
Roth IRAs have no RMDs during the owner's lifetime, and starting in 2024 Roth 401(k)s don't either. Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are all still subject to RMDs.
Can I reduce my future RMDs?
Yes. Roth conversions before your RMD age move money out of RMD-subject accounts permanently. Qualified Charitable Distributions of up to $105,000 a year directly from an IRA count toward your RMD but stay out of your taxable income. Strategic withdrawals in lower-income years before RMDs begin can also flatten the spike.