RMD Calculator
Your required minimum distribution, computed the way the IRS defines it: last December 31's account balance divided by the Uniform Lifetime Table divisor for the age you reach this year.
Required minimum distribution
Example: $500,000 balance at age 75 → $20,325.20 required.
One division, straight from the table
At age 75, the Uniform Lifetime Table divisor is 24.6. Divide the worked example's $500,000 prior-year-end balance by it and the year's required distribution is $20,325.20 — about 4.07% of the account, or roughly $1,694 a month if taken evenly. The divisor shrinks each year, so the required percentage rises with age: the IRS is deliberately winding the tax-deferred account down. Every figure is computed by the same tested engine as the calculator above, using the table documented on the methodology page.
RMDs are a floor, not a plan
Nothing stops you withdrawing more, and the RMD schedule alone rarely matches real spending needs — model those with the Retirement Calculator. Common RMD planning moves include taking distributions early in the year (or automating them), coordinating with other income to manage brackets, and qualified charitable distributions, which can satisfy the RMD without adding taxable income. Each has rules — professional territory.
Frequently asked questions
When do RMDs start?
Under current law (SECURE 2.0), required minimum distributions begin the year you turn 73, with the start age scheduled to rise to 75 in 2033. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year — but then you take two in one year, which can push you into a higher bracket.
Which accounts require RMDs?
Traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and workplace plans like 401(k)s and 403(b)s. Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMDs for the owner, and since 2024 Roth 401(k)s are exempt as well. Inherited accounts follow different, often stricter rules not modeled here.
Which table does this use?
The IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (2022 and later), which covers most owners. If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, the Joint Life table gives a smaller RMD — a case worth handing to a professional or the IRS worksheets.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
An excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under SECURE 2.0, reducible to 10% if corrected promptly. Servicers can automate RMDs, which is the simplest protection. The distribution itself is taxed as ordinary income in the year taken.
Not financial or tax advice: a general estimate using the Uniform Lifetime Table for account owners — inherited accounts, much-younger spousal beneficiaries, and multiple-account aggregation rules differ. Confirm with IRS Publication 590-B or a tax professional. Values are processed locally in your browser and never transmitted. See the methodology page.