Calcelate
Search

RMD calculator

Calculate this year’s required minimum distribution using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, see the start age that applies to your birth year, and project RMDs for the next 20 years.

years

Sets the start age: 73 if born 1951–1959, 75 if born 1960 or later.

$
%

Ask AI to explain

Put this calculator on your site

Free widget, stays up to date.

Embed the RMD calculator

Theme

Paste this code into your page where the calculator should appear. The height adjusts itself.

Free to use. Please keep the link under the calculator. All widgets

Preview

This year’s RMD

show
Age at end of this year75
RMD start age for you73 (born 1951)
Account balance, Dec 31 of last year$500,000
Distribution period (Uniform Lifetime Table)24.6 years
Required minimum distribution$20,325.20
As a share of the balance4.07%
Monthly equivalent$1,694

Projected RMDs

show
AgeBalancePeriodRMDShare
Age 75$500,00024.6$20,3254.1%
Age 76$503,65923.7$21,2514.2%
Age 77$506,52722.9$22,1194.4%
Age 78$508,62922$23,1194.5%
Age 79$509,78521.1$24,1604.7%
Age 80$509,90620.2$25,2435.0%
Age 81$508,89619.4$26,2325.2%
Age 82$506,79718.5$27,3945.4%
Age 83$503,37317.7$28,4395.6%
Age 84$498,68116.8$29,6836.0%
Age 85$492,44716$30,7786.3%
Age 86$484,75315.2$31,8926.6%
Age 87$475,50414.4$33,0216.9%
Age 88$464,60713.7$33,9137.3%
Age 89$452,22912.9$35,0567.8%
Age 90$438,03112.2$35,9048.2%
Age 91$422,23311.5$36,7168.7%
Age 92$404,79310.8$37,4819.3%
Age 93$385,67810.1$38,1869.9%
Age 94$364,8669.5$38,40710.5%
Age 95$342,7828.9$38,51511.2%

Rules worth knowing

show
DeadlineDecember 31 each year. The first RMD may be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but then two are due that year.
Penalty for missing it25% of the amount not withdrawn, reduced to 10% if corrected within two years (SECURE 2.0).
AccountsTraditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b). Roth IRAs have no RMD for the owner; Roth 401(k)s no longer do from 2024.
Spouse more than 10 years youngerUse the Joint Life table instead, which gives a smaller RMD. This calculator uses the Uniform table.
Still workingYour current employer’s 401(k) may be exempt until you retire, if you own under 5% of the company. IRAs are never exempt.

Once you reach a certain age, the IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount from tax-deferred retirement accounts every year and pay income tax on it. The amount is your prior year-end balance divided by a life-expectancy factor from an IRS table. Miss it and the penalty is steep. This calculator applies the current Uniform Lifetime Table and the start ages set by the SECURE 2.0 Act.

How it is calculated

  1. Find your age at the end of the year and the distribution period for that age in the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 75 it is 24.6; at 80, 20.2; at 90, 12.2.
  2. RMD = account balance on December 31 of the previous year ÷ distribution period.
  3. The projection assumes each year’s RMD is withdrawn and the remainder grows at the return you enter, then applies the next age’s factor.

Example

Age 75, $500,000 in a traditional IRA at the end of last year: 500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325, about 4.1% of the balance, or roughly $1,700 a month. At 85 the factor is 16.0, so the same balance would require $31,250.

When RMDs start

The SECURE 2.0 Act moved the start age to 73 for people born 1951–1959, and to 75 for people born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the year after you reach the start age, but the second is still due by December 31 of that same year, which can push you into a higher tax bracket. Most people take the first one in the year they qualify.

Which accounts and which table

RMDs apply to traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans. Roth IRAs are exempt during the owner’s life, and Roth 401(k)s have been exempt since 2024. If you have several IRAs, calculate each RMD separately but you may take the total from any of them; 401(k)s must each be withdrawn from individually. If your spouse is the sole beneficiary and more than ten years younger, the Joint Life and Last Survivor table gives a longer period and a smaller RMD. Inherited accounts follow different rules entirely.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do RMDs start?

73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959; 75 if born in 1960 or later. People born before 1951 already started at 70½ or 72 under the earlier rules.

How is the RMD calculated?

Divide the account balance on December 31 of the prior year by the distribution period for your age from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 73 the period is 26.5, so the RMD is about 3.8% of the balance.

What is the penalty for missing an RMD?

25% of the amount you should have withdrawn, reduced to 10% if you correct it within two years. You can ask the IRS to waive it for reasonable cause using Form 5329.

Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?

Not for the original owner. Since 2024, Roth 401(k)s are also exempt. Beneficiaries who inherit a Roth do have to follow withdrawal rules.

Can I take more than the RMD?

Yes, any amount above the minimum. Taking more does not reduce next year’s RMD, which is always based on the new year-end balance and your new age.

Can I give my RMD to charity?

From age 70½ you can make a qualified charitable distribution of up to $108,000 (2025, indexed) directly from an IRA. It counts toward the RMD and is excluded from taxable income.

Sources

  1. IRS Publication 590-B: Distributions from IRAs (Uniform Lifetime Table, Appendix B)
  2. IRS: Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs
  3. SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, Section 107 (RMD age)

By Calcelate Team. Formula from the sources above.

  1. 2026-09-14 · Formula and texts checked
  2. 2026-09-14 · Reference data as of this date