Required Minimum Distribution Calculator

What Is a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)?

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are the minimum amounts that certain retirement account owners must withdraw each year once they reach a specified age. These rules apply to most tax-deferred retirement accounts, such as traditional IRAs and many employer plans, because contributions and growth were not taxed in earlier years. The RMD rules are the Internal Revenue Service’s way of eventually collecting income tax on those deferred dollars.

When you reach your RMD age, you must calculate and withdraw at least the required amount each year. You may always withdraw more than the minimum, but withdrawing less than required can trigger costly penalties. The calculator on this page is designed to help you estimate that minimum amount so you can plan withdrawals and avoid surprises at tax time.

Current RMD Age Rules

RMD ages have changed several times in recent years due to legislation such as the SECURE Act and SECURE Act 2.0. That can make it confusing to know when your RMDs must start. As of the latest IRS guidance reflected in this calculator:

• Traditional IRAs and most employer plans generally require RMDs starting in your early 70s.
• The exact age at which you must begin taking RMDs may depend on your year of birth and current law.
• Your “required beginning date” is typically April 1 of the year after you first reach your RMD starting age, but later withdrawals must be taken by December 31 each year.

This calculator allows entries starting at age 72 to accommodate transition rules and earlier-law cases. Always confirm your specific starting age using up-to-date IRS guidance or a qualified tax professional, especially if your situation involves recent law changes or employer plan exceptions.

How This RMD Calculator Works

The calculator uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table to estimate your Required Minimum Distribution. This table assigns a life expectancy factor to each age. The factor reflects how many years the IRS expects your retirement funds to last, and it is used to spread distributions over your remaining lifetime.

The basic calculation is:

• You enter your age (typically your age as of December 31 of the current year).
• You enter your prior year-end balance (usually the value of your account on December 31 of the previous year).
• The calculator looks up the corresponding life expectancy factor from the Uniform Lifetime Table.
• Your RMD equals the balance divided by that factor.

The result is an estimate of the minimum amount you must withdraw from the account to satisfy IRS rules for the year in question.

RMD Formula

Let:

• B = prior year-end balance of the retirement account
• F = life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table for your age

Then the formula is:

In plain language, your Required Minimum Distribution is the account balance divided by the life expectancy factor for your age.

Written using standard symbols, this is:

RMD = B ÷ F

Worked Example

Suppose you are calculating your RMD for this year with the following information:

• Your age this year (as of December 31) is 75.
• Your traditional IRA balance on last December 31 was $500,000.
• From the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, the life expectancy factor at age 75 is 24.6 (sample value for illustration).

Using the formula:

RMD = B ÷ F = $500,000 ÷ 24.6 ≈ $20,325.20

That amount is the minimum you must withdraw this year to satisfy the RMD rules for that account. You can always withdraw more if it fits your financial needs or tax strategy, but withdrawing less than the required amount could result in penalties on the shortfall.

Sample Factors from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table

The full IRS Uniform Lifetime Table covers a wide range of ages. Below is a small sample of life expectancy factors to illustrate how they change as you age. The calculator uses the complete, official table for the ages it supports.

As the table shows, the life expectancy factor declines with age. Because your RMD is calculated by dividing your balance by this factor, a lower factor leads to a higher required withdrawal percentage each year as you get older.

Interpreting Your RMD Result

When you run the calculator, you will see an estimated RMD amount for the year based on the information you entered. Here are key ways to interpret that number:

• Minimum withdrawal only: The output is the minimum amount you must withdraw from that account for the year. Withdrawing this amount (or more) avoids RMD-related penalties for that account under the assumptions stated below.
• Taxable income: Distributions from traditional IRAs and most employer plans are generally taxed as ordinary income in the year you withdraw them, unless they represent after-tax contributions or basis you have already paid tax on.
• Cash flow planning: Your RMD can provide a baseline for how much cash is likely to come out of your retirement accounts each year, which can affect Social Security taxation, Medicare premiums, and your overall tax bracket.
• Multiple accounts: If you have several traditional IRAs, the IRS typically allows you to calculate the RMD for each account separately, then take the total from one or more IRAs. Employer plans may require separate RMDs from each plan. This calculator treats the balance you enter as a single account or combined balance according to how you intend to withdraw.

Common RMD Questions

Do I have to take RMDs from Roth IRAs?

Under current law, Roth IRAs owned by the original contributor do not have lifetime RMDs. However, inherited Roth IRAs may be subject to separate distribution rules. This calculator is designed for traditional IRAs and similar tax-deferred accounts, not inherited Roth IRAs.

What happens if I miss an RMD?

If you do not withdraw at least the required amount, the IRS may impose an excise tax on the shortfall. The penalty rate and relief options have changed in recent years. The IRS may waive or reduce the penalty if the shortfall was due to reasonable error and you promptly correct it, but you must request relief. Consult current IRS instructions and a tax professional if you think you missed an RMD.

Can I delay my first RMD?

Yes, many account owners can delay their first RMD until April 1 of the year after they reach their required beginning age. However, that may mean taking two RMDs in the same calendar year (the delayed first RMD plus the second-year RMD), which can increase taxable income and potentially push you into a higher tax bracket. Using a calculator can help you compare the impact of taking or delaying that first distribution.

Do I need separate RMDs for each account?

It depends on the type of account:

• Traditional IRAs: You generally calculate an RMD for each IRA, but you can satisfy the combined total from one or more of your IRAs.
• 401(k) and similar employer plans: RMDs usually must be taken separately from each plan.
• Inherited accounts: Follow the RMD or payout rules specific to that inherited account.

This calculator estimates the RMD for a single tax-deferred account balance at a given age. For multiple accounts, you can run separate calculations or sum balances where the rules allow aggregation.

Planning Strategies Around RMDs

Because RMDs are generally taxable, managing them is an important part of retirement income planning. Some strategies people discuss with their advisors include:

• Roth conversions before RMD age: Converting portions of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA before RMDs begin may reduce future RMDs, because Roth IRA balances are not subject to lifetime RMDs for the original owner.
• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): If you are eligible, a QCD allows you to send money directly from an IRA to a qualified charity. The amount can count toward your RMD while potentially excluding it from taxable income, subject to IRS limits.
• Bracket management: You may choose to withdraw more than the minimum in lower-tax years, or coordinate RMDs with other income sources to avoid unexpectedly moving into a higher tax bracket.
• Investment allocation: Knowing your RMDs helps you plan which investments to hold in tax-deferred accounts versus taxable accounts, and how much liquidity you need inside your retirement accounts to fund distributions.

The calculator provides a numerical starting point for these discussions. However, because tax planning is highly personal, it is often helpful to model several years of RMDs and explore different withdrawal patterns with a professional advisor or a more comprehensive planning tool.

Assumptions and Limitations of This Calculator

This RMD calculator makes several important assumptions. Understanding them will help you decide when the results are appropriate for your situation.

• Account types covered: The tool is intended primarily for traditional IRAs and similar tax-deferred individual retirement accounts. It can also provide a rough estimate for account-based employer plans (such as 401(k), 403(b), and most 457(b) plans) when the same Uniform Lifetime Table applies. It is not designed for defined benefit pensions or annuity contracts with their own payout schedules.
• Single account per calculation: Each calculation assumes you are entering the balance for one retirement account (or a group of IRAs you intentionally aggregate). If you have multiple accounts subject to RMDs, you may need to run separate calculations and then combine the results according to IRS aggregation rules.
• Uniform Lifetime Table only: The calculator uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table effective for 2024. That table typically applies when you are the account owner and your spouse is not more than 10 years younger than you, or you do not have a spouse as the sole beneficiary. It does not apply to inherited accounts or special beneficiary situations.
• Spouse age assumption: The tool assumes your spouse (if any) is not more than 10 years younger and/or is not the sole beneficiary in a way that would require use of the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table. If your spouse is more than 10 years younger and is the sole beneficiary, your RMD may be lower than the calculator shows.
• No inherited IRA or beneficiary rules: This calculator does not handle inherited IRAs, inherited Roth IRAs, or inherited employer plans. Those accounts often follow different rules, including the 10-year payout rule or separate life-expectancy tables.
• Still-working exception not modeled: Some employer plans allow you to delay RMDs if you are still working for the employer sponsoring the plan and do not own more than a specified percentage of the company. This exception is not incorporated in the calculator.
• One valuation date: The tool assumes the account balance is measured on the last business day of the previous year, consistent with typical IRS rules. Significant intra-year changes in your balance do not change the RMD calculation, although they may affect your personal cash flow decisions.
• No projections: The calculator estimates a single year’s RMD only. It does not project future account balances, future RMDs, or investment returns.
• Tax law changes: The calculation is based on current IRS tables and rules as of the latest update. Tax laws and regulations may change, potentially altering RMD ages, factors, or penalties. Always verify against current IRS publications before making decisions.
• Not personalized advice: Results are for informational and educational purposes only and are not tax, legal, or investment advice. Consider working with a qualified professional for decisions that could have significant tax or financial consequences.

Last updated for IRS rules and tables in effect for 2024. Check for future updates if you are planning withdrawals in later years.

Next Steps

After using this calculator to estimate your Required Minimum Distribution, you may find it helpful to explore additional tools and guidance, such as retirement income planners, Social Security estimators, or detailed tax calculators that show how RMDs interact with other income sources. Understanding how RMDs fit into your broader retirement plan can help you manage taxes, maintain desired spending levels, and make more informed decisions about when and how to draw from your accounts.