RMD Calculator
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About RMDs
Tax-deferred accounts carry a bill that eventually comes due: from age 73, the IRS requires annual withdrawals — taxed as ordinary income — sized by its life-expectancy tables. The design intent is simple: deferral was a postponement, not an exemption, and RMDs are the collection schedule.
Enter your age and the account's prior year-end balance for the required amount, the factor behind it, and the percentage it represents. Multiple IRAs can satisfy their combined RMD from any one of them; multiple 401(k)s generally each require their own — a distinction that trips retirees with scattered accounts.
Projecting the balance that will drive future RMDs? Start with the Retirement Calculator
The One-Division Formula
Simplest formula in retirement finance, strictest deadline:
RMD = account balance (Dec 31 last year) ÷ IRS factor (your age this year) Uniform Lifetime Table — the default for owners
Worked example: $500,000 balance at age 75 → $500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325.20 for the year. The same balance at 90 requires $40,984 — the factor's fall from 24.6 to 12.2 is longevity math turning into tax schedule.
Uniform Lifetime Factors
The 2022+ IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (owners; spouse-10-years-younger cases use the Joint table):
| Age | Factor | Withdrawal % | Age | Factor | Withdrawal % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 | 3.77% | 85 | 16.0 | 6.25% |
| 75 | 24.6 | 4.07% | 88 | 13.7 | 7.30% |
| 78 | 22.0 | 4.55% | 90 | 12.2 | 8.20% |
| 80 | 20.2 | 4.95% | 95 | 8.9 | 11.24% |
| 82 | 18.5 | 5.41% | 100 | 6.4 | 15.63% |
The percentage column shows the design: withdrawals accelerate with age, ensuring deferred accounts actually distribute during a lifetime rather than after one.
Rules, Deadlines & Strategies
The calendar: each year's RMD is due December 31, except your very first, which may defer to April 1 of the following year — a one-time option that stacks two taxable RMDs into one year, often a mistake. Missing an RMD triggers a 25% excise tax on the shortfall (reducible to 10% if corrected promptly under current rules); custodians calculate and remind, but the legal responsibility is the owner's.
Planning levers: qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) send up to an annually-adjusted limit directly from an IRA to charity, counting toward the RMD while skipping taxable income — the standard play for charitable retirees. Roth conversions BEFORE RMD age shrink future required amounts (conversions can't satisfy an RMD in the year one is due). And since the distribution is ordinary income, RMD size interacts with Medicare premiums and Social Security taxation — the reasons large-balance retirees plan withdrawals years ahead of 73.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is my RMD calculated?
Prior December 31 balance ÷ the IRS Uniform Lifetime factor for your age this year: $500,000 at 75 → ÷ 24.6 = $20,325. The factor updates with each birthday; the balance resets each January. Custodians compute it too — this shows the working.
At what age do RMDs start?
73 under SECURE 2.0 (for those hitting 72 after 2022), rising to 75 for people born 1960 or later. The first RMD may defer to April 1 of the next year — usually unwisely, since it doubles that year's taxable distributions.
Do Roth accounts have RMDs?
Roth IRAs: none during the owner's lifetime — the headline advantage. Roth 401(k)s also lost their RMDs under SECURE 2.0 (from 2024). Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and inherited accounts of most kinds remain fully on the schedule.
What happens if I miss my RMD?
A 25% excise tax on the amount not taken (dropping to 10% if corrected within the IRS's correction window) — on top of the ordinary income tax still owed when you do withdraw. File Form 5329 with a reasonable-cause explanation for waiver requests; the IRS grants them more often than feared, but prevention beats petition.
Can I take my RMD from just one account?
IRAs: yes — total all IRA RMDs and satisfy them from any combination. Workplace plans: no — each 401(k) generally requires its own distribution. It's the rule that makes consolidating old 401(k)s into an IRA administratively attractive at RMD age.
Can I avoid or reduce RMDs?
Reduce, legitimately: Roth conversions before 73 (pay tax now, shrink the deferred pile), QCDs for charitable dollars, and continuing to work past 73 defers the CURRENT employer's 401(k) RMD if the plan allows. Avoid entirely? Only Roth dollars escape the schedule — which is precisely why conversions are the planning industry's favorite RMD conversation.
Sources & References
- [1]Retirement Topics — Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) — Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Methodology. This calculator uses standard financial formulas used across the industry. It is reviewed and maintained by the Vast Calculators editorial team.
Last updated · July 11, 2026
Disclaimer. This tool provides estimates for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making decisions about your finances.