Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator
Estimate this year's required withdrawal from a traditional IRA or 401(k), see how it's projected to change over time, and check it against your other retirement income.
This RMD calculator shows how much the IRS requires you to withdraw from a traditional IRA or 401(k) this year, and how that's likely to change over the next decade. It knows the SECURE 2.0 start ages of 73 and 75, and it handles the younger-spouse rule.
How to use the RMD Calculator
- Enter your birth year and your tax-deferred account balance as of December 31 of last year.
- The calculator finds your RMD start age and the IRS life-expectancy divisor for your age, then divides the balance by it.
- Add Social Security and other withdrawals to see your total retirement income, and try an extra withdrawal to see its effect on this year's taxes and next year's RMD.
How this calculator works
A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the smallest amount you must take out of a tax-deferred retirement account each year once you reach a certain age. The government let that money grow untaxed for decades, and the RMD is how it finally collects. Roth IRAs are the big exception: you don't owe RMDs on them during your lifetime.
The math is one division. Take your balance on December 31 of last year and divide it by your distribution period, a life-expectancy factor the IRS publishes for every age. At 75 that factor is 24.6, so each $100,000 in the account means a $4,065 withdrawal.
Your start age comes from the SECURE 2.0 Act, a 2022 federal law that pushed RMDs later in life. It's 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1959 and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, a different IRS table applies, with bigger factors and smaller withdrawals.
The chart repeats the math for the next 12 years, assuming whatever's left after each withdrawal grows 5% a year. That's a placeholder, not a forecast.
A worked example
Say you were born in 1951, so you turn 75 in 2026, and your traditional IRA held $600,000 on December 31, 2025. Your RMDs began at 73, and your factor this year is 24.6. The calculator puts this year's required withdrawal at $24,390, about $2,033 a month.
Add a $2,400 monthly Social Security check and your income comes to $4,433 a month, or $53,190 a year. Now try an extra $30,000 withdrawal as a single filer. Counting only the withdrawals, as the what-if panel does, your top federal bracket moves from 10% to 12%, and next year's projected RMD drops from $25,502 to $24,173.
Taking more now means owing less later. Whether that's worth the tax is the real question. (These figures are illustrative, run through this calculator for a made-up retiree. Your custodian's number is the one that counts.)
Methodology and sources
The divisors are the Uniform Lifetime Table, Table III in Appendix B of IRS Publication 590-B, in its 2022 version. Start ages follow the IRS's SECURE 2.0 guidance. The what-if panel uses 2026 federal brackets and standard deductions from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
Two honest limits. The younger-spouse factor is an estimate fitted to published points from the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table (Table II), not a full copy of it, so check Table II before you file. And the 5% growth in the projection is an assumption, not a prediction.
Last updated: October 2026
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my RMD?
Divide your account balance from December 31 of last year by the IRS distribution period for the age you'll reach this year. At 75 the factor is 24.6, so a $600,000 IRA means a $24,390 RMD.
What age do RMDs start under SECURE 2.0?
Age 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. You can delay your first RMD until April 1 of the following year, but then you'll take two in one year, which can push up your taxes.
Does a younger spouse lower my RMD?
It can. If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, you use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table, whose larger factors mean smaller withdrawals. This calculator estimates that factor, so confirm it in IRS Publication 590-B before you file.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
The IRS charges an excise tax of 25% of the amount you should have taken. Fix it promptly, generally within two years, and it drops to 10%, and the IRS can waive it for a reasonable error.
Can I give my RMD to charity?
Yes, through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD): money sent straight from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't taxed as income, and you need to be at least 70½.
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