RMD Calculator
Required minimum distribution by age and balance.
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Enter your numbers to see the result.
This RMD calculator works out the required minimum distribution you must take from a traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or similar account. It uses your account balance on 31 December of the prior year and the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table divisor for your age, checks whether RMDs have started based on your birth year (age 73 or 75), and projects the next ten years.
What is a RMD Calculator?
A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the smallest amount you must withdraw each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts, such as traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans, once you reach the starting age. The withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income.
Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, RMDs start at age 73 for people born from 1951 to 1959 and at age 75 for those born in 1960 or later. The amount is your prior year-end balance divided by a life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. This RMD calculator finds the factor for your age and works out the amount.
How does the RMD Calculator work?
The calculator finds your age in the distribution year, checks it against your RMD starting age and, if RMDs apply, divides your 31 December balance by the Uniform Lifetime Table divisor for that age. The projection repeats this for ten years, reducing the balance by each RMD and growing the rest at the rate you enter.
How to use the RMD Calculator step by step
- Enter your account balance on 31 December of the prior year.
- Enter your birth year.
- Enter the distribution year.
- Optionally set an expected growth rate for the projection.
- Read your RMD and deadline.
- Repeat for each account; IRA RMDs can be combined, 401(k) RMDs cannot.
RMD Calculator example with real numbers
Robert was born in 1952, so he turns 74 in 2026. His traditional IRA was worth $500,000 on 31 December 2025.
| Example input | Value |
|---|---|
| Account balance on 31 December last year | $500,000 |
| Your birth year | 1,952 |
| Distribution year | 2,026 |
| Expected annual growth (for projection) | 5% |
| Example output | Value |
|---|---|
| Required minimum distribution for 2026 | $19,608 |
| Your age in 2026 | 74 |
| Uniform Lifetime divisor | 25.5 |
| Share of balance | 3.92% |
| Deadline | 31 December 2026 |
| Penalty if missed | 25% of the shortfall (10% if corrected in time) |
His divisor is 25.5, and the RMD calculator shows a 2026 required minimum distribution of $19,608, due by 31 December 2026.
Key features of this RMD Calculator
- Uniform Lifetime Table to age 120
- Start age 73 or 75 by birth year
- First-year April 1 deadline
- 10-year projection
- CSV download
Who should use the RMD Calculator?
Who is this RMD Calculator for?
- Retirees with IRAs or 401(k)s
- People turning 73 soon
- Financial caregivers
- Tax preparers
Practical use cases
- Finding this year’s RMD
- Planning withdrawals and taxes
- Deciding whether to delay the first RMD
- Projecting future taxable income
Key benefits
- IRS table: official divisors.
- Start-age aware: SECURE 2.0 rules.
- Forward-looking: ten-year view.
- Private: runs in your browser.
Tips for better results
- Delaying your first RMD to 1 April means two taxable RMDs in one year.
- You can take the total IRA RMD from any one of your IRAs.
- A qualified charitable distribution can satisfy an IRA RMD tax-free.
- Still working? You may delay 401(k) RMDs from your current employer’s plan.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the current balance instead of the 31 December balance.
- Combining 401(k) RMDs across plans.
- Missing the deadline and facing the 25% penalty.
- Taking an RMD from a Roth IRA when none is required.
Limitations of this RMD Calculator
- Joint Life and Single Life tables are not included.
- Inherited IRA 10-year rules are not modeled.
- It does not estimate the income tax on the withdrawal.
RMD Calculator vs other ways to calculate
| Age | Divisor | RMD per $100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 | $3,774 |
| 75 | 24.6 | $4,065 |
| 80 | 20.2 | $4,950 |
| 85 | 16.0 | $6,250 |
| 90 | 12.2 | $8,197 |
To plan your retirement savings, use the IRA calculator. For tax on the withdrawal, try the US income tax calculator.
Privacy and data handling
This RMD Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to Qorico or stored on any server, and nothing is saved after you close the page. The Copy and Download buttons create the result on your own device. If the page has analytics turned on, it may count that a calculation happened, but it does not record the values you entered.
RMD Calculator FAQs
At what age do RMDs start?
73 if you were born from 1951 to 1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later.
How is an RMD calculated?
Divide your 31 December balance from the prior year by the Uniform Lifetime Table divisor for your age.
When is the RMD deadline?
31 December each year. Your first RMD can be delayed to 1 April of the next year.
What is the penalty for missing an RMD?
25% of the amount not taken, reduced to 10% if corrected within the correction window.
Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
Not for the original owner. Beneficiaries may have to take distributions.
Can I withdraw more than the RMD?
Yes. The RMD is a minimum; any extra is also taxable.
Related tools
Sources and references
We checked the method and the current figures used in this RMD Calculator against these official and primary sources:
Written and reviewed by the Qorico Team
