RMD Calculator
Calculate the required minimum distribution you must withdraw from retirement accounts.
About RMD Calculator
RMDs are the IRS's mechanism for recovering deferred taxes on pre-tax retirement accounts. Each year you divide your December 31 prior-year balance by the distribution period from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table for your age. The divisor decreases with age, forcing an ever-larger percentage of the account out as taxable income. Missing an RMD triggers a 25% excise tax on the shortfall (reduced to 10% if corrected promptly). Roth IRAs are exempt from RMDs during the owner's lifetime.
Formula
Required Minimum Distribution
RMD = Prior year-end balance ÷ Distribution period from IRS Uniform Lifetime Table
- Balance_Dec31
- Account balance as of December 31 of the prior calendar year
- Distribution Period
- IRS Uniform Lifetime Table value for your age
Worked example
With the default values below, RMD Calculator returns Required Minimum Distribution of $20,325. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Retirement Account Balanceminimum 1 $
- 500,000 $
- Your Age (as of December 31 this year)accepts 72–120
- 75
- Account Typeone of Traditional IRA, 401(k) / 403(b), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA
- Traditional IRA
- Expected Annual Return (%)accepts 0–15
- 5
- Projection Yearsaccepts 1–30
- 10
Results
- Required Minimum DistributionAmount you must withdraw from this account this year.
- $20,325
- Distribution Period (Divisor)
- 24.6
- RMD as % of Balance
- 4.07%
- Total RMDs Over ProjectionSum of all required distributions over the projection years.
- $249,333
Step by step
- 1Prior year-end account balance= $500,000
- 2Distribution period from Uniform Lifetime Table= 24.6 years
- 3Required Minimum Distribution= $20,325
- 4RMD as percentage of balance= 4.07%
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- Uses the 2022 IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, effective for distributions beginning in 2022. Consult IRS Publication 590-B and a tax advisor for your specific situation.
- This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Uses the 2022 IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, effective for distributions beginning in 2022. Consult IRS Publication 590-B and a tax advisor for your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must I take my first RMD?
Under SECURE 2.0 (effective 2023), you must take your first RMD by April 1 of the year following the year you turn 73. In all subsequent years, the deadline is December 31. Taking two distributions in one year (first RMD delay + second year's RMD) can create a tax spike, so many advisors recommend not delaying.
Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
No — Roth IRA owners are not subject to required minimum distributions during their lifetime. This is one of the planning advantages of the Roth. However, Roth 401(k) accounts are subject to RMDs unless rolled over to a Roth IRA.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
The IRS imposes a 25% excise tax on any shortfall. This is reduced to 10% if you correct the error within two years. SECURE 2.0 reduced this from the previous 50% penalty.
Do I take one RMD for all my accounts or one per account?
For traditional IRAs, you calculate RMDs separately for each account but can aggregate and take the total from any one IRA. For 401(k)s and 403(b)s, you must take each plan's RMD from that specific plan — you cannot aggregate across different employer plans.