RMD Calculator
The IRS makes you start withdrawing from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s at 73 (75 if you were born in 1960 or later). This is your required minimum — this year and every year after.
Required withdrawal
This year's RMD
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IRS divisor
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% of balance
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Your RMD start age
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Balance left at 95
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How the RMD is calculated
Take your account balance on December 31 of last year and divide it by the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for the age you turn this year. At 73 the divisor is 26.5, so a $500,000 IRA requires a $18,868 withdrawal — about 3.8% of the balance. The divisor shrinks each year, so the required percentage climbs: roughly 5% at 80, 6.25% at 85, 8.2% at 90.
When you have to start (SECURE 2.0)
Born 1951–1959: your first RMD year is the year you turn 73. Born 1960 or later: 75. You can delay the first RMD until April 1 of the following year — but then you take two RMDs in that year, which can push you into a higher bracket. Missing an RMD costs a 25% excise tax on the shortfall (10% if you fix it quickly). It was 50% before 2023.
What this doesn't cover
Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMDs, and Roth 401(k)s dropped theirs starting 2024. If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, the IRS Joint Life table gives you a smaller RMD than shown here. Inherited-account RMDs follow entirely different (and stricter) rules. This calculator handles the common case: your own traditional IRA/401(k), Uniform Lifetime Table.