One division the IRS makes you do
Once RMDs begin, every year the IRS requires a minimum withdrawal from traditional IRAs and workplace retirement plans. The calculation is deliberately simple: take the account balance on December 31 of the previous year and divide by the distribution period for your age in the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (the 2022 revision, Treasury Regulation §1.401(a)(9)-9, also printed in IRS Publication 590-B). This calculator embeds that official table for ages 72–120 and does the division for you.
Example: at 75 the divisor is 24.6, so a $500,000 balance gives an RMD of $500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325.20. A different table (Joint Life) applies only when a spouse more than 10 years younger is the sole beneficiary.
When RMDs start — SECURE 2.0
The required beginning age now depends on birth year: 73 if you were born 1951–1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later (it was 72 for those born July 1949–1950, and 70½ before that). Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMDs for the original owner, and from 2024 neither do Roth 401(k)s. The first year's RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year — but that bunches two taxable withdrawals into one year.
Worked example
Age 75, prior year-end balance $500,000: divisor 24.6 → RMD $20,325.20, about 4.07% of the account. The divisor shrinks every year, so the required percentage climbs with age even if the balance doesn't.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the age you reach this calendar year.
- Enter the account's value on December 31 of last year — the figure on your year-end statement, not today's balance.
- Add your birth year to see the SECURE 2.0 note about when your RMDs began (or begin).
- Repeat per account type: IRA RMDs can be aggregated and taken from one IRA; each 401(k) generally requires its own withdrawal.
Missing an RMD carries a steep excise tax (25% of the shortfall since SECURE 2.0, 10% if corrected promptly). This calculator is an estimate for planning — confirm your figure with your custodian or tax professional before December 31.