RMD Calculator

How the RMD Calculator works

This tool applies the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table to your account balance and age to estimate your required minimum distribution for the year, whether you're required to take one yet based on your birth year, and roughly how much tax you'll owe on it.

The formula

For example, a 75-year-old with a distribution period of 24.6 and a $500,000 balance owes a $20,325 RMD this year — about 4.1% of the account.

Worked example

A 75-year-old whose traditional IRA held $500,000 on December 31 of the prior year has a distribution period of 24.6 under the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. The required distribution is $500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325. That amount must come out during the year and is taxed as ordinary income.

The divisor shrinks every year, so the required share of the account keeps climbing: at 80, the divisor is 20.2, and the same $500,000 balance would require $24,752. Note that the calculation always uses the prior December 31 balance — a market drop during the year doesn't reduce what you must withdraw, which is why RMDs can feel punishing in a falling market.

Common mistakes

• Using an outdated version of the Uniform Lifetime Table — the divisors changed in 2022 and are noticeably larger (lower required withdrawal) than the pre-2022 table still floating around online.
• Assuming the 73/75 starting age applies to everyone — it depends specifically on your birth year under SECURE 2.0.
• Forgetting Roth IRAs (unlike Roth 401(k)s, as of 2024) are exempt from RMDs during the original owner's lifetime.

Frequently asked questions

What actually moves this number

Specific levers, and roughly what each one is worth. Not “save more” — the things that change the figure above by an amount you can measure.

• Consider Roth conversions in the gap years

  Between retiring and starting RMDs, taxable income is often at its lowest for decades. Converting traditional money to Roth in those years at a low bracket shrinks the balance that will later force distributions at a higher one.

• Use a qualified charitable distribution if you give anyway

  From age 70½, a direct transfer from an IRA to a qualifying charity can satisfy the RMD without the amount entering your adjusted gross income — better than taking the distribution and deducting the gift, especially if you do not itemize.

• Take the first one in the year you turn the age, not by April 1

  The first RMD may be deferred to April 1 of the following year, but doing so stacks two distributions into one tax year. That frequently costs more in bracket and Medicare premium effects than it defers.

• Watch the knock-on effects, not just the tax

  An RMD raises AGI, which can increase the taxable share of Social Security benefits and push you over a Medicare premium threshold two years later. Model the distribution's total cost rather than just its marginal rate.

What this calculator does not cover

Every calculator simplifies, and the useful thing is knowing exactly where. These are the specific gaps between this estimate and your real situation:

• It uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, which applies to most account owners. A different table applies when the sole beneficiary is a spouse more than ten years younger, and inherited accounts follow separate rules entirely.
• The calculation uses the prior December 31 balance. Market movement since then does not change this year's required amount.
• Multiple accounts have different aggregation rules: IRA distributions may be taken from any IRA, while each 401(k) generally requires its own distribution.
• It does not model the tax consequence of the distribution, which is ordinary income and can affect Medicare premiums and the taxable portion of Social Security.

For anything that turns on an exact figure, use the primary sources below or a qualified professional. How these limits are decided and disclosed is described in the editorial standards.