Estimate your required minimum distribution from a traditional IRA or 401(k) using the current IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, and project how it changes in future years.
| Age | Starting Balance | Life Expectancy Factor | RMD | Ending Balance |
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Once you reach your required beginning date, the IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount from tax deferred retirement accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s each year, whether you need the money or not. That amount is calculated by dividing your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year by a life expectancy factor tied to your age, using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. Every slider on this page has a matching number field: drag to explore, or type exact figures if you already know your numbers.
The required minimum distribution age has changed twice in recent years. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, the RMD age is 73 for account owners born between 1951 and 1959, and 75 for those born in 1960 or later. Your very first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you reach that age, though doing so means taking two distributions in that following year, since the regular deadline for every subsequent year remains December 31.
The IRS provides more than one life expectancy table. This calculator uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, which applies to the large majority of account owners. If your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary and is more than ten years younger than you, the IRS requires you to use the Joint and Last Survivor Table instead, which generally produces a smaller required distribution. If that applies to you, treat the figures here as a conservative estimate rather than your exact required amount.
Failing to withdraw the full required amount by the deadline triggers an excise tax of 25 percent of the amount not withdrawn, reduced to 10 percent if the shortfall is corrected within two years. There is no upper limit on withdrawing more than the minimum, but excess withdrawals in one year cannot be applied toward a future year's requirement.
Required minimum distribution rules, retirement account taxation, and the applicable life expectancy tables are core retirement planning content on the CFP exam and appear in the retirement and annuity sections of the Life and Health insurance license exam and Series 65.
No. Roth IRAs do not require distributions during the original owner's lifetime. Roth accounts inside a 401(k) or 403(b) also became exempt from RMDs starting in 2024. Beneficiaries who inherit Roth accounts are subject to separate distribution rules.
For IRAs, yes. You can total the RMD across all your traditional IRAs and withdraw that combined amount from any one or a mix of them. Employer plans such as 401(k)s generally must have their RMD satisfied from that specific plan, so those cannot be combined with your IRA total.
No. RMDs from traditional accounts are taxed as ordinary income in the year withdrawn. This tool shows the required dollar amount only, not the after tax amount you would actually receive.
Yes. Each slider has a paired number input. Type directly into any gold field to enter a precise figure, and the slider along with all results update immediately.
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