Free RMD Calculator 2026 | Required Minimum Distribution by Age
100% Free • No Sign-up • IRS Uniform Lifetime Table
RMD Calculator (2026)
Your required minimum distribution is one division problem: last December 31’s balance divided by an IRS factor for your age. Enter your birth year and balance — this calculator uses the official IRS Uniform Lifetime Table and the SECURE 2.0 start ages (73 or 75).
Calculate Your 2026 RMD
Born 1951–1959: RMDs start at 73. Born 1960 or later: age 75.
Your Traditional IRA or 401(k) balance at the end of last year — the IRS uses this exact figure.
Your age in 2026
Your RMD start age
IRS Uniform Lifetime factor
Your 2026 RMD
As a share of your balance
Monthly equivalent
How an RMD Is Calculated
Every year from your start age, the IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount from Traditional IRAs and employer plans like 401(k)s, and pay income tax on it. The amount is mechanical — it does not depend on your spending or your other income.
RMD = Account balance on December 31 of the prior year ÷ IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for your age this year
Start age 73 if you were born 1951–1959; age 75 if born 1960 or later (SECURE 2.0). Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year — but then you owe two RMDs in one tax year.
The penalty for missing an RMD is a 25% excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw, reduced to 10% if you correct it promptly.
Roth IRAs have no RMDs during the owner’s lifetime, and since 2024 neither do Roth 401(k)s.
Exception: if your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, you use the Joint Life Table instead, which gives a smaller RMD. This calculator uses the Uniform Table, which applies to most people.
RMD Factors and Amounts on a $500,000 Balance
Age
IRS factor
RMD on $500,000
Share of balance
73
26.5
$18,868
3.77%
75
24.6
$20,325
4.07%
78
22.0
$22,727
4.55%
80
20.2
$24,752
4.95%
82
18.5
$27,027
5.41%
85
16.0
$31,250
6.25%
90
12.2
$40,984
8.20%
95
8.9
$56,180
11.24%
Planning around RMDs? Growing the account still matters before they start — project yours with our 401(k) calculator, and see what retirement income is left after tax with the paycheck calculator.
Age 73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959, and age 75 if you were born in 1960 or later — those are the SECURE 2.0 start ages. If you are still working, RMDs from your current employer’s 401(k) can usually wait until you retire, but IRA RMDs cannot.
Divide your account balance on December 31 of the prior year by the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for the age you reach this year. Example: a $500,000 balance at age 75 divides by 24.6, giving an RMD of $20,325 for the year.
The IRS charges a 25% excise tax on the shortfall — the amount you should have withdrawn but did not. If you fix the mistake promptly and file Form 5329, the penalty drops to 10%, and the IRS can waive it entirely for reasonable errors.
Yes — your very first RMD (only the first) may be taken as late as April 1 of the year after you reach your start age. The trap: your second RMD is still due by December 31 of that same year, so you would report two years of RMD income on one tax return, which can push you into a higher bracket.
Roth IRAs never have RMDs during the original owner’s lifetime. Roth 401(k)s used to, but SECURE 2.0 eliminated them starting in 2024. That is one reason Roth conversions before age 73 are a popular way to shrink future RMDs.
Yes. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) sends money directly from your IRA to a qualified charity; it counts toward your RMD but is excluded from your taxable income. The 2026 QCD limit is $111,000 per person, and you must be at least 70½ to use it.
Disclaimer: This calculator uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Publication 590-B, Table III) and SECURE 2.0 start ages. It does not cover inherited accounts, the Joint Life Table exception, or employer-plan “still working” delays. RMDs are taxable income — confirm your figure with your plan administrator or tax advisor.
