Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

A required minimum distribution, or RMD, is the minimum amount many owners of tax-deferred retirement accounts must withdraw for a calendar year after reaching the applicable starting age. The common calculation divides the adjusted account value on December 31 of the previous year by a distribution-period factor from an IRS life-expectancy table. For example, the current Uniform Lifetime Table factor at age 72 is 27.4. A $274,000 balance divided by 27.4 produces a $10,000 RMD. The RMD calculator includes the Uniform Lifetime Table effective for distributions beginning in 2022, covering ages 72 through 120 and older. Most account owners use that table. If a spouse is the sole beneficiary and is more than ten years younger, the IRS Joint and Last Survivor Table generally applies and can produce a different factor. Because that table depends on both exact ages, the RMD calculator directs that special case to current IRS materials rather than presenting an inaccurate estimate. Inherited accounts also follow separate beneficiary rules and are not modeled here. Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s commonly have owner RMD requirements, subject to plan and employment rules. Original owners of Roth IRAs do not have lifetime RMDs, so the Roth owner selection returns zero. Beneficiaries of Roth accounts can still face distribution rules. Starting-age law has changed by birth year under the SECURE Acts; age alone is not enough to decide whether a person must begin in a specific year. Confirm your required beginning date before relying on any calculation. An RMD is an annual obligation, not necessarily a monthly payment. The monthly equivalent shown simply divides the annual estimate by twelve. A taxpayer may generally take installments or a lump sum by the applicable deadline, and may withdraw more than the minimum. Extra withdrawals do not usually reduce a future year's separately calculated RMD. IRA aggregation and employer-plan rules differ, so balances and withdrawals cannot always be combined across account types. RMDs are generally included in taxable income except for any qualified basis, and failing to take enough can trigger an excise tax. Qualified charitable distributions, rollovers, year-of-death rules, annuities, and account adjustments can complicate the calculation. Tax law, tables, and plan rules can change. Verify the prior year-end balance, beneficiary status, account category, distribution deadline, and current IRS guidance with the custodian or a qualified tax professional. The RMD calculator is an educational estimate, not tax advice.