Retirement Distribution Tool
Required Minimum Distribution Calculator
How much must you withdraw from your IRA this year? Enter your balance and age. See your exact RMD, the tax hit, and how your balance projects over the next decade.
RMD planning is one of the most overlooked parts of retirement income strategy. I built this tool to help you see not just the number, but the full tax picture around it.
No sign-up required · Instant results
Your Information
Age this year: 73 · RMDs begin at age 73
Use your December 31 prior-year balance for the most accurate RMD
Using the Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III), standard for most IRA owners.
Tax Situation
Social Security, pensions, part-time work, before IRA distributions
If you're 70½+, you can direct up to $111,000 of your RMD to charity tax-free. This reduces your taxable income without itemizing.
Your Estimated 2026 Required Minimum Distribution
$28,302
of balance
3.8%
IRS factor
26.5
deadline
Dec 31
Federal Tax
$3,396
State Tax
$708
After Tax
$24,198
Marginal Rate
12.0%
Educational estimate based on your inputs and current IRS life-expectancy tables, not a prediction of actual results.
How Your RMD Affects Your Tax Bracket
Before RMD
Other income: $65,000
Marginal rate: 12.0%
After RMD
Total income: $93,302
Marginal rate: 12.0%
15-Year RMD Projection
Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III) · 5.0% annual growth
| Year | Age | Balance | Factor | RMD | % | Tax | After Tax | End Bal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 73 | $750,000 | 26.5 | $28,302 | 3.8% | $4,104 | $24,198 | $757,783 |
| 2027 | 74 | $757,783 | 25.5 | $29,717 | 3.9% | $4,309 | $25,408 | $764,469 |
| 2028 | 75 | $764,469 | 24.6 | $31,076 | 4.1% | $4,506 | $26,570 | $770,063 |
| 2029 | 76 | $770,063 | 23.7 | $32,492 | 4.2% | $4,711 | $27,781 | $774,449 |
| 2030 | 77 | $774,449 | 22.9 | $33,819 | 4.4% | $4,904 | $28,915 | $777,662 |
| 2031 | 78 | $777,662 | 22.0 | $35,348 | 4.5% | $5,126 | $30,223 | $779,430 |
| 2032 | 79 | $779,430 | 21.1 | $36,940 | 4.7% | $5,356 | $31,584 | $779,614 |
| 2033 | 80 | $779,614 | 20.2 | $38,595 | 5.0% | $5,596 | $32,999 | $778,071 |
| 2034 | 81 | $778,071 | 19.4 | $40,107 | 5.2% | $5,815 | $34,291 | $774,862 |
| 2035 | 82 | $774,862 | 18.5 | $41,884 | 5.4% | $6,073 | $35,811 | $769,626 |
| 2036 | 83 | $769,626 | 17.7 | $43,482 | 5.6% | $6,305 | $37,177 | $762,452 |
| 2037 | 84 | $762,452 | 16.8 | $45,384 | 6.0% | $6,581 | $38,803 | $752,921 |
| 2038 | 85 | $752,921 | 16.0 | $47,058 | 6.3% | $6,823 | $40,234 | $741,157 |
| 2039 | 86 | $741,157 | 15.2 | $48,760 | 6.6% | $7,070 | $41,690 | $727,016 |
| 2040 | 87 | $727,016 | 14.4 | $50,487 | 6.9% | $7,321 | $43,167 | $710,356 |
| Totals | $583,451 | $84,600 | $498,850 | |||||
Balance Over Time
RMD Rules You Should Know
When Do RMDs Start?
Under SECURE 2.0, your RMD starting age depends on when you were born. Born 1950 or earlier: age 72. Born 1951-1959: age 73. Born 1960 or later: age 75. Your first RMD is due by April 1 of the year after you reach your starting age, but every subsequent RMD is due by December 31.
How Is the RMD Calculated?
Divide your December 31 prior-year IRA balance by the distribution period from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III). If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, you can use the Joint & Last Survivor Table (Table II), which produces a longer distribution period and smaller RMD.
Multiple IRAs?
If you own multiple Traditional IRAs, you must calculate the RMD for each one separately using each account's December 31 balance. However, you can take the total combined RMD from any one or more of your IRAs. You don't have to withdraw from each one individually.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
If you're 70½ or older, you can direct up to $111,000 (2026, indexed annually) from your IRA directly to a qualified charity. QCDs count toward satisfying your RMD but are excluded from taxable income: an effective way to reduce your tax bracket and avoid IRMAA surcharges.
What If You Miss an RMD?
The penalty for missing an RMD is 25% of the amount you should have withdrawn (reduced from 50% by SECURE 2.0). If you correct the error within 2 years by taking the missed distribution and filing Form 5329, the penalty drops to 10%.
Roth IRAs and RMDs
Original Roth IRA owners are never subject to RMDs during their lifetime. Roth 401(k) accounts were previously subject to RMDs, but starting in 2024, SECURE 2.0 eliminated that requirement. Inherited Roth IRAs are still subject to distribution rules. See our Inherited IRA Calculator for details.
IRMAA and Your RMD
Medicare Part B and Part D premiums increase when your Modified Adjusted Gross Income exceeds certain thresholds. Your RMD counts as income for IRMAA purposes. Planning your distributions, and using QCDs, can help you stay below IRMAA thresholds and avoid paying hundreds or thousands more per year in Medicare premiums.
2026 IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III)
Source: IRS Publication 590-B. Divide your December 31 prior-year balance by the factor for your age.
Your first RMD is roughly $28,302 at age 73. Layered with Social Security and other income, this is where tax brackets, Roth conversions, and QCDs start to matter.
This is an estimate, not a number to plan around alone.
This calculator is an educational tool to help you think through scenarios. The results are illustrative estimates based on the inputs you provided and general assumptions. They are not financial advice, and the numbers shown should not be relied on as exact to your situation.
Real outcomes depend on factors a calculator can't fully model: your complete tax picture, plan-specific rules, market performance, IRS rate changes, life events, and how all the pieces of your financial life interact. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
This tool does not collect, store, or transmit any financial data.
RMD calculations use the 2026 IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III) or Joint & Last Survivor Table (Table II). Actual RMDs depend on your December 31 prior-year account balance. Tax estimates use 2026 federal brackets and approximate state rates. IRMAA thresholds are estimates and may differ from actual Medicare determinations.
Before making any decision based on these numbers, let's talk. I'll look at your full picture, pressure-test the assumptions, and help you understand what these numbers actually mean for you, at no cost.
By Jay Chang, VP, Wealth Advisor
Last updated July 6, 2026
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?
A required minimum distribution is the amount the IRS makes you withdraw from pre-tax retirement accounts each year, starting at age 73. The amount is your prior December 31 balance divided by an IRS life-expectancy factor, and it counts as ordinary income.
The withdrawal itself is simple. The tax consequences are not. An RMD stacks on top of Social Security, pension income, and interest, and it can push you into a higher bracket or across a Medicare surcharge threshold. That stacking effect is what this calculator shows.
Why Your RMD Strategy Matters Before Age 73
The best RMD moves happen years before the first one is due. The situations where planning ahead pays off most:
- Large pre-tax balances. A big IRA at 73 means big forced income every year after. Partial Roth conversions in lower-income years shrink the balance that drives the requirement.
- Medicare premium cliffs. RMD income counts toward the thresholds that set IRMAA surcharges. For 2026, the surcharge starts at $109,000 of income for single filers and $218,000 married filing jointly.
- Charitable giving. If you already give, a qualified charitable distribution satisfies part of the RMD without adding to taxable income. I cover the mechanics in my guide to qualified charitable distributions from an IRA.
- Money meant for heirs. Children who inherit a Traditional IRA generally must empty it within 10 years, often during their peak earning years. The 10-year rule makes lifetime tax planning part of the estate plan.
RMDs are one piece of a retirement income plan, not the whole plan. Sequencing them against Social Security, pensions, and taxable accounts is the core of my retirement planning work.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your year of birth and your total pre-tax IRA or 401(k) balance. Your age sets the IRS life-expectancy factor.
- Add your other income, filing status, and state so the tax math reflects your actual bracket, not just the withdrawal.
- Set an assumed annual growth rate. If you give to charity, add an annual qualified charitable distribution to see the savings.
- Read your estimated RMD, the tax it triggers, any Medicare IRMAA warning, and the year-by-year projection.
RMD Questions I Hear Most
At what age do RMDs start?
RMDs currently start at age 73. Your first one is due for the year you turn 73, and you can delay it until April 1 of the following year. Delaying puts two distributions in the same tax year, which can push you into a higher bracket. The IRS RMD rules cover the deadlines in detail.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
The IRS charges an excise tax on the shortfall: 25 percent under SECURE 2.0, reduced to 10 percent if you fix it promptly. It's one of the most expensive unforced errors in retirement, and a standing distribution instruction prevents it entirely.
Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
No. Roth IRAs have no required distributions during your lifetime. That is a big reason conversions matter here: every dollar moved to a Roth shrinks the balance that drives future RMDs. You can model a conversion's break-even math against your own bracket.
Can I take my RMD from just one account?
For IRAs, yes. Calculate each IRA's RMD separately, then withdraw the combined total from any one of them. Employer plans are stricter: each 401(k) has its own RMD that must come from that plan. Several old 401(k)s means several separate required withdrawals.
How does a QCD reduce my RMD taxes?
A qualified charitable distribution sends IRA money directly to charity. It counts toward your RMD but never enters your taxable income, which also helps with Medicare IRMAA thresholds. QCDs start at age 70½, and the annual limit is indexed each year. My article on QCDs from an IRA walks through the execution details.