RMD Calculator

An estimate, not financial advice. Figures are indicative, and the assumptions behind them are stated on the tool itself. Tax rules, rates and fees vary by country and change over time — check against your provider or a qualified adviser before acting on a number.

Overview

What is a RMD Calculator?

An RMD Calculator estimates your Required Minimum Distribution — the amount US retirees must withdraw from tax-deferred accounts each year. RMD = your account balance on December 31 of last year ÷ the IRS life-expectancy factor for your age. Roth IRAs generally have no RMD for the original owner.

Once you reach a certain age, US tax law requires you to withdraw a minimum amount each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s — the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). This calculator estimates it with a simple, transparent formula: RMD = your prior-year-end balance ÷ the IRS life-expectancy factor for your age.

Enter your account's balance as of December 31 last year and the age you'll reach this year. The tool fills in the life-expectancy factor from the applicable IRS table — the Uniform Lifetime Table for most people, the Joint Life table if your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than ten years younger, or the Single Life table for most inherited accounts — and you can override the factor if yours differs. It then shows your RMD for the year, the monthly equivalent, and the effective withdrawal percentage.

Guide

How to calculate your RMD

Step 1: Enter your prior-year-end balance. The account value on December 31 of last year

Enter your prior-year-end balance. The account value on December 31 of last year.

Step 2: Enter your age. The age you'll reach during this year

Enter your age. The age you'll reach during this year.

Step 3: Confirm or pick the table. Uniform Lifetime (most people), Joint Life, or Single Life — and override the factor if needed

Confirm or pick the table. Uniform Lifetime (most people), Joint Life, or Single Life — and override the factor if needed.

Step 4: Read your RMD. The annual amount, plus the monthly equivalent and effective percentage

Read your RMD. The annual amount, plus the monthly equivalent and effective percentage.

Step 5: Verify. Check the age and factor against IRS Publication 590-B before acting

Copy any figure.

Screens

RMD Calculator in action

RMD calculator dividing last year's closing balance by the Uniform Lifetime factor to give the required distribution for the year — The distribution for the year, from last year's closing balance

RMD calculator showing next year's required distribution on the same balance, larger because the life expectancy factor falls each year — Next year's figure on the same balance, because the factor falls every year

RMD calculator at an age below the start age, saying there is no required distribution rather than printing one that is not owed — An age below the start age, where there is no distribution to take

RMD calculator running in a phone browser with the factor override below the age — Mobile browser

Details

When an RMD calculator helps

This is where honesty matters most, because RMDs are US-specific and change over time. The age RMDs begin was raised to 73 under the SECURE 2.0 Act (for those reaching it in 2023–2032) and is scheduled to move to 75 in 2033; the life-expectancy tables were updated in 2022. So this tool ships with dated factors and lets you edit them — treat it as an estimate, not a statement of current law, and always confirm the age and factor against IRS Publication 590-B. Two more important caveats: Roth IRAs have no RMD for the original owner, and inherited accounts follow different rules (often a 10-year drawdown). Missing an RMD can trigger an IRS excise penalty — real, but not something this tool computes.

None of this is tax or financial advice. For related planning, see the 401(k) Calculator and the Savings Drawdown Calculator. Everything runs privately in your browser.

Yearly RMD. Work out the minimum you must withdraw this year.
Planning withdrawals. Convert the annual figure into a monthly amount.
Multiple IRAs. Sum like-account balances to size the total RMD.
Checking a brokerage figure. Sanity-check the number your custodian gives you.
Understanding the rules. See how the factor and age drive the amount.

Realistic example. A $500,000 traditional IRA balance at age 73, with a Uniform Lifetime factor of 26.5, gives an RMD of 500,000 ÷ 26.5 = about $18,868 for the year, or roughly $1,572 a month — an effective withdrawal of about 3.8%.

Advanced tip. The factor shrinks as you age, so the same balance produces a larger RMD (and a higher effective percentage) each year.

Common mistake to avoid. Don't assume Roth IRAs need an RMD — for the original owner they don't. Inherited accounts follow separate rules.

Related. For drawing down a pot flexibly beyond the minimum, see the Savings Drawdown Calculator.

What to keep in mind

US-specific and dated. RMDs are an IRS rule; the age (73, rising to 75 in 2033) and tables change — factors here are dated and editable.
Verify against IRS Publication 590-B. Confirm your age and life-expectancy factor before acting.
Roth and inherited accounts differ. Roth IRAs have no RMD for the original owner; inherited accounts follow different (often 10-year) rules.
Penalty exists but isn't computed. Missing an RMD can trigger an IRS excise tax.
Not tax or financial advice, and private. An estimate — and all math runs on your device, nothing uploaded.

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

How is an RMD calculated?

Divide your account balance as of December 31 last year by the IRS life-expectancy factor for your age: RMD = prior-year-end balance ÷ factor. For most people the factor comes from the Uniform Lifetime Table. For example, $500,000 at age 73 with a factor of 26.5 gives an RMD of about $18,868. The tool applies your balance and factor and shows the annual and monthly amounts.

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What age do RMDs start?

Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, RMDs currently begin at age 73 for people reaching that age between 2023 and 2032, and the starting age is scheduled to rise to 75 in 2033. This is US law and has changed more than once, so confirm the current age for your birth year with the IRS. The tool uses a dated age you can adjust.

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Which IRS table do I use?

Most people use the Uniform Lifetime Table. Use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table if your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than ten years younger than you, which gives a smaller RMD. Use the Single Life Table for most inherited accounts. The tool lets you pick the table or override the factor directly — check IRS Publication 590-B for the right one.

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Where do I get the prior-year-end balance?

Use the fair market value of the account on December 31 of the previous year, which your IRA custodian or plan provider reports (often on a year-end statement or Form 5498). That single figure, divided by your factor, gives the RMD for the current year. If you have several like accounts, you'll need each one's year-end balance.

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Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?

No — a Roth IRA has no RMD for the original owner during their lifetime, which is one of its advantages. (Roth 401(k)s no longer require RMDs for the owner either, following SECURE 2.0.) Inherited Roth accounts, however, do have distribution requirements. So don't include an original-owner Roth IRA when sizing your RMD; this tool is for tax-deferred accounts that require one.

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How do RMDs work for an inherited IRA?

Differently, and the rules are nuanced. Many non-spouse beneficiaries must empty an inherited IRA within 10 years, and some must also take annual RMDs during that window using the Single Life Table; spouses have more options. The rules depend on when the owner died and your relationship to them. Use the Single Life factor here only as a rough estimate and confirm your situation with the IRS or a professional.

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Can I combine RMDs across multiple accounts?

It depends on the account type. If you have several traditional IRAs, you calculate the RMD for each but may withdraw the total from any one or a mix of them. 401(k) and other employer plans generally must each take their own RMD separately, not aggregated with IRAs. Calculate each account here, then follow the aggregation rules for its type.

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What happens if I miss my RMD?

Missing an RMD, or taking too little, can trigger an IRS excise tax on the shortfall — historically 50%, reduced under SECURE 2.0 to 25% (and 10% if corrected promptly). It's a real and avoidable penalty, but this tool doesn't calculate it. If you've missed one, act quickly and consider filing for a waiver; a tax professional can help.

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When is the RMD deadline, including the first year?

Generally, you must take each year's RMD by December 31. For your first RMD only, you can delay until April 1 of the following year — but doing so means two RMDs in that second year, which can push up your taxable income. The tool gives you the amount; the timing and its tax impact are yours to plan.

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Are these factors and the age current?

The factors and RMD age in this tool are dated and provided for convenience — US rules change, the tables were updated in 2022, and the age moved under SECURE 2.0. Always confirm the current life-expectancy factor and starting age in IRS Publication 590-B before relying on a figure, and use the override to enter the correct factor for your year.

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Is this tax advice?

No. This calculator does arithmetic — balance divided by a factor — to estimate your RMD. It isn't tax or financial advice, doesn't handle inherited-account scheduling, QCDs, or withholding, and can't replace IRS guidance or a qualified professional. For your actual RMD and its tax treatment, confirm with the IRS or a tax adviser.

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Is my data uploaded, and does it work offline?

No upload, and yes it works offline. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser, so your balance and age are never sent to a server, there's no account, and no tracking. Once the page has loaded it keeps working with no connection — useful for private retirement planning without linking an account.

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