RMD Age Calculator

Enter your birth year and choose the account type that matches the account. The default account type is a Traditional IRA. For a balance-based estimate, enter the account balance and expected annual return. The calculator projects the balance forward to the RMD age and divides it by an age-based distribution divisor.

The still-working option matters for some employer plans, but it does not generally delay RMDs from a Traditional IRA. In the calculator’s logic, the delay applies to an eligible employer plan when the account owner is still working. Roth accounts and inherited accounts follow different rules, so the calculator returns separate guidance instead of applying the standard age schedule.

For a personalized dollar estimate, use the previous year-end account balance and the correct IRS divisor. Review the RMD start date calculator for deadlines and the future RMD calculator for projections.

SECURE 2.0 raised the applicable RMD starting age to 73 for people born from 1951 through 1959 and to 75 for those born in 1960 or later. People born in 1950 generally have a starting age of 72. People born before 1950 may have older rules, including age 70½, depending on birth date and prior legislation. IRS guidance summarizes current RMD requirements at IRS.gov.

The age is not the same as the year the first payment is due. An owner generally has to take the first RMD by April 1 of the year after reaching the applicable starting age. Later RMDs are due by December 31 each year. Delaying the first distribution can mean taking two taxable distributions in the next calendar year: the delayed first RMD by April 1 and that year’s RMD by December 31.

For the default birth year 1965, the calculator gives an age of 75 and an RMD year of 2040. Its first-payment deadline is April 1, 2041. The calculation is 1965 + 75 = 2040, followed by the April 1 deadline in the next year. Check your account custodian’s procedures well before the deadline.

Traditional IRAs and most tax-deferred employer plans are generally subject to lifetime RMDs. Roth IRAs owned by the original account holder do not require lifetime RMDs. Designated Roth accounts in employer plans also no longer have lifetime RMDs for the original owner beginning in 2024 under SECURE 2.0, though beneficiaries can have distribution requirements.

Inherited accounts do not use the original owner’s ordinary age schedule. The required distribution depends on the beneficiary’s relationship to the deceased owner, the owner’s date of death, and whether the beneficiary is an eligible designated beneficiary. Use an inherited IRA RMD calculator or an inherited Roth IRA RMD calculator for those cases.

An employee who is still working may be able to delay RMDs from their current employer’s plan until retirement, if the plan permits it and they are not a 5% owner. This exception generally does not apply to IRAs or former-employer plans. Compare account rules before combining balances or rolling a workplace account into an IRA, because the rollover can change when distributions are due. The Department of Labor explains workplace retirement plan basics at DOL.gov.

RMD starting year = birth year + applicable RMD starting age

projected balance = current account balance × (1 + expected annual return) ^ years until RMD

estimated first RMD = projected balance ÷ IRS distribution-period divisor for that age

For the default birth year, the starting year is 1965 + 75 = 2040. The calculator reports 14 years until the RMD year, using 2026 as its reference year. Because the current balance input is $0, it does not project a balance or calculate a dollar distribution. Therefore, the supplied result is age 75, year 2040, deadline April 1, 2041, and estimated first RMD $0.

If you enter a balance, the estimate depends on expected return and the applicable divisor. The actual first RMD is generally based on the account balance on December 31 of the previous year divided by the IRS life-expectancy factor, not a guaranteed long-term investment projection. See required minimum distributions explained and the RMD tax calculator for tax impact.

An RMD is generally taxable as ordinary income when withdrawn from a Traditional IRA or pre-tax workplace plan, except to the extent of after-tax basis. The RMD itself is not an additional tax; it is a required withdrawal that can raise taxable income. That increase may affect tax brackets, Medicare income-related premiums, or the taxable portion of Social Security.

The excise tax on an RMD shortfall is generally 25% of the amount not distributed by the deadline. If corrected within the correction window, the tax may be reduced to 10%. A taxpayer may also request a waiver when a reasonable error caused the shortfall and reasonable steps are being taken to remedy it. Do not wait until tax filing to discover a missed distribution; contact the custodian and a tax professional promptly. See IRS information about RMDs and excise taxes.

RMD planning can include taking distributions monthly, withholding taxes from withdrawals, or making qualified charitable distributions from eligible IRAs. A qualified charitable distribution may count toward an IRA RMD if eligibility and reporting requirements are met, but it is not available from every account type. Learn about ways to reduce RMD taxes and use an RMD tax withholding calculator to model withholding.

Confirm the birth year and account type, then use the actual prior December 31 balance to estimate a distribution. Ask the custodian for its RMD calculation and distribution deadline. If you have multiple IRAs, determine which RMDs can be aggregated; employer plans generally have separate rules. Compare projected taxes with the RMD tax calculator and plan withholding before the first deadline.