RMD Calculator
Calculate your IRS Required Minimum Distribution using the Uniform Lifetime Table and project the next 10 years.
| Year | Age | Account Balance | Distribution Period | RMD Amount | % of Balance |
|---|
Calculate your IRS Required Minimum Distribution from a traditional IRA, 401(k), or 403(b), and project how your withdrawals and balance change over the next 10 years.
How RMD Calculator Works
The IRS requires most retirement account owners to begin withdrawing a minimum amount each year starting at age 73 (raised from 72 under the SECURE 2.0 Act). Your RMD is calculated as RMD = Account Balance (as of December 31 of the prior year) ÷ Distribution Period, where the distribution period comes from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table and shrinks every year as you age — meaning a larger percentage of your balance must come out each year.
If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you, the IRS allows a different, more favorable joint life expectancy table, which produces a smaller required withdrawal. This calculator uses the standard Uniform Lifetime Table for the primary estimate.
The 10-year projection assumes your account keeps growing at the expected annual return rate you enter, withdraws the RMD each year, then compounds the remaining balance — so you can see how your required withdrawal amount and remaining balance evolve as you age and the distribution period shortens.
See It In Action
Who Uses RMD Calculator and Why
- Figuring out this year\'s required minimum distribution from a Traditional IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) before the December 31 deadline.
- Planning ahead for how required withdrawals — and the taxable income they create — will grow as you age over the next decade.
- Checking whether a spouse\'s much younger age changes which IRS life expectancy table applies to your required withdrawal.
- Estimating next year\'s RMD in advance to plan for the associated tax bill before year-end.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Missing the December 31 deadline (or April 1 of the following year for your very first RMD) — the IRS charges an excise tax penalty of 25% of the amount not withdrawn on time, reduced to 10% if corrected within two years.
- Assuming a flat account balance means a flat RMD every year — the required distribution period from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table shortens as you age, so your required withdrawal percentage actually increases even if your balance never grows.
- Applying this calculator\'s standard Uniform Lifetime Table result to a Roth IRA — Roth IRAs are exempt from RMDs entirely during the original owner\'s lifetime, so this tool doesn\'t apply to them.
Tips for Best Results
- If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger than you, check the IRS Joint Life and Last Survivor table separately — it typically produces a smaller required distribution than the standard table this calculator uses.
- Use the 10-year projection to see roughly how your required withdrawal amount and remaining balance will trend as your distribution period shortens with age, even under a flat growth-rate assumption.
Fixing Common Problems
I\'m not sure which account balance to use. — Your RMD is based on your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year, not today\'s balance or the balance on the date you actually withdraw — use last year-end\'s statement value for an accurate figure.
Terms Explained
Distribution period: The divisor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, based on your age, that your account balance is divided by to calculate your RMD — it shrinks every year as you get older.
SECURE 2.0 Act: Federal legislation that raised the RMD starting age from 72 to 73, among other retirement account changes.