Quick answer
A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the least you must withdraw each year from most US tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach the starting age — currently 73, per the IRS. It equals last December 31's balance divided by a distribution period from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table [1].
Key points
- RMDs apply to traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and workplace plans such as 401(k)s.
- Roth IRAs have no RMDs while the original owner is alive; neither do designated Roth accounts in 401(k) or 403(b) plans.
- The IRS currently states the starting age as 73; the first RMD can wait until April 1 of the next year.
- Amount = prior December 31 balance ÷ distribution period from the Uniform Lifetime Table.
- Missing an RMD can trigger a 25% excise tax on the shortfall, reduced to 10% if corrected within 2 years.
#Why do RMDs exist?
Traditional retirement accounts let money grow without yearly tax, and contributions were often deducted or excluded from income. RMDs are how that deferred tax eventually gets collected. The IRS defines your RMD as "the minimum amount you must withdraw from your account each year" [1]. You can always withdraw more than the minimum, and withdrawals are generally included in taxable income [1]. This is a US rule for US accounts; it does not describe pension rules in other countries.
#Which accounts have RMDs?
According to the IRS, RMD rules apply to traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, and employer plans such as 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) and profit-sharing plans [1]. The big exception is Roth money: the IRS says you are not required to take withdrawals from Roth IRAs, or from designated Roth accounts in a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, while the account owner is alive [1]. That difference is one reason people compare Traditional vs Roth IRAs. Beneficiaries who inherit an account — Roth or not — follow separate rules not covered here.
| Account type | Lifetime RMDs for the owner? |
|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | Yes |
| SEP IRA and SIMPLE IRA | Yes |
| 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), profit-sharing plans (pre-tax money) | Yes |
| Roth IRA | No, while the owner is alive |
| Designated Roth account in a 401(k) or 403(b) | No, while the owner is alive |
#At what age do RMDs start?
The IRS currently states that you "generally have to start taking withdrawals from your IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, or retirement plan account when you reach age 73" [1]. The first RMD is for the year you turn 73, but you can delay taking it until April 1 of the following year; after that, each year's RMD is due by December 31 [2]. Because these rules can change, confirm the starting age on the IRS page before relying on it.
RMD deadlines for an IRA owner (current IRS rules)
There is one more wrinkle for workplace plans. The IRS says participants in a plan such as a 401(k) "can delay taking their RMDs until the year they retire, unless they're a 5% owner of the business sponsoring the plan" [2]. This still-working exception does not apply to IRAs.
#How is an RMD calculated?
The formula is a single division. The IRS states that the RMD for any year "is the account balance as of the end of the immediately preceding calendar year divided by a distribution period from the IRS's 'Uniform Lifetime Table'" [1]. The distribution period is a number based on your age that year; it shrinks as you get older, so the share you must take out rises.
Working out an IRA RMD
Find last year's closing balance
Use the account value on December 31 of the previous year — your provider's year-end statement shows it.
Find your age this year
Use the age you reach on your birthday in the distribution year.
Look up the distribution period
Most owners use Table III (Uniform Lifetime) in IRS Publication 590-B. If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, Table II applies instead [3].
Divide
Balance ÷ distribution period = this year's RMD for that account.
| Age in distribution year | Distribution period | RMD as % of balance (100 ÷ period) |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 | 3.77% |
| 75 | 24.6 | 4.07% |
| 80 | 20.2 | 4.95% |
| 85 | 16.0 | 6.25% |
| 90 | 12.2 | 8.20% |
The distribution periods above are copied from the Uniform Lifetime Table as the IRS reprints it in Appendix A of Notice 2022-6 [4]; they match the table in the Treasury regulation itself [5], which is the table referred to as Table III in Publication 590-B [3]. Percentages are 100 divided by the period, calculated with Python and rounded to two decimals.
Worked example
Worked example: an IRA owner who turns 75 in 2026
Hypothetical: a single IRA owner turns 75 in 2026. The IRA was worth $500,000 on December 31, 2025. The Uniform Lifetime Table distribution period for age 75 is 24.6. Calculated with Python.
- 2026 RMD (500,000 ÷ 24.6)
- $20,325.20
- Deadline for this RMD
- December 31, 2026
- If none is taken: 25% excise tax (0.25 × 20,325.20)
- $5,081.30
- If corrected within 2 years: 10% (0.10 × 20,325.20)
- $2,032.52
The owner must withdraw at least $20,325.20 during 2026 and include it in taxable income; more can be withdrawn.
Balance and age are invented. Excise-tax rates are from the IRS RMD page; actual liability depends on your situation and any waiver the IRS grants.
Minimum withdrawal as a share of the prior year-end balance
- RMD % of balance
#What if you have several accounts?
You calculate an RMD for each account separately. For IRAs, the IRS says an owner "must calculate the RMD separately for each IRA they own but can withdraw the total amount from one or more of the IRAs" [2]. Workplace plans are stricter: RMDs from plans such as 401(k) and 457(b) plans must be taken separately from each plan account [2].
#What happens if you miss an RMD?
If you take nothing, or too little, the IRS says you may owe a 25% excise tax on the amount not distributed as required, which falls to 10% if the shortfall is corrected within 2 years [1]. The worked example above shows what those rates mean in dollars. Planning ahead — knowing your balance, your age that year and the deadline — is usually enough to avoid this. For how withdrawals fit into a wider plan, see how people estimate retirement savings needs.
Common beginner mistakes
Using the wrong year's balance
The RMD is based on the balance at the end of the previous year, not today's value. Market moves since January do not change this year's minimum.
Assuming one withdrawal covers every account
IRA RMDs can be combined and taken from one IRA, but 401(k)-type plan RMDs must come from each plan separately.
Forgetting the double-up year
Pushing the first RMD to April 1 means two RMDs land in one calendar year, which can raise that year's taxable income.
Relying on an outdated starting age
Older articles may cite a different age. The IRS RMD page currently states 73 — check it rather than an old blog post.
What's the bottom line?
RMDs are the US government's way of eventually taxing money that grew tax-deferred. Under the current IRS rules they start at 73, the first can wait until April 1 of the next year, and each amount is last year-end's balance divided by a factor from the Uniform Lifetime Table. Roth IRAs are exempt for the original owner. Check the current IRS pages before you act, and see Traditional vs Roth IRA for how the account type changes the picture.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to spend my RMD?
No. The rule only requires the money to leave the tax-deferred account. You can keep it in a bank or a regular taxable brokerage account, but the withdrawal itself is generally taxable.
Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
Not for the original owner while they are alive, according to the IRS. People who inherit a Roth IRA do face distribution rules.
Can I take more than the minimum?
Yes. The RMD is a floor, not a cap. Larger withdrawals are allowed and are generally taxed as income for traditional accounts.
Where do I find the exact distribution period for my age?
In IRS Publication 590-B, Appendix B. Most owners use Table III (Uniform Lifetime); owners whose spouse is the sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger use Table II.
Sources
Grade A = primary source (regulator, government agency, official rulebook or the index provider's own documents). Numbers in brackets in the text point here.
- Internal Revenue Service. Retirement topics - Required minimum distributions (RMDs) (2026). Accessed 2026-10-03.A
- Internal Revenue Service. Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs (2026). Accessed 2026-10-03.A
- Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-B (2025), Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) (2025). Accessed 2026-10-03.A
- Internal Revenue Service. Notice 2022-6, Determination of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (Appendix A: Uniform Lifetime Table) (2022). Accessed 2026-10-03.A
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). 26 CFR 1.401(a)(9)-9 Life expectancy and distribution period tables, paragraph (c) Uniform Lifetime Table (2026). Accessed 2026-10-03.A
This page is general education, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Figures in worked examples are hypothetical and calculated before taxes and fees unless stated. Rules and limits change; check the linked primary sources for the current version. How we check every page.
