RMD Calculator
Your required minimum distribution is last December's balance divided by an IRS life-expectancy factor. The factor table is named and dated on the page — the 2022 Uniform Lifetime Table.
A division the IRS prescribes, with its table named
Your required minimum distribution is not negotiated: take the account balance on the previous December 31 and divide by the distribution period from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. This page uses that table in its 2022 revision — the first update of the factors in two decades — and names it, because older printouts still circulate with the old, smaller divisors.
RMD = prior December 31 balance ÷ Uniform Lifetime Table factor for your age
Example: age 75, prior year-end balance $500,000: the 2022 factor is 24.6, so the RMD is $20,325.20 — about 4.07% of the balance. At 85 the factor is 16.0 and the same balance would require $31,250.
Why the government forces the door open
Traditional retirement accounts deferred tax for decades on the understanding that withdrawals would eventually be taxed. The RMD is the eventual: a ratchet that rises with age, converting tax-deferred balances into taxable income on a schedule you can plan around but not decline.
How this is calculated
RMD = balance ÷ divisor, the divisor read from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table as revised for distribution years 2022 and later (ages 72–120; 2.0 at 120+). The balance is the prior December 31 value you enter. The joint-life exception (spouse sole beneficiary, 10+ years younger) uses a different table and is flagged, not computed, here. Ages below the RMD start age are refused with an explanation.
Frequently asked questions
At what age do RMDs begin?
Under SECURE 2.0, 73 for those born 1951–1959 and 75 for those born 1960 or later (72 under the prior law for earlier cohorts). The table here spans 72+ so planning ahead is possible; the calculator's copy states the current framework — verify yours, as this area of law has moved repeatedly.
Which accounts have RMDs?
Traditional IRAs and employer plans (401(k), 403(b)) during the owner's life; inherited accounts follow their own rules. Roth IRAs have none for the owner; Roth 401(k)s lost their RMD under SECURE 2.0 from 2024.
What if I miss an RMD?
An excise tax on the shortfall (25% under SECURE 2.0, reducible to 10% if corrected promptly). The custodian's reminder is a courtesy; the obligation and the penalty are yours.
Can I take more than the RMD?
Yes — the RMD is a floor, not a ceiling. Extra withdrawals are simply more taxable income that year, which is why multi-year tax planning (including Roth conversions in low years) orbits this number.
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