Work out the minimum you must withdraw from a retirement account this year — and the tax that comes with it.
Required minimum distribution
$32,520
Age 75, factor 24.6.
| Age | Start balance | IRS factor | RMD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | $800,000 | 24.6 | $32,520 |
| 76 | $805,854 | 23.7 | $34,002 |
| 77 | $810,444 | 22.9 | $35,391 |
| 78 | $813,806 | 22.0 | $36,991 |
| 79 | $815,656 | 21.1 | $38,657 |
| 80 | $815,849 | 20.2 | $40,389 |
| 81 | $814,233 | 19.4 | $41,971 |
| 82 | $810,876 | 18.5 | $43,831 |
| 83 | $805,397 | 17.7 | $45,503 |
| 84 | $797,889 | 16.8 | $47,493 |
Dividing your $800,000 prior year-end balance by the IRS life-expectancy factor of 24.6 for age 75 gives an RMD of $32,520 — about $2,710 a month. At a 22% marginal rate that's roughly $7,154 in tax, leaving $25,366 net. Figures use the 2025 Uniform Lifetime Table.
Failing to take your full RMD triggers an excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under current rules, reduced to 10% if corrected promptly. The deadline is December 31 each year (your very first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but that stacks two RMDs into one tax year). Set a reminder or arrange automatic distributions with your custodian.
If you're 70½ or older and charitably inclined, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't included in your taxable income — often better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, especially if you take the standard deduction.
The RMD is a floor, not a plan. See how your overall withdrawal rate affects how long your portfolio lasts.
Retirement withdrawal calculatorWorked scenarios with the full analysis, so you can see how the numbers move before entering your own.
A typical retiree taking their required distribution a couple of years into RMDs.
Required minimum distribution
$32,520
Dividing your $800,000 prior year-end balance by the IRS life-expectancy factor of 24.6 for age 75 gives an RMD of $32,520 — about $2,710 a month. At a 22% marginal rate that's roughly $7,154 in tax, leaving $25,366 net. Figures use the 2025 Uniform Lifetime Table.
Failing to take your full RMD triggers an excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under current rules, reduced to 10% if corrected promptly. The deadline is December 31 each year (your very first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but that stacks two RMDs into one tax year). Set a reminder or arrange automatic distributions with your custodian.
If you're 70½ or older and charitably inclined, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't included in your taxable income — often better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, especially if you take the standard deduction.
The first year RMDs apply under current rules.
Required minimum distribution
$35,849
Dividing your $950,000 prior year-end balance by the IRS life-expectancy factor of 26.5 for age 73 gives an RMD of $35,849 — about $2,987 a month. At a 24% marginal rate that's roughly $8,604 in tax, leaving $27,245 net. Figures use the 2025 Uniform Lifetime Table.
Failing to take your full RMD triggers an excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under current rules, reduced to 10% if corrected promptly. The deadline is December 31 each year (your very first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but that stacks two RMDs into one tax year). Set a reminder or arrange automatic distributions with your custodian.
If you're 70½ or older and charitably inclined, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't included in your taxable income — often better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, especially if you take the standard deduction.
Before RMDs begin, a valuable window for Roth conversions.
Required minimum distribution
None yet
Required minimum distributions begin at age 73 under current rules, so at 70 you don't have to withdraw anything. This is often the best window for Roth conversions — moving money from a traditional account to a Roth while your taxable income is low, before RMDs force it up.
The gap between retiring and turning 73 is a valuable planning window. Converting portions of a traditional balance to a Roth during low-income years reduces future RMDs (and the taxes they trigger) permanently, since Roth accounts have no lifetime RMDs.
Roth conversion calculatorIf you're 70½ or older and charitably inclined, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't included in your taxable income — often better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, especially if you take the standard deduction.
A bigger account later in retirement, where the factor shrinks and the RMD grows.
Required minimum distribution
$74,257
Dividing your $1,500,000 prior year-end balance by the IRS life-expectancy factor of 20.2 for age 80 gives an RMD of $74,257 — about $6,188 a month. At a 24% marginal rate that's roughly $17,822 in tax, leaving $56,436 net. Figures use the 2025 Uniform Lifetime Table.
Failing to take your full RMD triggers an excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under current rules, reduced to 10% if corrected promptly. The deadline is December 31 each year (your very first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the following year, but that stacks two RMDs into one tax year). Set a reminder or arrange automatic distributions with your custodian.
If you're 70½ or older and charitably inclined, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD but isn't included in your taxable income — often better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, especially if you take the standard deduction.
A required minimum distribution is the amount the IRS makes you withdraw each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach age 73. The formula is simple: your account balance on December 31 of the prior year divided by a life-expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. As you age, the factor shrinks, so the required percentage rises.
RMDs apply to traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and similar tax-deferred accounts — but not to Roth IRAs during the owner's lifetime. The withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income, which can push up your taxable income and affect Medicare premiums and how much of your Social Security is taxed.
Because RMDs are forced taxable income, they can push retirees into higher brackets and trigger knock-on effects — higher Medicare premiums through IRMAA, and more of your Social Security becoming taxable. Planning ahead matters more than most people realize, and the best window is the years between retiring and the RMD start age.
Two strategies stand out. Roth conversions during low-income years move money out of the RMD-generating pool permanently, since Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMDs. And qualified charitable distributions (available from 70½) let you send IRA money directly to charity — it satisfies the RMD without being included in taxable income, which is usually better than donating after taking the distribution.
A missed RMD triggers a steep excise tax on the shortfall. Set up automatic distributions to avoid it.
Deferring your first RMD to April 1 stacks two distributions into one tax year, potentially raising your bracket.
RMDs raise taxable income, which can increase Medicare premiums and the taxable share of Social Security.
The years before RMDs start are the best time for Roth conversions. Missing them means larger forced withdrawals later.
Charitably inclined retirees often take the RMD and donate after, when a direct QCD would exclude it from income entirely.
An RMD is the minimum you must withdraw each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s, starting at age 73. It's calculated by dividing your prior December 31 balance by an IRS life-expectancy factor. The withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income.
Under current rules (SECURE 2.0), RMDs begin at age 73, rising to 75 in 2033. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you turn 73, but doing so means taking two RMDs in one tax year, which can push you into a higher bracket.
Divide your account balance as of December 31 of the previous year by the life-expectancy factor for your age from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At age 75 the factor is 24.6, so an $800,000 balance gives an RMD of about $32,520. The factor shrinks with age, so the required percentage rises over time.
The IRS charges an excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw — 25% under current rules, reduced to 10% if you correct the shortfall promptly and file the right form. It's one of the steeper penalties in the tax code, so setting up automatic distributions with your custodian is worthwhile.
No. Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions during the original owner's lifetime, so the money can keep growing tax-free indefinitely. This is a significant advantage and a common reason to convert traditional balances to a Roth before RMDs begin. Inherited Roth IRAs do have distribution rules for beneficiaries.
Yes — a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) lets anyone 70½ or older send money directly from an IRA to a qualifying charity. It counts toward your RMD but is excluded from taxable income, which is usually better than taking the distribution and claiming a deduction, particularly if you take the standard deduction.
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