RMDs now begin at 73 if you were born 1951–1959 and 75 if born 1960 or later. This guide covers the calculation, the aggregation rules that trip people up, the still-working exception, qualified charitable distributions, and how to fix a missed RMD.
Plain-English guide to Medicare, Medigap, Advantage, and Part D — 2026 rates included.
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A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount you must withdraw each year from most tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach your RMD age — which is 73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 (learn more about rmd planning guide: master required minimum distributions) (learn more about medicare cost calculator: complete guide to estimating your annual costs) (learn more about long-term care insurance: 7 best policies of 2026 compared by coverage, cost, and value) (learn more about medicare open enrollment 2027: 8 things every senior needs to know before october 15) (learn more about complete guide to memory care: understanding alzheimer's and dementia care) or later. You calculate it by dividing your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year by a life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (learn more about best medicare supplement plans (medigap) for 2026: plan g vs. plan n compared). Roth IRAs have no RMDs during your lifetime, and since 2024, designated Roth accounts in workplace plans do not either.
Miss an RMD and the penalty is 25% of the amount you should have taken — reduced to 10% if you correct it promptly. That is a serious penalty, but it is also entirely avoidable, and this guide walks through everything you need to get it right.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When do RMDs start? | Age 73 if born 1951–1959; age 75 if born 1960 or later |
| First deadline | April 1 of the year after you reach RMD age |
| Every year after | December 31 |
| How is it calculated? | Prior year-end balance ÷ IRS life expectancy factor |
| Which accounts? | Traditional IRA, SEP and SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) |
| Which accounts are exempt? | Roth IRA (during your lifetime); designated Roth 401(k)/403(b) accounts |
| Penalty for missing one | 25% of the shortfall, reduced to 10% if corrected in time |
The SECURE 2.0 Act moved the RMD age twice, which is why so much older information online is now wrong. Here is the current schedule:
Your required beginning date for your very first RMD is April 1 of the year following the year you reach your RMD age. Every RMD after that is due by December 31.
That April 1 grace period sounds generous, and it comes with a catch worth understanding. If you delay your first RMD into the following year, you will take two distributions in that year — the delayed one and the current one. Two RMDs in a single tax year can push you into a higher tax bracket, increase the taxable portion of your Social Security, and raise your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums two years later through IRMAA. For most people, taking the first RMD in the year you turn 73 or 75, rather than deferring it, is the simpler and cheaper choice.
The formula is straightforward:
RMD = (Account balance on December 31 of last year) ÷ (Life expectancy factor for your age this year)
Most people use the Uniform Lifetime Table. A few common factors:
| Your Age | Life Expectancy Factor |
|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 |
| 75 | 24.6 |
| 80 | 20.2 |
| 85 | 16.0 |
| 90 | 12.2 |
A worked example. Margaret turns 73 in 2026. Her traditional IRA held $500,000 on December 31, 2025.
$500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,868
That is the minimum she must withdraw during 2026 (or by April 1, 2027, for this first year only). She may always take more — the rule sets a floor, not a ceiling.
One important exception: if your sole beneficiary is a spouse who is more than 10 years younger than you, use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table instead. It produces a larger factor and therefore a smaller required withdrawal.
Subject to RMDs:
Not subject to RMDs during your lifetime:
This is where costly mistakes happen, because the rules differ by account type.
Traditional IRAs (including SEP and SIMPLE): calculate the RMD for each IRA separately, then take the total from any one IRA or any combination you choose. This flexibility is genuinely useful — you can pull the whole amount from the account with the least appealing investments.
401(k) and other employer plans: calculate and take the RMD from each plan separately. You cannot combine them. If you have three old 401(k)s, you owe three separate distributions.
403(b) accounts: calculate separately, but you may aggregate the total across your 403(b) accounts, similar to IRAs.
If you have several old employer plans, consolidating them into a single IRA before your RMD age removes a real source of error — and gives you the IRA aggregation flexibility at the same time. Discuss the tradeoffs with your advisor, as consolidation affects creditor protection and other factors.
If you are still employed past your RMD age, you may be able to delay RMDs from that employer's plan until you actually retire — provided you do not own more than 5% of the company and the plan permits the delay.
Two limits to note. This exception applies only to your current employer's plan, not to IRAs and not to plans from previous employers. And it is optional for plans to offer, so confirm with your plan administrator rather than assuming.
If you give to charity, a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is often the single most tax-efficient move available to you.
Starting at age 70½ — notably earlier than your RMD age — you can direct money from your IRA straight to a qualified charity. The QCD:
That exclusion is what makes it powerful. Because the money never enters your adjusted gross income, it does not raise the taxable share of your Social Security benefits and does not push you toward an IRMAA surcharge on Medicare premiums. A charitable deduction cannot do that, and it only helps at all if you itemize — which most retirees no longer do.
The annual QCD limit is indexed for inflation and rises most years. Confirm the current-year limit at IRS.gov before you give. The distribution must go directly from your IRA custodian to the charity; if the money passes through your hands first, it does not qualify.
The penalty was 50% for decades. SECURE 2.0 improved it considerably:
To fix a missed RMD: withdraw the shortfall as soon as you discover it, file IRS Form 5329, and attach a statement explaining the reasonable cause and the steps you took to correct it. The IRS has historically been willing to waive the penalty for genuine oversights that are promptly corrected. Work with a tax professional on the filing.
If you inherited a retirement account, different rules apply — and they changed substantially under the SECURE Act.
Most non-spouse beneficiaries who inherited after 2019 must empty the account within 10 years. Under IRS final regulations, if the original owner had already begun taking RMDs, the beneficiary must also take annual distributions during that 10-year window rather than waiting until year ten. The IRS waived enforcement of those annual distributions for several transition years; annual RMDs are required going forward.
Surviving spouses have more options, including treating the IRA as their own. So do other eligible designated beneficiaries — minor children of the owner, disabled or chronically ill individuals, and beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the owner.
Inherited account rules are genuinely complicated and the penalties are real. If you have inherited a retirement account, this is worth a conversation with a tax professional rather than a web search.
This guide is based on IRS Publication 590-B (Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements), the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table in Publication 590-B Appendix B, the SECURE Act of 2019 and SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, IRS final regulations on required minimum distributions, and IRS guidance on qualified charitable distributions and Form 5329. Dollar limits that are indexed for inflation change annually — verify current-year figures at IRS.gov. Last updated: August 2026. We review this guide annually and after any relevant tax law change.
Age 73 if you were born between 1951 and 1959, and age 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Your first distribution is due by April 1 of the year after you reach that age; all later distributions are due by December 31.
Divide your account balance as of December 31 of the previous year by the life expectancy factor for your current age from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At age 73 the factor is 26.5, so a $500,000 balance produces an RMD of about $18,868.
No, not during the original owner's lifetime. Since 2024, designated Roth accounts inside a 401(k) or 403(b) are also exempt, so you no longer need to roll a Roth 401(k) into a Roth IRA just to avoid RMDs. Inherited Roth accounts do have distribution requirements for beneficiaries.
25% of the amount you failed to withdraw, reduced to 10% if you correct the shortfall within the applicable correction window. Withdraw the missed amount promptly and file Form 5329 with a reasonable-cause statement; the IRS has often waived the penalty for good-faith errors corrected quickly.
It depends on the account type. With traditional IRAs, calculate each separately but take the total from any one or any combination. With 401(k) plans, you must take each plan's RMD from that specific plan — no combining.
Possibly not, from your current employer's plan, if you do not own more than 5% of the business and the plan allows the delay. This exception never applies to IRAs or to plans from former employers.
Yes. A qualified charitable distribution lets you send IRA money directly to a qualified charity starting at age 70½. It counts toward your RMD and is excluded from your taxable income entirely, which protects your Social Security taxation and Medicare premiums in a way a deduction cannot.
If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger, use the IRS Joint Life and Last Survivor Table instead of the Uniform Lifetime Table. It produces a larger divisor and therefore a smaller required withdrawal.
Yes. Distributions from traditional IRAs and pre-tax employer plans are taxed as ordinary income in the year received. If you made nondeductible contributions, a portion may be a tax-free return of basis, tracked on Form 8606. RMDs are not subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty, since you are well past age 59½.
You cannot roll it back into a tax-deferred retirement account, but you may absolutely reinvest the after-tax proceeds in a taxable brokerage account. You can also distribute the securities in kind, which moves the holding without selling it.
RMDs increase your modified adjusted gross income, which determines your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums through IRMAA — assessed on a two-year lookback. A large RMD in one year can raise your premiums two years later, which is one of the strongest arguments for Roth conversions before RMD age and for QCDs after 70½.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, financial, or investment advice. Retirement account rules are complex, change with new legislation and IRS guidance, and depend on your individual circumstances. Dollar limits indexed for inflation change annually — verify current figures at IRS.gov. Please consult a qualified tax professional or financial advisor before making decisions about distributions, conversions, or charitable giving. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which does not influence our editorial content.
Reviewed by the SeniorSimple editorial team. We base our retirement guides on IRS publications and current federal law, and update them annually and whenever the rules change.
Plain-English guide to Medicare, Medigap, Advantage, and Part D — 2026 rates included.
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