RMD Calculator
Estimate the Required Minimum Distribution you must withdraw this year from a Traditional IRA or 401(k) using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, from your prior-year-end balance and age. See both the annual amount and a monthly equivalent.
How to Use
- Enter your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year.
- Enter your age for the year you are calculating the RMD.
- The calculator looks up the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table life-expectancy divisor for that age.
- Read the required distribution: balance ÷ divisor.
- Use the monthly equivalent to plan even withdrawals across the year.
Show Work
Notes
About the RMD Calculator
Whether you are at a desk or on your phone, the RMD Calculator makes personal-finance and money decisions easy — and it is completely free. Estimate the Required Minimum Distribution you must withdraw this year from a Traditional IRA or 401(k) using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, from your prior-year-end balance and age. See both the annual amount and a monthly equivalent.
How it works
Type your numbers into the boxes. The answer shows up right away — you do not have to press a button. If you change a number, the answer changes too. So you can try different numbers and watch what happens, or check an answer you worked out yourself. Just make sure each box has the right kind of number in it.
Want the deeper story? The Knowledge Base explains the ideas behind the tools in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Required Minimum Distribution?
An RMD is the minimum amount the IRS requires you to withdraw each year from most tax-deferred retirement accounts (Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and similar) once you reach the starting age. The withdrawals are generally taxed as ordinary income; the rules exist so the government eventually collects tax on those deferred savings.
At what age do RMDs start?
Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, the RMD starting age is 73 for those who reach 72 after 2022, and is scheduled to rise to 75 in 2033. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you turn the starting age, but doing so means taking two distributions that year. Roth IRAs have no RMDs during the owner's lifetime.
How is the RMD calculated?
Divide your prior-year December 31 account balance by the life-expectancy factor for your age from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. For example, a $500,000 balance at age 73 (divisor 26.5) gives roughly $18,868. This calculator uses that table automatically.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
Missing or under-withdrawing an RMD triggers an excise tax on the shortfall — 25% under SECURE 2.0, reduced to 10% if you correct it promptly within the allowed window. It is worth taking the full amount on time and filing IRS Form 5329 if a correction is needed.
Does this use the right IRS table for my situation?
This uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, which applies to most account owners. If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, you would use the Joint Life table; certain inherited accounts use the Single Life table. This is an estimate for planning — confirm with your plan administrator, the official IRS tables, or a tax professional, as it is not tax advice.
How do I use the RMD Calculator?
Simply type your numbers and read the result, which refreshes the instant you change something. There is nothing to submit and nothing to wait for.
Is it free? Does it work without internet?
Yes to both. It is free with no sign-up, and once the page has loaded it keeps working even with no internet.
Where does my data go?
Nowhere — every calculation runs on your own device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored.
Common Use Cases
Planning your first RMD
Estimate the amount you must withdraw the year you turn 73 so you can plan the tax hit.
Budgeting retirement income
Convert the annual RMD into a monthly figure to fold into your retirement spending plan.
Estimating the tax bill
Knowing the taxable distribution amount helps you set aside withholding or estimated taxes.
Comparing across ages
See how the required percentage rises each year as the life-expectancy divisor shrinks with age.
Coordinating multiple accounts
Calculate the RMD per account balance to plan which accounts to draw from across the year.
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