Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

About this calculator

A Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount that must be withdrawn each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts — such as a Traditional IRA or 401(k) — once the account owner reaches the age set by the IRS. The amount is calculated by dividing the account balance (as of the end of the prior year) by a life expectancy factor from an IRS-published table, most commonly the Uniform Lifetime Table.

RMDs exist because these accounts let contributions grow tax-deferred for decades, and the IRS requires that deferral to eventually end so the withdrawals get taxed as ordinary income. Missing an RMD carries a steep penalty, so retirees and their advisors calculate it carefully each year. This calculator takes your account balance and the applicable life expectancy factor and returns the RMD you're required to withdraw.