Fidelity IRA Minimum Distribution Calculator: Calculate Your RMD

Use the Fidelity IRA minimum distribution calculator to estimate your RMD based on age and IRA balance. Learn IRS withdrawal requirements and plan your retirement distributions.

Traditional IRA owners cannot leave retirement funds in the account indefinitely under federal tax rules.

Required Minimum Distributions are annual withdrawals that IRA and retirement plan owners must take starting at a certain age to ensure retirement funds eventually become taxable.

IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?

A Required Minimum Distribution is the minimum amount the IRS requires you to withdraw from certain tax-advantaged retirement accounts each year.

Traditional IRAs and many workplace retirement plans let you postpone income tax on contributions and investment growth.

RMD rules require withdrawals to begin at a specified age or under certain other circumstances.

If your traditional IRA balance was $100,000 on December 31 and your distribution factor is 26.5, your RMD for the year would be about $3,774 ($100,000 ÷ 26.5).

At What Age Do RMDs Start?

Under current law, the starting age is generally 73 for people born from 1951 through 1959. It increases to 75 for people born in 1960 or later.

Birth year General RMD starting age
Before 1951 Earlier rules may apply; check your specific required beginning date
1951–1959 73
1960 or later 75

When Is Your First RMD Due?

Your first RMD is generally due by April 1 of the year after the year you reach your RMD starting age. Every subsequent annual RMD is due by December 31.

For example, if you turn 73 in 2026 and are subject to the age-73 rule:

  • Your first RMD is for 2026.
  • You may generally take that first RMD as late as April 1, 2027.
  • Your next RMD, for 2027, is still due by December 31, 2027.
If you postpone your first withdrawal until the following April, you will generally have two RMDs in the same calendar year: one for the previous year and one for the current year. Both may affect your taxable income for that year.

Can You Delay RMDs If You Are Still Working?

If you are still working for the employer sponsoring your current workplace retirement plan, the plan may let you delay RMDs from that plan until you retire.

But this exception generally does not apply if you own more than 5% of the business sponsoring the plan.

How Do You Calculate an RMD?

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
$400KPRIOR YEAR-END BALANCEValue on Dec 31, 2025
÷
26.5IRS LIFE-EXPECTANCY FACTORUniform Lifetime Table: age 73
=
≈$15,094THIS YEAR’S RMDThe minimum you must withdraw
The Withdrawal % Rises as You Age
The factor shrinks each year, so the share you must take keeps climbing. Tap or hover a bar for details
Age 73RMDs begin: 75 if born 1960+
Dec 31Deadline: first one by Apr 1
25%10%Missed-RMD penalty if fixed in 2 years
Roth IRANo lifetime RMDs
Factors from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Pub. 590-B, Table III), in effect since 2022 and unchanged for 2026. Example only; your own factor and balance will differ. Not tax advice.
WealthForSeniors.com

Which IRS Life-Expectancy Table Should You Use?

The IRS publishes three main life-expectancy tables for RMD calculations.

  • Uniform Lifetime Table: Used by most account owners during their lifetimes.
  • Joint and Last Survivor Table: Generally used when the owner’s spouse is the sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than the owner.
  • Single Life Expectancy Table: Used for certain beneficiary calculations, including applicable inherited-account situations.

Do not automatically use the Uniform Lifetime Table if you have a much younger spouse who is your sole beneficiary.

RMD Calculation Examples

Scenario Prior December 31 balance Distribution factor Approximate RMD
Traditional IRA owner, age 75 $100,000 24.6 $4,065
Traditional IRA owner, age 73 $500,000 26.5 $18,868
Traditional IRA owner, age 80 $300,000 20.2 $14,851

Your actual RMD may differ if you use a different IRS table, have a qualifying younger spouse as your sole beneficiary, or are calculating distributions from an inherited account.

Which Retirement Accounts Require RMDs?

Account type Must the owner take RMDs? Can withdrawals be combined?
Traditional IRA Yes, generally from age 73 Yes, across eligible IRAs
SEP / SIMPLE IRA Yes, generally from age 73 Yes, across eligible IRAs
Roth IRA No, during the owner’s lifetime Not needed
401(k) Yes, generally from age 73 or retirement, if eligible to delay No, each plan separately
403(b) Yes, generally from age 73 or retirement, if eligible to delay Yes, across eligible 403(b) accounts
Governmental 457(b) Yes, under applicable plan rules Generally, each plan separately
Roth 401(k) / Roth 403(b) No, during the owner’s lifetime Not needed

1. Traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs

These accounts generally require RMDs beginning at your applicable starting age. Continuing to work does not let you postpone IRA RMDs.

If you own several traditional IRAs, you must calculate the RMD for each account. But you can generally take the combined IRA RMD from one IRA or divide the total among multiple IRAs.

2. 401(k) and 403(b) Plans

These workplace plans generally require RMDs under the applicable age and plan rules. If you are still working for the employer sponsoring your current plan, you may qualify for the still-working exception, unless the ownership exception applies.

Unlike traditional IRAs, RMDs from most workplace plans must be satisfied separately from each plan.

You generally cannot take a withdrawal from one 401(k) to satisfy the RMD due from another 401(k).

3. Governmental 457(b) Plans

Governmental 457(b) plans have RMD requirements, but they differ from other workplace plans in some circumstances.

Do not assume that a 457(b) plan can be treated exactly like a 401(k) for every RMD purpose. Check the plan administrator’s calculations and rules.

4. Roth IRAs and Designated Roth Workplace Accounts

You generally do not have to take RMDs from your own Roth IRA during your lifetime. Beginning in 2024, designated Roth accounts within 401(k) and 403(b) plans are also exempt from owner RMDs.

This can make Roth accounts useful for retirement-income planning.

Because you are not forced to withdraw money simply as you reach a certain age, it allows the account to continue growing if you do not need the funds.

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