RMD Calculator
Estimate your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, and project future RMDs with assumed growth on your retirement accounts.
Your RMD Summary
Multi-Year RMD Projection (Uniform Lifetime Table)
| Year # | Age | Starting balance | RMD | Ending balance | RMD % |
|---|
What Is an RMD Calculator?
A RMD Calculator helps you determine your Required Minimum Distribution, the annual withdrawal that individuals must take from traditional tax-deferred retirement accounts such as Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs once they reach a specific age. RMDs are mandated by the IRS to ensure that retirement savings are eventually taxed rather than left to grow indefinitely.
Beginning in 2023, the SECURE Act 2.0 increased the RMD starting age to 73 for most individuals. This means you must begin withdrawing money during the year you turn 73, using the correct IRS life-expectancy factor to calculate the amount. A RMD Calculator uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (or the Joint Life Table in some cases) to automatically compute these values for you.
Because IRS rules can be complicated, especially when accounting for account balances, growth assumptions, and multi-year projections, a modern RMD Calculator simplifies the entire process. It also helps you visualize how RMDs affect your portfolio over time and how much tax-deferred money will remain after each year’s withdrawal.
For broader retirement guidance, you may also find these tools useful:
IRA Calculator,
Retirement Calculator,
401k Calculator,
Annuity Calculator.
How Required Minimum Distributions Work
Required Minimum Distributions are mandatory withdrawals that must be taken each year starting at age 73 (and later at age 75 for individuals born after 1960). The IRS requires these withdrawals so that retirement funds that have grown tax-deferred can eventually be taxed.
The formula for calculating RMDs is:
RMD = Account Balance on December 31 of Previous Year ÷ IRS Life Expectancy Factor
The RMD Calculator uses this formula along with the most recent IRS Uniform Lifetime Table to calculate your required annual withdrawal. If your spouse is more than 10 years younger and the sole beneficiary of your account, a different table applies. This calculator focuses on the Uniform Lifetime Table because it applies to the vast majority of retirees.
Official IRS RMD tables can be found here: IRS Publication 590-B.
Accounts Subject to RMD Rules
Not all retirement accounts require RMDs. The following accounts do require RMD withdrawals:
- Traditional IRA
- Rollover IRA
- SEP IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- 401(k) (traditional)
- 403(b)
- 457(b) governmental plans
The following accounts do not require RMDs:
- Roth IRA (for original owner)
- Roth 401(k) starting 2024 (SECURE 2.0 eliminates employer plan RMDs)
- Roth 403(b) starting 2024
Inherited IRAs do require RMDs, but the rules differ significantly and depend on whether the beneficiary is a spouse, minor, disabled person, or a non-spouse heir. Those rules are covered in Part 2 of this article.
How the IRS Life Expectancy Factor Works
The IRS publishes different life expectancy tables, but the most common for retirees is the Uniform Lifetime Table. This table assigns a divisor (life expectancy factor) for each age starting at 73. The older you get, the lower the factor becomes, meaning RMDs increase every year.
For example:
- Age 73 → Factor 26.5
- Age 80 → Factor 20.2
- Age 90 → Factor 12.2
- Age 100 → Factor 6.4
This means that at age 73, your RMD will be around 3.8% of your account. By age 90, it will be over 8%. A RMD Calculator helps you visualize this increasing percentage and how it impacts your long-term savings.
Why RMDs Increase Every Year
There are two main reasons RMDs rise over time:
- Life expectancy decreases as you age, which reduces the divisor used for calculating RMDs.
- Portfolio values may continue growing even after withdrawals.
This combination means that RMDs eventually grow quite large and can produce taxable income far higher than what retirees expect. Using a RMD Calculator allows you to forecast these future withdrawals so you can plan your taxes, retirement income, and spending.
RMD and Taxes: What You Need to Know
RMDs are taxed as ordinary income. They can impact:
- your federal tax bracket
- state income taxes
- taxation of Social Security benefits
- Medicare IRMAA surcharges
Because RMDs increase with age, retirees can unexpectedly find themselves in higher tax brackets later in life. The RMD Calculator is a helpful tool to anticipate future RMD amounts and take action, such as Roth conversions or strategic withdrawals earlier in retirement.
To learn more about taxation rules, visit: IRS Retirement Plans.
How a RMD Calculator Helps With Retirement Planning
A modern RMD Calculator is more than a simple withdrawal tool. It helps retirees understand long-term financial patterns such as:
- how long savings may last under different growth rates
- how much taxable income RMDs will generate
- how future withdrawals affect portfolio size
- how RMDs compare to living expenses
- whether early Roth conversions could reduce future taxes
It provides virtually everything needed to build an RMD-aware retirement strategy.
The Role of Investment Growth in RMD Planning
Even after taking RMDs, your portfolio may still grow depending on market performance. The RMD Calculator allows you to enter an expected annual growth rate so you can see realistic projections rather than static estimates.
For example, if your account grows at 5% per year but your RMD is only 4% in early years, your balance may continue to increase. Later, when RMD percentages rise with age, your balance may decline more quickly. Having a multi-year projection gives you a realistic picture of how long your savings may last.
Avoiding RMD Penalties
Missing an RMD can be costly. The penalty for failing to withdraw the required amount used to be 50%, but the SECURE Act 2.0 reduced it to:
- 25% of the amount not taken
- 10% if corrected within 2 years
A RMD Calculator helps ensure you know exactly how much must be withdrawn so you never accidentally trigger penalties. Always confirm withdrawals with your financial institution to ensure proper reporting.
When to Start Using a RMD Calculator
You don’t need to wait until you’re 73. In fact, it’s highly beneficial to start using a RMD Calculator as early as your 50s or 60s. This helps you:
- estimate future tax bills
- plan Roth conversions
- avoid oversized RMDs in your 70s and 80s
- coordinate Social Security timing
- allocate investments more effectively
RMD awareness early in retirement may reduce taxes later in life by thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
Using RMD Tools Alongside Other Retirement Calculators
For the most accurate planning, use your RMD Calculator along with:
Combining these tools gives you a complete overview of income, taxes, and portfolio longevity.
Conclusion
A RMD Calculator is an essential tool for anyone with a tax-deferred retirement account. By using official IRS life expectancy factors, it helps you determine how much you must withdraw each year, how those withdrawals will affect your long-term savings, and how to plan for taxes in retirement. With accurate projections, you can make smarter decisions about timing withdrawals, converting assets to Roth accounts, or adjusting investments for long-term stability.
How to Interpret the Results From the RMD Calculator
Once you enter your account balance, age, and expected growth rate, the RMD Calculator generates a detailed breakdown of your current and future required withdrawals. These results show you how much you must take out each year, what percentage of your balance the distribution represents, and how your investments may grow or decline after RMDs are taken. Because RMDs increase as you age, the calculator gives you a realistic picture of how your retirement accounts will evolve over time.
The first number shown by the RMD Calculator is your required withdrawal for the current year. This amount is based on your last year’s ending balance and the IRS life expectancy factor for your age. You’ll also see a percentage that shows how large the withdrawal is relative to your total portfolio. Understanding this percentage is crucial—RMDs may start small, but they grow quickly over time due to decreasing IRS life expectancy factors.
Why RMD Percentages Increase Over Time
A major insight provided by the RMD Calculator is that RMD percentages steadily increase each year. Even if your balance stays the same, the percentage rises because the IRS reduces the life expectancy factor as you age. For example:
- At age 73, the factor is 26.5 → roughly a 3.77% withdrawal
- At age 80, the factor is 20.2 → nearly 5% withdrawal
- At age 90, the factor is 12.2 → over 8% withdrawal
- At age 100, the factor is 6.4 → over 15% withdrawal
These rising percentages mean your taxable income may increase significantly later in retirement. The RMD Calculator allows you to plan ahead for those rising withdrawals, especially if taxes or Medicare premiums are a concern.
How Growth Rate Assumptions Change the Results
One unique advantage of this RMD Calculator is that it lets you enter an expected annual growth rate before withdrawals. This helps you understand whether your portfolio is likely to grow, remain stable, or decline during retirement.
If your investments grow faster than your RMD percentage, your account balance may actually continue rising, even as you withdraw money. This is common in early retirement years when RMD percentages are relatively low. Later in retirement, when RMD percentages rise sharply, your balance may start declining more quickly—even if your investments continue earning positive returns.
By modeling different growth rates, you can test scenarios such as:
- What if the market performs better than expected?
- What if growth is modest at only 3% per year?
- What if there is a long bear market?
These insights help you adjust your withdrawal strategy and choose appropriate asset allocations.
Multi-Year RMD Projection and Why It Matters
The multi-year projection feature of the RMD Calculator provides powerful insight for long-term planning. Instead of showing just one year, it calculates future RMDs for 5, 10, 20, or even 30 years. This long horizon allows you to see patterns such as:
- how quickly withdrawals grow with age
- when your account may peak or start declining
- how taxes will increase as RMD percentages rise
- whether your savings will last through your 80s and 90s
This long-term simulation is especially helpful for people planning Roth conversions or trying to minimize future tax brackets.
How the RMD Calculator Helps With Tax Forecasting
Because RMDs are taxed as ordinary income, they play a major role in your annual tax bill. The RMD Calculator makes it easier to anticipate future income so you can prepare for potential tax implications.
Large RMDs can:
- push you into higher tax brackets
- increase taxes on Social Security benefits
- trigger Medicare IRMAA surcharges
- increase your state income tax liability
Understanding future RMDs gives you the opportunity to adjust your retirement strategy early.
Using RMD Strategies to Reduce Long-Term Taxes
Forecasting withdrawals with a RMD Calculator allows you to plan tax-efficient strategies that reduce lifetime tax burdens. Some common strategies include:
- Roth conversions between ages 60–72
- qualified charitable distributions (QCDs)
- early withdrawals before RMD age to shrink future balances
- partial conversions to reduce RMD-driven tax spikes
- bracket management during low-income years
These strategies are especially effective when you can see projected RMD amounts years in advance. RMD projections help you control the size of your taxable distributions later in life.
Coordinating RMDs With Social Security Benefits
Many retirees discover that combining RMDs with Social Security can increase their tax bill. The RMD Calculator helps you estimate whether taking Social Security early, at full retirement age, or at age 70 will produce better outcomes when combined with future RMDs.
The official Social Security site provides further details: SSA – Retirement Benefits.
By lining up RMD projections with Social Security income, you can find the most tax-efficient timing for your benefits.
Planning for Spousal and Beneficiary Situations
Although this particular RMD Calculator uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, many retirees want to know how a much younger spouse affects RMDs. In that situation, the IRS Joint Life Table usually lowers your required withdrawals. While this calculator does not compute the Joint Life Table automatically, it alerts you when that situation applies.
Understanding your spouse’s age and beneficiary status is essential because it affects:
- how much you must withdraw
- the taxation of withdrawals