How do I calculate my RMD for 2026?

Divide your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year by the life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At age 73, the factor is 26.5. At age 75 it is 24.6, and at age 80 it is 20.2. Example: a $500,000 IRA balance at age 73 divided by 26.5 equals an RMD of $18,868. If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, you use the Joint Life Expectancy Table instead, which gives a smaller RMD.

What accounts require RMDs?

RMDs apply to traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, and most other tax-deferred retirement accounts. Roth IRAs do NOT require RMDs during the original owner's lifetime — this is one of their key advantages. Roth 401(k)s previously required RMDs, but SECURE 2.0 eliminated Roth 401(k) RMDs starting in 2024.

What is the penalty for missing an RMD?

The penalty for failing to take a required minimum distribution is 25% of the amount that should have been withdrawn. Under SECURE 2.0, this was reduced from 50% to 25%, and further reduced to 10% if you correct the missed RMD within a 2-year correction window. The IRS also has discretion to waive the penalty in certain cases of reasonable error.

Can I donate my RMD to charity?

Yes. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows IRA owners age 70½ or older to donate up to $105,000 directly from their IRA to a qualified charity in 2026. The distribution counts toward your RMD but is excluded from your taxable income — a better outcome than taking the RMD, paying taxes, and then donating. The charity must receive the funds directly from the IRA custodian.

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) 2026: Rules, Tables & Calculator

Q: When do required minimum distributions start in 2026?

Under SECURE 2.0 Act, the RMD starting age is 73 for anyone born between 1951 and 1959, and 75 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD must be taken by April 1 of the year after you reach your RMD age. All subsequent RMDs must be taken by December 31 each year. Delaying your first RMD means taking two distributions in one year, which can push you into a higher tax bracket.

Required minimum distributions are the IRS’s way of ensuring tax-deferred retirement money is eventually taxed. Starting at age 73 (or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later), you must withdraw a calculated minimum from most retirement accounts each year — whether you need the money or not.

RMD Starting Ages Under SECURE 2.0

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 changed the RMD starting age:

Birth Year	RMD Starting Age
1950 or earlier	72 (previous law)
1951–1959	73
1960 or later	75

Your first RMD deadline is April 1 of the year after you reach your RMD age. All subsequent RMDs are due by December 31 each year.

Warning: Delaying your first RMD to April 1 means taking two RMDs in the same calendar year (the delayed first RMD and the second-year RMD), which can significantly increase your taxable income.

How to Calculate Your 2026 RMD

$$\text{RMD} = \frac{\text{Account Balance (Dec 31 prior year)}}{\text{IRS Life Expectancy Factor}}$$

The IRS Uniform Lifetime Table provides the divisor based on your age:

Age	Life Expectancy Factor	RMD on $500,000	RMD on $1,000,000
73	26.5	$18,868	$37,736
74	25.5	$19,608	$39,216
75	24.6	$20,325	$40,650
76	23.7	$21,097	$42,194
80	20.2	$24,752	$49,505
85	16.0	$31,250	$62,500
90	12.2	$40,984	$81,967

If your sole IRA beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, use the Joint Life Expectancy Table — the larger divisor results in smaller RMDs, reducing taxes.

Which Accounts Require RMDs?

Account	RMD Required?
Traditional IRA	✅ Yes
SEP IRA	✅ Yes
SIMPLE IRA	✅ Yes
401(k) — traditional	✅ Yes (can delay if still working)
403(b)	✅ Yes (can delay if still working)
457(b)	✅ Yes (can delay if still working)
Roth IRA	❌ No — never during owner’s lifetime
Roth 401(k)	❌ No (SECURE 2.0 eliminated as of 2024)
Inherited IRA (non-spouse)	✅ Yes — 10-year rule under SECURE 2.0

Still working exception: If you are still employed and do not own 5%+ of the company, you can delay RMDs from your current employer’s plan until you retire. This does not apply to IRAs.

RMD Penalty for Missing a Distribution

Failing to take your full RMD triggers a 25% excise tax on the amount not withdrawn. Under SECURE 2.0, this drops to 10% if you take the missed distribution within the 2-year correction window.

Example: Miss a $20,000 RMD. The penalty is $5,000 (25%) — or $2,000 (10%) if corrected within 2 years.

The IRS can also waive penalties for reasonable errors in some cases. File IRS Form 5329 to report and request a waiver.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

A QCD allows IRA owners age 70½+ to transfer up to $105,000 directly from an IRA to a qualified charity in 2026. Key benefits:

The distribution counts toward your annual RMD
The amount is excluded from your taxable income (unlike taking the RMD and then donating)
You do not need to itemize deductions to benefit
Works even if your standard deduction already exceeds your charitable giving

QCD vs. taking RMD and donating:

Scenario	Taxable Income Added	Deduction Available
Take $20,000 RMD, then donate	+$20,000	Only if itemizing
QCD $20,000 directly to charity	$0	Not needed

For charitably inclined retirees, QCDs are almost always superior to taking the RMD and donating separately.

Inherited IRA RMD Rules (SECURE 2.0)

Non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit an IRA after 2019 must withdraw the full balance within 10 years. Starting in 2025, if the original owner had already started RMDs, beneficiaries must take annual RMDs within the 10-year window.

Spouse beneficiaries have more options: they can roll the inherited IRA into their own IRA and delay RMDs to their own RMD age.

RMD Planning Strategies

Roth conversions before RMD age: Converting pre-tax IRA funds to Roth in your 60s reduces future RMD amounts, lowering taxable income in your 70s and beyond
Qualified Charitable Distributions: Satisfy RMDs tax-free for charitably inclined retirees
Reinvest excess RMDs: If you don’t need the money, reinvest RMDs in a taxable brokerage account
Aggregate multiple IRA RMDs: You can calculate RMDs separately for each IRA but withdraw the total from any single IRA or combination
401(k) RMDs cannot be aggregated: Each 401(k) plan requires its own separate RMD withdrawal

All RMD Guides

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Strategies and tax planning

Mistakes and inherited accounts

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Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.

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