You spent forty years filling a traditional IRA and 401(k). The IRS spotted you the deduction up front, let the balance grow tax-deferred, and now wants its share. The mechanism is the required minimum distribution, or RMD: a slice of the account the government forces you to withdraw — and pay tax on — every year starting at age 73. If your IRA closed 2025 at $620,000 and you turn 73 in 2026, the IRS table says you must take out roughly $23,396 by December 31, 2026. Take less, and the missed-RMD penalty starts at 25% of the shortfall. This guide walks through who has to take an RMD in 2026, the calendar, the exact math with the 2026 Uniform Lifetime Table, and the moves that can shrink the bill.
What is a required minimum distribution?
An RMD is a yearly withdrawal the IRS requires from most tax-deferred retirement accounts after you reach a specific age. Because you put pre-tax dollars in, the government has been waiting decades to collect income tax on those contributions and their growth. The RMD framework forces a steady drawdown so the deferral doesn't continue indefinitely.
The amount is calculated by dividing your prior year's December 31 account balance by a life-expectancy factor published in the IRS Publication 590-B Uniform Lifetime Table. The withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income in the year you take it, just like a paycheck. You can take more than the minimum at any time — the rule is a floor, not a ceiling — but taking less triggers an excise tax.
When do RMDs start in 2026?
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 reshuffled the starting age twice. The current schedule, confirmed by the IRS RMD page, depends on your birth year:
- Born 1950 or earlier: RMDs already started at age 70½ or 72 under earlier rules.
- Born 1951 to 1959: Your first RMD year is the year you turn 73.
- Born 1960 or later: Your first RMD year is the year you turn 75.
For the first RMD only, you have a one-time grace window: instead of taking it by December 31 of the year you turn 73 (or 75), you may delay until April 1 of the following year. After that, every subsequent RMD is due by December 31 of its own calendar year. Most people skip the grace window because using it forces two RMDs into a single tax year — the late "first" one in January–March, plus the regular one in December — which can spike that year's marginal tax bracket.
Still working past 73? The "still-working exception"
If you're still employed at the company that sponsors your 401(k), and you do not own more than 5% of the business, that single 401(k) can usually delay RMDs until the year you actually retire. The exception applies plan-by-plan; it does not stretch to old 401(k)s at former employers, and it never applies to traditional IRAs. If you have multiple employer plans, only the one tied to your current job qualifies.
The 2026 Uniform Lifetime Table — the divisors that drive the math
The Uniform Lifetime Table is the IRS's official life-expectancy schedule for unmarried owners and for married owners whose spouse is less than ten years younger. It's the table almost everyone uses. Each row gives a "distribution period" — divide your prior-year ending balance by that number to get the RMD.
| Age in the RMD year | Distribution period | Effective % of balance |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 | 3.77% |
| 74 | 25.5 | 3.92% |
| 75 | 24.6 | 4.07% |
| 76 | 23.7 | 4.22% |
| 77 | 22.9 | 4.37% |
| 78 | 22.0 | 4.55% |
| 79 | 21.1 | 4.74% |
| 80 | 20.2 | 4.95% |
The percentages climb each year because the divisor shrinks. By the time you're in your mid-90s, the IRS expects you to withdraw roughly 11–12% of the prior balance annually. The full table runs out to age 120+ and is reproduced verbatim in IRS Pub 590-B, Appendix B.
If your spouse is the sole beneficiary and more than ten years younger than you, you use the longer Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table instead, which produces a smaller RMD. Most retirees never need it.
Worked example: how to calculate your 2026 RMD
Suppose Maria turns 73 in 2026, files single, and has these account balances on December 31, 2025:
- Traditional IRA at Brokerage A: $410,000
- Traditional IRA at Brokerage B: $145,000
- 401(k) at former employer: $215,000
- Roth IRA: $90,000 (no RMD — see next section)
Step-by-step:
- Total each account type separately. Maria's IRAs total $555,000. The 401(k) is $215,000. They are calculated separately because IRA RMDs and 401(k) RMDs follow different aggregation rules.
- Look up the divisor for age 73: 26.5.
- IRA RMD: $555,000 / 26.5 = $20,943.
- 401(k) RMD: $215,000 / 26.5 = $8,113.
- Total 2026 RMD: $29,056. Maria must withdraw at least that amount across the year, taxed as ordinary income, by December 31, 2026 (or April 1, 2027 for the first one).
One useful wrinkle: IRA RMDs can be taken from any combination of your traditional IRAs. Maria can pull the entire $20,943 from Brokerage A, leave Brokerage B untouched, and the IRS doesn't care, as long as the total comes out. 401(k) RMDs do NOT aggregate across plans — each 401(k) requires its own RMD from that plan. If Maria had two 401(k)s, she would calculate and withdraw an RMD from each one separately. Want to model how the rest of your retirement drawdown looks alongside RMDs? Run the numbers in our Retirement Calculator.
Which accounts have RMDs — and which don't
| Account | RMDs required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | Yes | Aggregate RMDs across all your traditional IRAs. |
| SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA | Yes | Same RMD age and table as traditional IRAs. |
| Traditional 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) | Yes | Calculate per plan; "still-working exception" may delay current employer's plan. |
| Roth IRA | No | Never an RMD for the original owner. |
| Roth 401(k) | No (starting 2024) | SECURE 2.0 eliminated lifetime RMDs for designated Roth accounts. |
| Inherited IRA / 401(k) | Usually yes | Most non-spouse beneficiaries follow the 10-year payout rule. |
| HSA | No | HSAs never have RMDs. |
| Taxable brokerage | No | Not a retirement account; no RMD applies. |
The biggest practical change in this list is the Roth 401(k) exemption. For tax years 2024 onward, a Roth 401(k) (and Roth 403(b), Roth 457(b)) holder no longer has to take an RMD during their lifetime, thanks to SECURE 2.0. That removed one of the historical reasons to roll a Roth 401(k) into a Roth IRA at retirement; if you're weighing the choice, see our Roth 401(k) vs Traditional 401(k) guide.
Inherited accounts: the 10-year rule
If you inherited a retirement account from someone other than your spouse on or after January 1, 2020, you generally have to empty the entire account by December 31 of the tenth year following the original owner's death. There is no annual minimum unless the original owner had already started RMDs — in which case you must continue annual RMDs and empty the account by year ten. Surviving spouses, minor children of the deceased, the chronically ill, the disabled, and beneficiaries less than ten years younger than the deceased are "eligible designated beneficiaries" and may use a longer single life expectancy schedule instead. Inherited Roth IRAs follow the 10-year rule too, but withdrawals are still tax-free.
Deadlines, withholding, and the missed-RMD penalty
- First-year deadline: December 31 of the RMD year, or April 1 of the following year if you delay.
- Every year after: December 31 of that calendar year. No grace window.
- Withholding: Your IRA custodian usually withholds 10% federal income tax by default; 401(k) plan administrators typically withhold 20%. You can change the rate in writing. Either way, the RMD itself is taxable as ordinary income, and any state tax owed is on top.
- Aggregation: IRAs aggregate; 401(k)s do not. 403(b) plan RMDs aggregate among 403(b)s but not with 401(k)s.
SECURE 2.0 lowered the missed-RMD excise tax from a brutal 50% to 25%. If you correct the mistake — take the missed amount and file Form 5329 — within the IRS's 2-year correction window, the rate drops further to 10%. The IRS can also waive the penalty for "reasonable cause" if you write a short explanation on Form 5329 and take the missed RMD as soon as you discover the error. The penalty is on the shortfall only; if you took $5,000 of a $7,500 RMD, the 25% applies to the $2,500 you missed.
Strategies that legally shrink your RMD bill
You can't avoid the RMD entirely, but several moves reduce the taxable footprint over time.
Roth conversions in your 60s
Every dollar you convert from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA before age 73 is a dollar that no longer counts in the RMD divisor. The catch: you pay ordinary income tax on the conversion in the year you do it. People who retire early — say 62 to 72 — often have a low-income window before Social Security and RMDs begin, and they use that window to do measured Roth conversions that fill the 12% or 22% bracket but stop before the 24% bracket.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
If you're at least 70½, you can direct up to $111,000 per person in 2026 (up from $108,000 in 2025) from a traditional IRA straight to a qualified public charity. The QCD counts toward your RMD but does not appear in your adjusted gross income. That keeps the income off your tax return entirely — useful for retirees who don't itemize, who want to avoid the IRMAA Medicare surcharges, or who don't want the Social Security taxability formula triggered. The transfer must move directly from custodian to charity; if the check is made out to you, it doesn't qualify. The QCD limit is now indexed to inflation under SECURE 2.0.
Don't keep the RMD invested in the same allocation
An RMD is a tax event, not a forced spend. If you don't need the cash, you can reinvest it in a taxable brokerage account on the same day. The growth from that point forward will be in a more tax-efficient location (long-term capital gains rates rather than ordinary income), and the basis resets, which can also help with eventual estate planning.
Coordinate with your withdrawal plan
Once RMDs start, they typically replace some or all of the discretionary withdrawals you were already planning. A retiree following a 4% rule plan may discover the IRS-required 3.77% at 73 already covers most of what they wanted to draw anyway. For more on integrating these together, our 4% rule guide walks through how RMDs interact with sustainable spending math.
Common RMD mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting an old 401(k). Each 401(k) needs its own RMD. Old plans from former employers slip through the cracks more than any other category.
- Taking the entire RMD from one IRA but expecting it to cover a 401(k). It doesn't. IRAs and 401(k)s live in separate aggregation buckets.
- Doubling up unintentionally. If you take a withdrawal in the same year you do a Roth conversion, the IRS rule is that the RMD comes out first. You cannot convert your RMD to a Roth — that's a "non-qualified" conversion and creates an excess contribution problem.
- Using the wrong year-end balance. The 2026 RMD uses the December 31, 2025 balance, not your current balance.
- Letting auto-investment plans interfere. Set up your custodian to distribute the RMD as cash to your bank account, not back into the same fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to take an RMD if my IRA only holds Treasury bonds and I don't need the income?
Yes. The RMD rules are independent of investment type and independent of need. The IRS only cares that you withdraw the calculated dollar amount from the account each year, not what you do with the cash afterward.
Can I take more than my RMD?
Yes. The RMD is a floor. Anything above it is just an ordinary distribution, taxed the same way. Excess withdrawals do not roll forward to reduce future RMDs.
What happens if I die before taking my RMD for the year?
The remaining RMD for the year of death must still be taken — by the beneficiaries — by December 31 of that year. From the next calendar year onward, the beneficiaries follow the inherited account rules (typically the 10-year rule for non-spouses).
Is the RMD age really moving to 75?
Yes. The current SECURE 2.0 schedule sets RMDs at 73 for people born 1951–1959 and 75 for people born 1960 or later. The first cohort to hit RMDs at 75 will be those who turn 75 in 2033.
Are Roth IRA conversions subject to RMDs?
The traditional IRA you convert from has an RMD in the conversion year (which must be taken first). The Roth IRA you convert into has no RMD for you, ever. After your death, the Roth IRA is subject to the 10-year rule for most non-spouse beneficiaries, but the withdrawals remain tax-free.
Does Social Security count as an RMD?
No. RMDs apply only to qualifying retirement accounts (IRAs, most employer plans). Social Security is its own program with separate taxation rules. For timing strategies, see our guide on when to claim Social Security.
Can I roll my RMD over into another IRA?
No. The amount required as an RMD is treated as already distributed and is not eligible for rollover. Any attempt to roll it over creates an excess contribution. You may roll over amounts above the RMD, subject to the once-per-year IRA rollover rule.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or investment advice. Figures reflect IRS rules and inflation-adjusted limits as of May 2026 and may change. The Uniform Lifetime Table divisors are reproduced from IRS Publication 590-B; the QCD inflation limits and the SECURE 2.0 RMD age and penalty changes are confirmed by the IRS and the Department of Labor as of this writing. Consult a qualified tax or financial professional before making decisions about your retirement accounts.