RMD Rules and Deadlines (2026)

What an RMD is and why it exists

A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount you must withdraw each year from most tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach the mandatory age. The logic is straightforward: traditional 401(k)s and IRAs let you deduct contributions and defer taxes for decades. The RMD rules exist so the government eventually collects the income tax it postponed — you can't shelter the money in a tax-deferred account forever.

RMDs apply to traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and traditional 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plans. Each withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income in the year you take it, which is why RMDs can quietly push you into a higher bracket, raise the taxable portion of your Social Security, or trigger Medicare premium surcharges.

The starting age in 2026: 73

The SECURE 2.0 Act reshaped the RMD start age. As of 2026, the rules are:

• If you were born 1951–1959, your RMDs begin at age 73.
• If you were born 1960 or later, your RMDs begin at age 75 (starting in 2033).

So for essentially everyone reaching the threshold in 2026, the magic number is 73. If you turn 73 in 2026, this is your first RMD year. (Older rules used 70½ and then 72; those no longer apply to people starting now, though anyone who already began taking RMDs under the old ages simply continues.)

The deadlines — and the one-time first-year exception

This is where people trip up. There are two different deadlines, and only the first year gets special treatment.

The catch with delaying your first RMD to April 1: you'd then take two RMDs in the same calendar year (the delayed first one by April 1, and the second by December 31). Stacking two distributions into one year can spike your taxable income, so many people take the first RMD in the year they turn 73 rather than deferring it. Which choice is cheaper depends on your bracket in each year — worth modeling before you decide.

How the RMD amount is calculated

The formula is simpler than its reputation:

The life-expectancy factor comes from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, which most account owners use. As you age, the factor shrinks, so the fraction of your account you must withdraw slowly rises. A rough sense of the factors:

Example: if your traditional IRA held $500,000 on December 31 of last year and you're 73, your RMD is $500,000 ÷ 26.5 ≈ $18,868. If your spouse is more than 10 years younger and is your sole beneficiary, you get to use a different, more generous table. The RMD calculator handles the arithmetic and the age factors for you.

If you have multiple accounts

You calculate an RMD for each account separately, but the aggregation rules differ by account type. IRAs can be aggregated — total the RMDs across all your traditional IRAs and take the sum from any one (or any combination) of them. 401(k)-type plans cannot be aggregated: each plan's RMD must come out of that specific plan.

The penalty for missing an RMD

Skipping or shorting an RMD is expensive. The IRS charges a 25% excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw. If your RMD was $18,000 and you took nothing, that's a $4,500 penalty — on top of the ordinary income tax you'll still owe when you do withdraw.

The one bit of good news from SECURE 2.0: if you correct the shortfall promptly — generally by taking the missed amount and filing Form 5329 within a two-year correction window — the penalty drops from 25% to 10%. The IRS can also waive it entirely for reasonable cause. Still, the cleanest move is to automate your RMD with your custodian so you never miss the December 31 deadline.

Ways to soften the RMD tax hit

RMDs are mandatory, but their tax impact isn't fixed. A few common strategies:

• Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). If you're 70½ or older, you can send up to an inflation-adjusted annual limit (around $108,000 in 2026) directly from your IRA to charity. A QCD counts toward your RMD but is excluded from taxable income — often better than taking the RMD and donating separately.
• Roth conversions before 73. Converting traditional dollars to Roth in your lower-income "gap years" between retirement and RMD age shrinks the balance that will later be subject to RMDs. See the Roth conversion ladder guide and the Roth conversion calculator.
• Mind the ripple effects. A large RMD can raise the taxable share of Social Security and push you over an IRMAA threshold, raising Medicare premiums two years later. Check the Medicare IRMAA calculator.

Roth accounts: the big exception

Roth IRAs have never required RMDs for the original owner — the money can stay invested and tax-free for your whole life. And as of 2024, SECURE 2.0 eliminated RMDs from Roth 401(k) and Roth 403(b) accounts too, so you no longer need to roll a Roth 401(k) to a Roth IRA just to dodge RMDs. Inherited Roth accounts are a separate matter and generally do carry distribution requirements for beneficiaries.

This Roth advantage is a major reason people pre-pay tax through conversions: dollars moved to Roth escape the RMD machine entirely, giving you more control over your taxable income in your 70s and 80s.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do RMDs start in 2026?

Age 73 for anyone born between 1951 and 1959. If you were born in 1960 or later, your RMDs won't begin until age 75 (starting in 2033). For anyone reaching the threshold in 2026, the start age is 73.

When is my RMD due each year?

By December 31. The one exception is your very first RMD, which you may delay until April 1 of the following year — but doing so means taking two RMDs in that second year, which can raise your taxable income.

How is the RMD amount calculated?

Divide your account balance as of December 31 of the prior year by the IRS life-expectancy factor for your age from the Uniform Lifetime Table. At 73 the factor is about 26.5, so roughly 3.8% of the balance. The factor shrinks each year, so the percentage rises with age.

What is the penalty for missing an RMD?

A 25% excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw, on top of the regular income tax. If you correct the shortfall promptly and file Form 5329, the penalty drops to 10%, and the IRS may waive it for reasonable cause.

Do Roth accounts have RMDs?

Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner, and since 2024 Roth 401(k) and Roth 403(b) accounts don't either. Inherited Roth accounts are treated differently and generally do have distribution requirements for beneficiaries.

Put a number on it

• RMD Calculator — estimate this year's required distribution from your balance and age.
• Roth Conversion Calculator — see how converting before 73 shrinks future RMDs.
• Medicare IRMAA Calculator — check whether a big RMD triggers premium surcharges.
• Which Accounts to Draw Down First — fit RMDs into a smart withdrawal order.