RMD Rules: Age 73, Deadlines, and How to Calculate

RMD Rules: When You Must Withdraw From IRAs and Plans

Key takeaways

• For traditional IRAs (and most IRA-based plans), you generally must begin required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year you turn age 73.[1][2]
• Your first RMD can wait until April 1 of the year after you turn 73. Your second RMD is due by December 31 of that same later year—so delaying the first one means two withdrawals in one calendar year.[1][2]
• Most owners figure the annual amount as: prior December 31 account balance ÷ Uniform Lifetime (Table III) factor for your age that year.[1][2]
• Roth IRA owners do not take lifetime RMDs. Beneficiaries of Roth IRAs do face distribution rules after the owner dies.[1][2]
• Missing an RMD can trigger an excise tax of 25% of the amount not taken—often 10% if you correct within the IRS “correction window” (generally within about two years, with Form 5329).[1][2]
• A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from an IRA (age 70½+) can count toward that year’s RMD. Pub 590-B (2025) shows a $108,000 annual QCD exclusion for 2025 (spouse can have a separate limit on a joint return); limits are inflation-adjusted—confirm the current year.[1]

Estimate deadlines and amounts with

.

uses SSA period life tables for a rough planning horizon (not a personal forecast).

Who must take RMDs?

IRS rules generally apply RMDs to:[2]

• Traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs
• Employer plans such as 401(k), profit-sharing, 403(b), and 457(b) plans

Still working? Some workplace plan participants (not 5% owners) may delay plan RMDs until the year they retire. That workplace delay does not stop traditional IRA RMDs—IRA owners must start at age 73 even if still working.[2]

Roth accounts while you are alive: RMDs do not apply to Roth IRAs or to designated Roth accounts in plans during the owner’s lifetime. Beneficiaries are different.[1][2]

Timeline: your first two RMD years

From IRS Pub 590-B and IRS RMD FAQs.[1][2]

Example (IRS FAQ pattern): If you reach age 73 in 2024, the first RMD is due by April 1, 2025 (based on the Dec. 31, 2023 balance), and the second by Dec. 31, 2025 (based on the Dec. 31, 2024 balance).[2]

Any amount distributed in the year you turn 73 counts toward the amount that must be out by the following April 1.[1]

How to calculate a typical lifetime RMD

For most IRA owners:[1][2]

1. Take the account balance on December 31 of the prior year.
2. Find your applicable denominator in Table III (Uniform Lifetime) for your age as of your birthday in the distribution year.
3. Divide: balance ÷ factor = RMD.

Use Table II instead only if your spouse is the sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you.[1][2]

Uniform Lifetime factors (Table III excerpt)

From IRS Publication 590-B (2025), Appendix B, Table III (Uniform Lifetime).[1]

Worked example (from Pub 590-B): Justin turned 73 on Dec. 15, 2025. His IRA balance on Dec. 31, 2024 was $38,400. RMD for 2025 = $38,400 ÷ 26.5 = $1,450.[1]

Another Pub 590-B example: $100,000 prior-year balance, turn 75 in 2026, Table III factor 24.6 → RMD $4,065.[1]

Multiple IRAs vs. 401(k)s

• IRAs: Calculate each IRA’s RMD separately, but you may total them and withdraw the sum from one or more IRAs.[1][2]
• 403(b) contracts: Similar aggregation among 403(b)s.[2]
• 401(k) / 457(b) and most other plans: Take the RMD separately from each plan—you generally cannot satisfy a 401(k) RMD from an IRA.[2]

You may withdraw more than the RMD. Extra amounts do not credit future years’ RMDs.[1][2]

Penalties if you miss an RMD

If you do not withdraw enough by the deadline, the shortfall may face an excise tax of 25%. The rate may drop to 10% if you take the missed amount during the IRS correction window (Pub 590-B / Form 5329 rules—often ending by the last day of the second tax year after the year the tax is imposed, or earlier if the IRS assesses or sends a deficiency notice).[1][2]

Report on Form 5329. IRS may waive the tax if the shortfall was due to reasonable error and you take reasonable steps to fix it—attach an explanation.[2]

Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs)

If you are age 70½ or older, you may direct a trustee-to-charity transfer from an IRA (not from an ongoing SEP/SIMPLE in many cases—see Pub 590-B). A QCD is generally excluded from income, can count toward that year’s RMD, and you cannot also deduct it as a charitable contribution.[1]

Pub 590-B (2025) states the maximum annual QCD exclusion is $108,000 (each spouse on a joint return can have their own limit). A worksheet example in the same publication for a later year uses $111,000—limits are adjusted for inflation. Confirm the dollar cap for the year you give.[1]

Inherited accounts (short note)

After the owner’s death, different rules apply (including a common 10-year payout rule under the SECURE Act for many non-eligible beneficiaries, with exceptions for surviving spouses, minor children, disabled or chronically ill beneficiaries, and beneficiaries close in age).[2]

This page focuses on owner lifetime RMDs. Inherited IRAs need a tax professional or IRS worksheets for your beneficiary type.

Owner RMD checklist

1. List every traditional IRA, SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b).
2. Mark whether each plan allows a “still working” delay (IRAs: no).
3. Note the year you turn 73 and put April 1 of the next year on your calendar.
4. Get each Dec. 31 balance from the custodian.
5. Apply the correct table (usually Table III).
6. Decide whether a QCD fits your charity and tax plan.
7. Withdraw on time; keep statements.
8. Recheck with

and your tax preparer.

• Related: When to take Social Security
• Related: Retirement budget and senior discounts
• Related: Reverse mortgage pros and cons
• Related: Medicare enrollment

FAQ

What age do RMDs start?
Generally the year you turn 73 for IRA owners and many plan participants.[1][2]

Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
Not during the owner’s lifetime. Beneficiaries follow separate rules.[1][2]

Can I roll an RMD into another IRA?
No. RMDs are not eligible rollover distributions.[2]

Who is responsible if the custodian miscalculates?
You are. Custodians may estimate, but the account owner must take the correct amount on time.[2]

Sources

1. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-B (2025), Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590b.pdf. Accessed October 29, 2026. (Full PDF opened; age 73 / RBD, Table III factors including 26.5 at 73 and 24.6 at 75, Justin example, QCD $108,000 / worksheet $111,000, Roth owner no lifetime RMD, 25% / 10% excess accumulation tax.)
2. Internal Revenue Service. Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs. Page last reviewed or updated January 29, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plan-and-ira-required-minimum-distributions-faqs. Accessed October 29, 2026.

Disclaimer

This article is for general education only and is not tax, investment, or legal advice. RMD ages, tables, penalties, and QCD limits change. Read the current IRS Publication 590-B and talk with a tax professional or CFP® before you withdraw or file Form 5329. In an emergency, call 911.

Attribution

Portions of this page are adapted from "HowToLiveBetter" (高性价比人生指南) by eternity4719, https://github.com/eternity4719/HowToLiveBetter, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Changes: topic idea (retirement withdrawals) loosely related to Chapter 05 money themes; original U.S. RMD explainer rewritten from IRS sources (not a direct translation). China social-insurance content was not used.