Enter your birth year and answer the questions to see your RMD start age, your deadline, whether deferring your first RMD triggers two distributions in one year, and an optional starter amount, grounded in IRS rules.
About the RMD deadline calculator
The RMD deadline calculator helps you see when required minimum distributions start for a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA or a workplace retirement plan, and what your next deadline is. Enter your birth year, choose the account type, say whether this is your first RMD year and whether you are still working for the employer that sponsors the plan, and the tool returns your RMD start age, your required beginning date, the annual December 31 deadline, a warning when deferring your first RMD would force two distributions in one year, and an optional starter amount when you add a prior year-end balance.
This is an educational estimate based on IRS RMD rules, not tax, legal, or investment advice. Start ages follow the SECURE 2.0 schedule (72, 73, or 75 by birth year), and the optional starter amount uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, which does not cover inherited IRAs, beneficiaries, or a spouse who is more than ten years younger. The tool runs entirely in your browser. It does not store names, Social Security numbers, account numbers, or balances, and it never connects to your account. Always confirm your dates and amounts with the IRS, your plan administrator, or a tax professional.
How to use
- Enter your birth year. The calculator uses it to find your RMD start age and the year you reach it.
- Choose the account type: a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA, or a workplace plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b).
- Say whether this is your first RMD year and whether you are still working for the employer that sponsors the plan.
- Optionally add your prior year-end balance to see an estimated starter RMD amount.
- Read your start age, deadline, double-distribution note, and the IRS source link, then confirm with the IRS or a tax professional.
Worked examples
First RMD: take it by April 1 of the next year
Your first RMD can wait until April 1 of the year after you reach RMD age, but if you wait, you must take two distributions that year: the delayed first one by April 1 and the second by December 31.
Still working: a workplace plan may be deferred
If you are still working for the employer that sponsors your 401(k) and do not own 5 percent or more of the company, the still-working exception may let you delay that plan's RMDs until you retire. It does not apply to IRAs.
Starter amount: balance divided by a table factor
The estimated starter RMD is your prior December 31 balance divided by the IRS Uniform Lifetime factor for your age this year. It is an estimate, not the exact figure your custodian reports.
Frequently asked questions
- What age do RMDs start?
- Under SECURE 2.0, your RMD start age depends on your birth year: 72 if you were born in 1950 or earlier, 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. People born before July 1, 1949 started earlier, at age 70.5.
- When is my first RMD due?
- Your first RMD is due by April 1 of the year after the year you reach your RMD age. This is called your required beginning date. Every RMD after the first is due by December 31 of that year.
- What is the double-distribution warning?
- If you delay your first RMD to April 1 of the following year, you must still take that year's RMD by December 31. That means two distributions in one calendar year, which can raise your taxable income. Taking your first RMD in the year you reach RMD age avoids stacking two into one year.
- Can I delay RMDs if I am still working?
- If you are still working for the employer that sponsors your workplace plan and you do not own 5 percent or more of the company, the still-working exception may let you delay that plan's RMDs until you retire. This exception does not apply to traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs, which are still required once you reach RMD age.
- How is the starter amount calculated?
- The optional starter amount divides your prior December 31 account balance by the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for the age you reach this year. It is an estimate for the common case where you are the sole beneficiary or your spouse is not more than ten years younger. It does not cover inherited IRAs or beneficiary distributions.
- Is this tax advice?
- No. This is a free educational estimate based on IRS RMD rules. It is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Confirm your dates and amounts with the IRS, your plan administrator, or a tax professional.
- Does it store anything I enter?
- No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. It stores no names, Social Security numbers, account numbers, or balances, and it never connects to your account. The optional balance is used only to compute a local estimate and is not sent anywhere.
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