A plain-English guide for retirees and near-retirees: what required minimum distributions are, when they begin, the deadlines, and how they can interact with taxes, Social Security and Medicare.
Required minimum distributions (RMDs) generally start at age 73 for people born from 1951 through 1959, and at age 75 for those born in 1960 or later, according to the IRS and IRS Notice 2023-54 (as of November 2, 2026). The first is generally due by April 1 of the following year, and later ones by December 31.
That answer is only the start. The harder questions are how an RMD fits with the rest of your income, which accounts you spend first, and what you want to leave behind. This guide covers the rules in plain language, then the planning questions behind them.
What is a required minimum distribution?
A required minimum distribution is the least amount the IRS generally requires you to withdraw each year from certain retirement accounts once you reach the applicable age. Money that has grown tax-deferred is not meant to stay there indefinitely. You can always withdraw more than the minimum, and the withdrawal is generally included in your taxable income, except for any part that was already taxed or that can be received tax-free.
RMD rules generally apply to:
- Traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs
- Workplace plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans
- Profit-sharing and other defined contribution plans
Roth IRAs, and designated Roth accounts in a 401(k) or 403(b), generally do not require withdrawals while the original owner is alive. Beneficiaries of those accounts are subject to RMD rules. If you are weighing the two account types, our guide to Traditional vs. Roth IRAs walks through the differences.
How much you must take is generally set by dividing your account balance on December 31 of the prior year by a life expectancy factor from IRS tables. We do not reproduce those tables here. They are published in IRS Publication 590-B, and your custodian may calculate the amount for you. The IRS is clear, though, that the account owner is ultimately responsible for taking the correct amount.
What age do RMDs start?
The starting age depends on the year you were born, according to the IRS as of November 2, 2026:
- Born in 1950 or earlier: RMDs have generally already begun under earlier age rules.
- Born from 1951 through 1959: age 73.
- Born in 1960 or later: age 75, under the SECURE 2.0 Act.
Two details can change the picture. First, participants in a workplace plan such as a 401(k) can often delay RMDs from that plan until the year they retire, unless they own 5% or more of the business sponsoring it, and the plan's own terms govern. Second, that delay does not apply to IRAs. Owners of traditional, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs generally must begin at the applicable age even if they are still working.
When is the deadline?
Your first RMD is for the year you reach the applicable age. You can take it that year, or delay it until April 1 of the following year. After that, each year's RMD is generally due by December 31.
The delay has a catch. If you wait until April 1 for your first RMD, you generally must also take the second one by December 31 of that same year. Both withdrawals then land in one tax year, which may raise your taxable income for that year. Taking the first RMD by December 31 of the year you reach the applicable age keeps the two in separate tax years. Which approach makes sense depends on your situation.
For example, if you reach age 73 in 2026 and delay, your first RMD is due by April 1, 2027, and your second by December 31, 2027.
If you own more than one IRA, you calculate the RMD separately for each, but you can generally withdraw the total from one or more of them. RMDs from 401(k) and 457(b) plans must be taken separately from each plan account.
What happens if you miss one?
If you do not withdraw the full RMD by the deadline, the amount not withdrawn may be subject to a 25% excise tax. That rate may drop to 10% if the shortfall is corrected within two years. The tax is generally reported on IRS Form 5329.
The IRS also allows a waiver of the penalty when the shortfall was due to reasonable error and reasonable steps are being taken to fix it. That request is made on Form 5329 with a letter of explanation. Taking extra in one year does not count toward a future year's RMD. If you think you may have missed one, speak with a qualified tax professional promptly.
How RMDs can affect taxes and Medicare premiums
Because RMDs are generally taxed as ordinary income, they raise your adjusted gross income whether or not you need the cash. That can ripple into other parts of your financial life.
Social Security taxation
Depending on your total income, up to 85% of Social Security benefits may be included in taxable income, according to the IRS. Higher income from an RMD can increase the share of your benefits that is taxed. Your benefit amount does not change, but the portion that is taxable may. Our guide on when to take Social Security covers the claiming decisions that sit alongside this.
Medicare premiums
Medicare Part B and Part D premiums can include an income-related surcharge known as IRMAA. The Social Security Administration generally uses your federal tax return from two years earlier to set it, based on modified adjusted gross income. An RMD taken this year may therefore affect premiums two years from now. The income thresholds change over time, so check the current figures with Medicare or the Social Security Administration.
Your tax bracket
An RMD stacks on top of pensions, Social Security, interest, dividends and any other income. In some years that may push part of your income into a higher bracket than you expected. This is why the size of your tax-deferred accounts, and not only the rules, matters.
Planning around RMDs, not just taking them
Taking an RMD is a rule to follow. Planning for one is a set of choices, and they are easiest to make before the first withdrawal is due. These are the questions we find worth working through with the people we serve:
- Which accounts will fund your spending first, and how does that order shape the size of your future RMDs?
- How will RMDs combine with Social Security, pensions and other income in the same tax year?
- Are there years before RMDs begin when your income is lower, and could that create options worth weighing?
- Do you need the full RMD to live on, or will some of it be surplus?
- Who will inherit these accounts, and how will they be taxed? Most non-spouse beneficiaries generally must empty an inherited account within 10 years.
Thoughtful planning may help you decide the timing of withdrawals rather than react to it. Results vary, and there are trade-offs. Drawing on an account earlier than required, for example, can raise your taxes sooner, and tax rules can change. This is the kind of coordination we do through our Retirement income and RMDs service. We do not provide tax or legal advice, so please confirm the details for your situation with a qualified tax professional.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I have to withdraw from my IRA at age 73?
It depends on your balance and your age. The IRS generally calculates an RMD by dividing the account's December 31 balance from the prior year by a life expectancy factor from the tables in IRS Publication 590-B. Your IRA custodian may run the calculation for you, but you are responsible for withdrawing the right amount.
Do RMDs affect Social Security?
They do not change the benefit you receive. They can, however, raise your taxable income, and depending on your total income, that may increase the portion of your Social Security benefits that is taxed.
Do I have to take an RMD from a 401(k)?
Generally yes, from a traditional 401(k), once you reach the applicable age. If you are still working, you may be able to delay RMDs from your current employer's plan until you retire, unless you own 5% or more of the business, and your plan's terms govern. Designated Roth 401(k) accounts do not require withdrawals while you are alive. RMDs from 401(k) plans must be taken separately from each plan account.
Can I withdraw more than the required minimum?
Yes. The RMD is a floor, not a ceiling. Any extra withdrawal is generally taxable in the year you take it, and it cannot be counted toward a future year's RMD.
Do I need to take RMDs from a Roth IRA?
Not while you are alive. Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner, but beneficiaries who inherit one are subject to RMD rules.
Talk it through with us
Every household's RMD picture is different. If you would like help seeing how yours fits with your income, taxes and legacy goals, contact our team to start a conversation.
Sources
IRS pages and notices below were reviewed as of November 2, 2026. This article is educational and is not tax or legal advice.
