Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Explained for 2026: Start Ages, Calculations, and Penalty Risks
Required minimum distributions can turn a long-ignored retirement account into a year-end tax obligation. For 2026, the key questions are straightforward: Does an RMD apply to you, how much must you withdraw, and when must the money leave the account?
Most people born from 1951 through 1959 begin RMDs at age 73. People born in 1960 or later generally begin at age 75. The calculation usually starts with the retirement account’s December 31, 2025 balance and an applicable life-expectancy factor from an IRS table.
The rules become more complicated when someone has multiple accounts, remains employed, inherited an account, or missed a previous deadline. This guide explains the general 2026 rules, but it is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice.
What Required Minimum Distributions Are
A required minimum distribution, or RMD, is the minimum amount that generally must be withdrawn from certain retirement accounts each year after the owner reaches the applicable starting age. These rules prevent funds from remaining tax-deferred indefinitely.
RMDs generally apply to:
- Traditional IRAs
- Rollover IRAs
- SEP IRAs
- SIMPLE IRAs
- Traditional 401(k) accounts
- Traditional 403(b) accounts
- Most governmental and tax-deferred 457(b) accounts
- Other qualified defined-contribution retirement plans
An RMD is generally included in ordinary taxable income for the year in which it is received. Exceptions can apply to amounts representing nondeductible contributions or other after-tax basis. A qualified charitable distribution may also keep an otherwise taxable IRA distribution out of adjusted gross income when all requirements are met.
The requirement does not depend on whether the account owner needs the money. Someone with sufficient pension, Social Security, or taxable investment income must still take the required amount from an affected retirement account.
An RMD also cannot generally be rolled into another tax-advantaged retirement account. It must first be removed from the retirement system, although the owner may invest the after-tax proceeds in a taxable account.
RMD Start Ages for 2026
The SECURE 2.0 Act established different starting ages based on birth year. The following table provides a practical overview for an original retirement-account owner:
| Birth year | General RMD starting age | General first RMD year |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 or earlier | Earlier rules apply | RMDs generally started before 2026 |
| 1951 | 73 | 2024 |
| 1952 | 73 | 2025 |
| 1953 | 73 | 2026 |
| 1954–1959 | 73 | The calendar year in which age 73 is reached |
| 1960 or later | 75 | The calendar year in which age 75 is reached |
For example, a person born in 1953 turns 73 during 2026, so 2026 is generally that person’s first RMD year. A person born in 1960 does not generally begin at age 73; that person’s scheduled starting age is 75.
People who began RMDs under earlier law do not receive a new delay because the age rules changed. Once annual RMDs have begun, distributions generally continue every year unless a specific exception applies.
When Your First and Later RMDs Are Due
The first-year deadline is different from the deadline for later distributions.
- First RMD: The initial distribution can generally be delayed until April 1 of the year following the applicable starting year.
- Later RMDs: Each subsequent distribution is generally due by December 31 of that calendar year.
Example: Turning 73 in 2026
Assume Maria was born in 1953 and turns 73 in 2026. Her first RMD is her RMD for 2026. She has two timing choices:
- Take the 2026 RMD by December 31, 2026; or
- Use the first-year exception and take it by April 1, 2027.
Delaying does not eliminate the 2026 RMD. It only postpones its payment deadline. Maria’s regular 2027 RMD would still be due by December 31, 2027. She would therefore receive two taxable RMDs during 2027 if she used the delay.
That concentration of income could increase her marginal tax rate, cause more of her Social Security benefits to become taxable, raise Medicare income-related monthly adjustment amounts in a later year, or reduce eligibility for income-based deductions and credits.
The still-working exception
A workplace plan may permit an employee to delay RMDs from the current employer’s plan until retirement. This exception generally does not apply if the employee owns more than 5% of the employer, and it does not apply to traditional IRAs or plans held with former employers.
Plan terms matter. Someone relying on the still-working exception should confirm eligibility with the current plan administrator instead of assuming employment automatically postpones the deadline.
How to Calculate an RMD for 2026
The basic formula is:
December 31, 2025 account balance ÷ applicable IRS distribution period = 2026 RMD
Most account owners use the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. The distribution period is based on the owner’s age during the distribution year.
Example using a $500,000 account
Assume an account owner is age 75 in 2026, has a $500,000 traditional IRA balance as of December 31, 2025, and uses the Uniform Lifetime Table factor of 24.6.
$500,000 ÷ 24.6 = $20,325.20
The 2026 RMD is therefore approximately $20,325. Withdrawing more than that amount is permitted, but the excess generally cannot be carried forward to reduce the following year’s RMD.
A different IRS table—the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table—may apply when the owner’s spouse is the sole beneficiary for the entire year and is more than 10 years younger than the owner. This table usually produces a longer distribution period and a smaller RMD.
The required amount must be recalculated each year because both inputs can change. The year-end balance may rise or fall with contributions, withdrawals, fees, and investment performance, while the IRS distribution period generally decreases as the owner ages.
Do not overlook year-end balance adjustments
The custodian’s reported December 31 balance is usually the starting point, but adjustments may be necessary in less common situations. For example, an outstanding rollover or certain account transfers may require special treatment. Account owners should review Forms 5498, custodian statements, and plan records before finalizing the calculation.
Account-Type Rules and Exceptions
Calculating an amount for each account does not always mean the withdrawal must come from each account. Aggregation rules vary by account type.
| Account type | General lifetime RMD treatment | General aggregation rule |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional, rollover, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs | RMDs apply | Calculate each IRA’s RMD, then generally take the combined total from one or more eligible IRAs |
| 401(k) plans | RMDs generally apply to pre-tax balances | Each plan’s RMD generally must be taken separately |
| 403(b) plans | RMDs generally apply to pre-tax balances | Special aggregation among certain 403(b) accounts may be allowed |
| Governmental 457(b) plans | RMDs generally apply to pre-tax balances | Generally handled separately |
| Roth IRA | No lifetime RMD for the original owner | Not applicable |
| Designated Roth 401(k), 403(b), or governmental 457(b) | No lifetime RMD for the original owner beginning in 2024 | Not applicable for the owner’s lifetime RMD |
IRA aggregation example
Suppose an owner calculates a $6,000 RMD for one traditional IRA and a $4,000 RMD for a rollover IRA. The owner generally may withdraw the full $10,000 from the traditional IRA, split it between the two accounts, or use another permitted combination.
That flexibility generally does not extend to 401(k) plans. If the same person has two old 401(k) accounts, each plan’s RMD normally must be calculated and withdrawn from that specific plan.
Inherited accounts have separate rules
Inherited IRAs and inherited workplace accounts follow a different framework. The required schedule can depend on whether the beneficiary is a surviving spouse, an eligible designated beneficiary, another individual beneficiary, a trust, an estate, or a charity.
The original owner’s date of death and whether that person had reached the required beginning date can also matter. Some non-spouse beneficiaries are subject to a 10-year deadline and may also have annual distribution requirements within that period. Beneficiaries should not apply the owner rules in this article without reviewing the inherited-account provisions.
Missed-RMD Penalties and Correction Options
If an account owner fails to withdraw the full required amount by the deadline, the shortfall may be subject to a federal excise tax of 25%.
Penalty example
Assume someone was required to withdraw $20,000 but took only $10,000 by the deadline. The shortfall is $10,000.
$10,000 shortfall × 25% = $2,500 potential excise tax
The rate may be reduced to 10% when the shortfall is corrected within the applicable correction window, generally described as a two-year correction period under the SECURE 2.0 rules. The exact deadline should be checked carefully because statutory correction-period rules and filing dates can affect eligibility.
A taxpayer who discovers a missed or insufficient RMD should generally:
- Calculate the exact shortfall.
- Withdraw the missed amount promptly.
- Keep statements showing when the corrective distribution occurred.
- Review the instructions for IRS Form 5329.
- Determine whether an excise tax is due or whether reasonable-error relief should be requested.
The IRS may waive the excise tax when a shortfall resulted from reasonable error and the taxpayer is taking reasonable steps to correct it. Relief is not automatic. A waiver request generally requires Form 5329 and an explanation supporting the request.
Tax Planning Strategies for 2026 RMDs
Compare taking the first RMD now with delaying it
Someone whose first RMD year is 2026 should estimate the tax results of both available schedules. Taking the distribution by December 31, 2026 spreads the first two RMDs across 2026 and 2027. Delaying until April 1, 2027 places both distributions in 2027.
The better choice depends on expected income, deductions, tax rates, Social Security benefits, capital gains, and Medicare exposure in both years. Medicare IRMAA calculations generally use modified adjusted gross income from two years earlier, so an income spike can affect premiums later rather than immediately.
Consider a qualified charitable distribution
An eligible IRA owner may use a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, to transfer money directly from an IRA to an eligible charitable organization. A properly executed QCD can count toward an RMD while generally excluding the transferred amount from adjusted gross income.
The reported inflation-adjusted QCD exclusion limit for 2026 is up to $111,000 per eligible individual, subject to confirmation in final IRS guidance. Eligibility generally begins at age 70½, which is separate from the RMD starting age.
To qualify, the payment generally must move directly from an eligible IRA to a qualified charity. A withdrawal paid to the account owner and later donated usually does not qualify as a QCD, even if the donation is made promptly. Donor-advised funds and certain supporting organizations generally are not eligible QCD recipients.
Anyone planning a QCD should complete it before taking the entire RMD through ordinary withdrawals. Distributions already received generally cannot be retroactively redesignated as QCDs.
Plan for withholding
Federal and state income-tax withholding may be available from an RMD. Withholding can simplify estimated-tax management, but it reduces the cash delivered to the account owner. The gross distribution—not only the net amount received after withholding—generally counts toward satisfying the RMD.
Before submitting instructions, confirm the withholding percentage, state requirements, payment destination, processing time, and whether the custodian charges transaction fees.
What to Do Next
Use this checklist to organize a 2026 RMD:
- Identify affected accounts. List every traditional IRA, rollover IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) account.
- Confirm the starting rule. Check the owner’s birth year and whether a workplace-plan exception applies.
- Verify balances. Obtain each account’s December 31, 2025 value and investigate any outstanding rollovers or transfers.
- Select the correct IRS table. Confirm whether the Uniform Lifetime Table, joint-life table, or an inherited-account table applies.
- Calculate each RMD separately. Do this even when IRA aggregation later permits one combined withdrawal.
- Follow account-specific withdrawal rules. Do not use an IRA withdrawal to satisfy a 401(k) RMD.
- Choose a deadline. Schedule distributions early enough to avoid year-end processing delays.
- Review tax withholding. Coordinate the withdrawal with estimated payments and expected taxable income.
- Document the transaction. Retain calculations, statements, confirmations, QCD acknowledgments, and tax forms.
- Get professional help when needed. Consult a qualified tax professional for inherited accounts, missed distributions, multiple plan types, basis in an IRA, or large tax-planning decisions.
The central calculation may be simple, but the surrounding rules are account-specific. Confirming the correct balance, IRS factor, deadline, aggregation treatment, and withholding instructions before initiating a withdrawal can prevent an expensive correction later.