What will the IRS make you withdraw?
Required minimum distributions are set by a table, which means you can see them coming years ahead. Here is yours, and the decade after it.
The next ten distributions
| Year | Age | Divisor | Start balance | Required |
|---|
The years before RMDs begin are the planning window. Every dollar converted to a Roth or drawn down at a low bracket before then is a dollar that is never forced out later at a higher one. After 70½, qualified charitable distributions straight from an IRA can also satisfy the requirement without adding to taxable income.
Required distributions are predictable. Plan for them.
The amount is set by a table, which means the tax bill is foreseeable years in advance. The question is whether you shape it ahead of time with Roth conversions and withdrawal sequencing, or let it arrive on the IRS's schedule.
Assumptions and limits. Uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Treas. Reg. 1.401(a)(9)-9) and the SECURE 2.0 required beginning ages: 73 for those born 1951 through 1959, and 75 for those born 1960 or later. The first distribution may be delayed until April 1 of the following year, which puts two distributions in that year. Does not apply the joint life table used when the sole beneficiary is a spouse more than ten years younger, inherited account rules, Roth accounts (which have no lifetime RMD for the owner), or the still-working exception for a current employer's plan. The growth rate is your own hypothetical assumption, not a projection of any investment. This tool is general education, not tax or investment advice. Confirm with your tax professional and account custodian.