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Required minimum distributions and the ages that matter

A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the yearly withdrawal the law makes you take from most pre-tax retirement accounts. We show the starting ages, the math, the penalty and the other birthdays that matter.

Prepared by Prem Tax and Accounting Corp. Last reviewed November 6, 2026. Figures as of November 6, 2026.

A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the yearly amount the law makes you withdraw from most pre-tax retirement accounts once you reach a set age. Below: ages, math, dates and the Candle-and-Calendar Card. This guide is part of our retirement series.

The short version

RMDs start at 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1958 and at 75 if born in 1960 or later. That is settled law.
Born in 1959: the final rules are silent. Proposed rules would set 73 but are not final.
If fixed in time, a missed RMD costs 10 percent of the shortfall, not 25 percent.
Charitable transfers from an IRA can start at 70 and a half, up to $111,000 per person in 2026 (2027 limit not published).

Slide show: Four slides on RMDs

Covered accounts
Plans: 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b). IRAs: traditional, SEP and SIMPLE. Roth IRAs never have owner RMDs, and Roth 401(k) accounts have had none since 2024.
How much
Your prior December 31 balance divided by an IRS table number: 26.5 at age 73, 24.6 at age 75. A sole-beneficiary spouse more than 10 years younger changes the table.
When
The first RMD is due by April 1 of the year after you reach RMD age, your required beginning date (some job plans allow later while you work there). Waiting means two RMDs in one tax year.
Heirs
When the owner died on the required beginning date or later, many heirs take yearly RMDs during years 1 to 9, then empty the account by year 10. If earlier, nothing is due until year 10. Spouses differ.

Ages that matter from 50 to 75 what changes

Age 50Catch-up savings begin (2026 extras: $8,000 in most workplace plans, $11,250 at ages 60 to 63, $1,100 in an IRA)
Age 59 and a halfThe 10 percent early-withdrawal tax generally ends
Age 62Earliest Social Security benefit
Age 65Medicare window; $6,000 senior deduction (2025 to 2028, income limits apply)
Age 70 and a halfCharitable transfers from an IRA can begin
Age 73 or 75RMDs begin, by birth year

Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 and Publication 590-B; SSA; Medicare.gov

An invented example

Marta, born in 1953, turns 73 in 2026. On December 31, 2025, her IRA held $530,000. Her 2026 RMD is therefore $530,000 divided by 26.5, or $20,000. If she waits until March 2027, her 2027 RMD is also due that year: $540,600 divided by 25.5, or $21,200. Her 2027 income then includes $41,200 from RMDs.

The Candle-and-Calendar Card

Write your birth year and the year you reach 73 or 75. Born in 1959? Ask us first.
List each account with an RMD and its prior December 31 balance.
Pick the date for your first RMD, with the two-RMD year in mind.
Ask whether a charitable transfer fits your giving. Donor-advised funds do not qualify.
Check beneficiaries, and watch our 2027 figures page each November.

Common questions

I was born in 1959. When must I start?

The statute fits both groups, and the final rules leave 1959 blank. Proposed rules would set age 73, making 2032 your first RMD year. A proposal is not final, so ask us first.

How does a charitable transfer work?

From 70 and a half, an IRA can pay a qualifying charity directly. Up to $111,000 per person in 2026 is left out of income and counts toward your RMD.

Does Illinois tax RMDs?

Illinois lets residents subtract the federally taxed part of qualified plan and IRA withdrawals. See [state taxes](/state-taxes/) and our [retirement plan guides](/retirement-tax-savings/).

Official sources

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Please read: general information only

This page gives general information and education about current federal and state tax topics, including recent legislation, planning ideas, retirement and annuity rules, and court decisions. It is not tax, legal, accounting, investment, insurance or other professional advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified CPA, attorney or other adviser who knows your facts. Reading it does not create a CPA-client or any other professional relationship with Prem Tax and Accounting Corp. Prem Tax and Accounting Corp is a CPA firm, not a law firm. It does not sell insurance or investment products, and it does not recommend, rate or sell any annuity, fund or other product. A planning idea, a strategy name or an example here is not a recommendation to take or avoid any action.

Tax rules, thresholds, rates and deadlines change often, and Congress, the IRS, the courts and the states change how they apply them. Guidance on recent legislation is still being issued. We checked the figures against the official sources named on the page on the date shown (last reviewed November 6, 2026), but we do not promise that this page is complete, current or free of errors, and we do not update it the moment a rule changes. Where the rules are unsettled or guidance is still pending we say so. Amounts for a future year are labelled planning figures until the IRS or another agency publishes them. Examples use invented numbers and are for illustration only.

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Questions about how the new tax law or your year-end moves apply to you? Keshav Agrawal is a U.S. CPA and a Chartered Accountant (CA) from India. We prepare U.S. and Illinois returns, plan with you, and work alongside your financial adviser, insurance agent or attorney. We sell no investment or insurance products. Book a 10-minute call or send us a message.

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Required minimum distributions and the ages that matter

Covered accounts

How much

When

Heirs

An invented example

The Candle-and-Calendar Card

Common questions

Official sources

Keep reading

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