Withdrawals & RMDs
When do RMDs start? One birth year, four dates
A when-do-RMDs-start calculator: clients enter their birth year and see the age they must begin, the year of the first RMD, its April 1 deadline and the December 31 deadline for later years.
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At what age do required minimum distributions start?
Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs begin at 73 (born 1951–1959); 75 (born 1960 or later)2026 · IRS. The first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year; every later RMD is due by December 31. Earlier birth years used 72 or 70½. Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner.
The year a client turns 72 or 74
The rules changed twice in a few years, so clients approaching their seventies are unsure whether they start at 72, 73 or 75. They search the year before they think it applies, often after a custodian letter, and the answer decides whether there is time for Roth conversions first.
What the client types into a search box
“what year do I have to start taking RMDs”
How a client works through it
Enter the birth year
The only input needed.
See the starting age
73 or 75 under current law, or the older ages for earlier births.
See the first RMD year
The calendar year the client reaches that age.
See both deadlines
April 1 of the next year for the first RMD, December 31 for later ones.
What lands in your inbox
When a client asks your firm to review the result, the request arrives as a contact record with their inputs and results attached, by email and, on paid plans, by webhook to your CRM.
Received
Birth year tells you the start year directly. A start date three or more years out means a conversion window to plan. A start date this year or next means the April 1 versus December 31 decision is imminent.
Why are there two deadlines?
First RMD Deadline is April 1 of the year after the client reaches the starting age; Deadline for Later RMDs is December 31 each year. Delaying the first RMD into the next year means two RMDs in that year, both taxable.
Age You Must Begin RMDs and Year of First RMD follow the SECURE 2.0 schedule for the birth year entered.
Results shown: Age You Must Begin RMDs · Year of First RMD · First RMD Deadline · Deadline for Later RMDs.
Why is the RMD start date a planning trigger?
The years between retirement and the first RMD are often the lowest-income years a client will have, the best window for Roth conversions and capital gains harvesting. A client who learns their start year is a client ready to plan those years.
It also prevents the most common first-year mistake: delaying the first RMD to April 1 without realizing it means two taxable distributions in one year.
Follow-ups this request opens
- Plan Roth conversions in the years before RMDs begin
- Decide whether to delay the first RMD to April 1
- Set up withholding on the first distribution
- Consider qualified charitable distributions once eligible
What this calculator leaves out
- Covers account owners, not beneficiaries.
- Does not apply the still-working exception for employer plans.
- Does not calculate the RMD amount; use the RMD calculator.
- Assumes current law; future changes could alter the schedule.
Platform disclaimer shown under the calculator: Estimates only. Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs begin at age 73 for those born 1951–1959 and age 75 for those born 1960 or later (age 72 for those born July 1, 1949–1950; 70½ for earlier births). The first RMD may be delayed until April 1 of the following year. Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner. Consult a tax professional.
Compliance note for firms
Telling a client their RMD start date is factual, but advising on whether to delay the first RMD or how to use the years before it is written advice under Circular 230 §10.37, which should consider the client's whole tax picture.
Not legal advice. See our disclaimer and the guide to compliance for client calculators.
2026 figures this page relies on
| Figure | Value | Tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| RMD starting age (SECURE 2.0) | 73 (born 1951–1959); 75 (born 1960 or later) | 2026 | IRS |
The same values drive the calculator. Full list on the 2026 figures page.
Terms your client sees in the calculator
These definitions appear in the calculator's collapsible Definitions block, so clients don't have to call to ask what a label means.
- RMD starting age
- The age at which required minimum distributions must begin, set by birth year under SECURE 2.0: 73 for those born 1951–1959 and 75 for those born 1960 or later (IRS, 2026). Earlier birth years followed older rules: 72 for those born July 1, 1949 through 1950, and 70½ before that.
- First RMD deadline
- Your first RMD may be delayed until April 1 of the year after you reach your starting age. The trade-off is that the second RMD is still due by the end of that same year, so two taxable distributions land in one tax year, which can push part of your income into a higher bracket.
- Deadline for later RMDs
- After the first distribution, each RMD must be taken by the end of the calendar year it applies to. There is no further delay option, so the ongoing schedule is one distribution per year, figured from the prior year-end balance and the IRS distribution period for your age that year.
- SECURE 2.0
- A federal retirement law that changed many account rules, including raising the RMD starting age in steps tied to birth year. It also reduced the penalty for missed RMDs and removed lifetime RMDs from Roth accounts in employer plans. This calculator applies only its starting-age rules to your birth year.
- Birth year
- The only input here, because SECURE 2.0 ties the RMD starting age to when you were born rather than setting one age for everyone. The calculator finds the starting age for your birth-year group and adds it to your birth year to show the calendar year of your first RMD and its deadline.
- Roth IRA exception
- Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions for the original owner, so the starting age does not apply to them. Beneficiaries who inherit a Roth IRA do face distribution rules. Converting traditional balances to Roth before RMDs begin reduces the balance future RMDs are figured on, though the conversion itself is taxable.
In our glossary: Required minimum distribution · Required beginning date
RMD - Year To Begin calculator: questions from firms and clients
When do RMDs start for someone born in 1960?
At 75, under SECURE 2.0. The full schedule: 73 (born 1951–1959); 75 (born 1960 or later)2026 · IRS.
Should I delay my first RMD to April 1?
Only after comparing the tax. Delaying puts two RMDs into one tax year, which can raise the bracket.
Do Roth IRAs have RMDs?
Not for the original owner. Beneficiaries of inherited Roth IRAs have rules of their own.
What if I'm still working?
Employer plans may allow RMDs from that plan to wait until retirement if you don't own 5% or more of the company. IRAs don't get this exception.
How much is my RMD?
Use the RMD calculator, which applies the Uniform Lifetime Table to the prior year-end balance.
Why did the age change?
The SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 raised it from 70½ to 72, then 73, and to 75 for later birth years.
What should I do before RMDs start?
Consider Roth conversions and gain harvesting in low-income years. See the Roth conversion calculator.
Which plan includes it?
Network. See pricing.
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Clients who ask this usually ask next
Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
how much do I have to take out of my IRA this year
Roth Conversion
should I do a roth conversion this year
Inherited IRA RMD
do I have to take money out of my inherited IRA
All “Withdrawals & RMDs” calculators · Everything in Retirement
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