Starting required minimum distributions (RMDs) is a useful deadline for checking your retirement plan, not proof that you made a mistake. Before your first withdrawal, verify the due date, every account that is covered, the IRS calculation, your tax and cash-flow impact, and beneficiary instructions. This audit can reveal fixable errors while there is still time to correct them.
When do I have to take my first RMD?
The Internal Revenue Service says RMDs generally begin in the year an IRA or retirement-plan owner reaches age 73. You may take that first RMD during the year you turn 73 or delay it until April 1 of the following year. That choice does not delay the next distribution: the second RMD is still due by December 31 of that following year.
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For example, someone who reached age 73 in 2025 can take the first RMD by December 31, 2025, or defer it until April 1, 2026. If deferred, that person must also take the 2026 RMD by December 31, 2026. The two payments would both be taxable in 2026.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| Situation | First RMD deadline | Next RMD deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Turned 73 in 2025 and take the first distribution in the year you turn 73 | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2026 |
| Turned 73 in 2025 and elect to delay the first distribution | April 1, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
SECURE 2.0 changes the applicable starting age to 75 for people who attain age 74 after December 31, 2032. Check the rule that applies to your birth year and keep the effective date with your records.
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Which accounts count for RMDs?
Make a complete inventory before calculating anything. Record the owner, account type, custodian, beneficiary designation and December 31 balance for each account.
| Account | Lifetime RMD for original owner? | Audit point |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | Generally yes, beginning at the applicable age | Review aggregation rules and the custodian’s calculation |
| SEP IRA | Generally yes | Include every SEP IRA in your inventory |
| SIMPLE IRA | Generally yes | Confirm the balance used as of the prior December 31 |
| 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b) plan | Generally yes | Ask the plan administrator whether a separate withdrawal is required |
| Roth IRA owned by you | No lifetime RMD for the original owner | Beneficiary distribution rules still apply after your death |
| Designated Roth account in an employer plan | No lifetime RMD for the original owner | Confirm beneficiary and plan-specific processing |
| Inherited IRA or inherited employer-plan account | Rules depend on the beneficiary and the year of death | Check the applicable deadline, including possible ten-year rules |
Do not assume one withdrawal satisfies every account. IRA aggregation and employer-plan rules differ, and an employer plan may require its own distribution even when several plans are administered by the same company. Ask each custodian which accounts it can aggregate and which must be handled separately.
How much is my RMD?
The usual calculation is the account balance on the prior December 31 divided by the applicable life-expectancy factor in IRS Publication 590-B. The factor comes from the IRS table that matches your situation; it is not a percentage you choose.
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- Collect the right balance. Obtain the December 31 balance for each covered account. Do not substitute today’s balance.
- Identify the correct IRS table. Most owners use the Uniform Lifetime Table. If your sole beneficiary is your spouse and that spouse is more than 10 years younger, use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table instead.
- Calculate each account or permitted group. Divide the applicable prior-year balance by the factor. Keep the table page, factor and arithmetic with your records.
- Compare your result with the custodian. A custodian’s estimate is helpful, but you remain responsible for taking the required amount. Resolve differences before the deadline.
- Recheck changes. A rollover, account transfer, death, divorce or beneficiary change can alter which rule applies. Recalculate when those events occur.
An online RMD calculator can speed up the arithmetic, but treat it as an aid. Check its table, age, spouse information and balance against Publication 590-B and the custodian’s data.
Should I delay my first RMD until April 1?
There is no universal best date. Compare the two choices using the income you expect in both calendar years.
| Consideration | Take the first RMD by December 31 | Delay until April 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable-income timing | One RMD in the year you turn 73 and one in the next year | Two RMDs in the following calendar year |
| Marginal tax bracket | May spread income across two returns | May bunch distributions into a higher bracket |
| Social Security taxation | Spreads the possible increase in taxable benefits | Can concentrate the effect in the two-RMD year |
| Medicare premiums | Spreads income used in future premium calculations | May increase income-related Part B or Part D premiums after the high-income year |
| Cash need and withholding | Provides cash sooner and starts withholding sooner | Keeps money invested longer but requires a larger payment by April 1 |
| Investment allocation | Moves the required amount out of the account earlier | Leaves the amount invested until the later distribution |
Model both years with your expected wages, pensions, Social Security, capital gains, Roth conversions and other income. Tax brackets, Medicare thresholds and state-tax treatment change, so refresh the estimates for the tax year in question rather than relying on an old projection.
Will an RMD raise my Medicare premiums?
It can. Traditional-account RMDs are generally included in taxable income. Higher income can increase the taxable share of Social Security benefits and can trigger income-related adjustments to Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. The effect is based on the income rules and lookback period used for the relevant Medicare year, not simply on the size of the retirement account.
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Estimate federal and state withholding before the payment. Then revisit the estimate after a large capital gain, Roth conversion or other income event. Withholding from the RMD may be preferable to making separate estimated payments, but the amount should be coordinated with your complete tax picture.
What happens if I miss an RMD?
An insufficient or missed RMD can trigger a 25% excise tax on the shortfall. The tax may be reduced to 10% when the error is corrected within the applicable correction period. The penalty applies to the amount that should have been distributed, not automatically to the entire account.
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- Contact the custodian as soon as you discover the shortfall and request the missing distribution.
- Calculate the shortfall and document the original deadline, correction date and amount distributed.
- Ask a tax adviser how to report the correction, including whether Form 5329 is required and whether penalty-relief procedures apply.
- Keep the custodian’s statements, calculations and correspondence with your tax records.
Do not wait for a notice from the IRS. Prompt correction and complete documentation are important parts of the relief process.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Review beneficiaries and inherited-account deadlines
Beneficiary designations control who receives many retirement accounts and can determine the distribution schedule after death. Review the designation on every IRA and employer plan, especially after marriage, divorce, a death in the family or a change in estate plans. A will does not necessarily override a retirement-account beneficiary form.
Many inherited defined-contribution accounts are subject to a ten-year distribution rule, with exceptions for certain eligible beneficiaries. The timing and amount of required payments can depend on whether the beneficiary is a spouse, a minor child, a disabled or chronically ill person, or another individual, as well as the year the owner died. Obtain the plan’s written rules and confirm the deadline instead of assuming the lifetime-owner schedule continues.
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A practical first-RMD audit checklist
- List every traditional IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) and inherited account.
- For each account, record the owner, beneficiary, custodian and December 31 balance.
- Write down the date you reached the applicable RMD age and every legal deadline.
- Ask each custodian who calculates the RMD, who initiates the payment and whether withholding is available.
- Recalculate the amount with the applicable Publication 590-B table, including the younger-spouse table when required.
- Compare taking the first RMD by December 31 with delaying it until April 1, using two years of projected income.
- Estimate federal and state tax, Social Security effects and Medicare Part B and Part D premium exposure.
- Confirm beneficiary designations and investigate any inherited-account ten-year deadline.
- Save the calculation, distribution date, gross amount, withholding and net amount.
When professional help is warranted
Consider a fee-only fiduciary financial planner or retirement tax adviser when you have multiple employer plans, inherited accounts, a spouse more than 10 years younger, a planned Roth conversion, large capital gains, uncertain beneficiary forms or a potential missed deadline. Ask the adviser to show the assumptions, tables and deadlines used, rather than accepting an unexplained withdrawal figure.
Your first RMD is a checkpoint. If your inventory is complete, the calculation matches the correct IRS table, the timing fits your two-year tax plan and beneficiaries are current, you have addressed the main failure points before money leaves the account.
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