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Required Minimum Distribution Withdrawal Schedule Planner

This planner builds a year-by-year required minimum distribution (RMD) schedule from a retirement account balance, starting age, projection length, and assumed annual return.

It follows the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table model: each year’s required distribution is the prior year-end balance divided by the applicable age-based denominator. The schedule is useful for estimating future taxable withdrawals, cash available for spending, and how mandatory distributions may change the account balance. Because actual investment returns and tax circumstances vary, the output is a planning projection rather than a tax return calculation.

RMD schedule assumptions

$
years
years
%
Result
—
Total projected RMDs
First-year RMD—
Final-year RMD—
Projected ending balance—
Average annual RMD—

1. Enter the retirement balance
Use the account value that will serve as the opening balance for the first projected RMD year.

2. Set the starting age
Enter the owner’s age for the first year in the schedule. The calculator uses the Uniform Lifetime denominator tied to that age.

3. Choose a projection length
Select how many years to model, up to the age supported by the table.

4. Add an assumed return
Enter an annual growth rate for the balance remaining after each year’s RMD.

5. Review the schedule summary
Use total RMDs, first- and final-year RMDs, and ending balance to compare planning scenarios.

Annual RMD = Prior year-end account balance ÷ IRS distribution period

For projection purposes, the next balance is modeled as: Next balance = (Opening balance − RMD) × (1 + annual growth rate). The distribution period comes from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table for the owner’s age. This model assumes the Uniform Lifetime Table applies and treats the entered return as a smooth annual rate.

What the result means

The main result is the sum of projected required minimum distributions over the selected years.

Actual RMDs depend on real prior-year-end balances and the table that applies to the taxpayer. Verify annual requirements before taking distributions.

Given: $1,000,000 opening balance, age 73, 3 projected years, 4% annual growth.

Calculation: Age 73: $1,000,000 ÷ 26.5 = $37,735.85; next balance = ($1,000,000.00 − $37,735.85) × 1.04 = $1,000,754.72. Age 74: $1,000,754.72 ÷ 25.5 = $39,245.28; next balance = $999,969.81. Age 75: $999,969.81 ÷ 24.6 = $40,649.18.

Result: Total projected RMDs = $117,630.31; ending balance after year 3 = $997,693.46.

Interpretation: The account can remain near its starting level when the assumed return roughly offsets the required withdrawals, but actual market returns will vary.

Why does the planned RMD usually rise with age?

The IRS denominator generally becomes smaller as age increases, so the same balance would produce a larger required withdrawal. Investment performance can offset or amplify that effect because each year starts with a different account balance.

Which IRS table does this planner use?

It uses the Uniform Lifetime Table, the common table for owners whose spouse is not the sole beneficiary more than 10 years younger. A different table can apply in that spouse-beneficiary situation, so this planner should not be used for that case.

Does the first RMD always start at age 73?

Federal required-beginning-age rules depend on birth year and plan type. This page starts the schedule from the age you enter and is intended for users who already know that the selected year is an RMD year.

How is investment growth applied?

For each projected year, the calculator determines the RMD from the opening balance, subtracts the RMD, and then applies the entered annual growth rate to the remaining balance for the next year. Actual returns do not occur smoothly, so real balances will differ.

Can I use this for an inherited IRA?

Not reliably. Inherited-account distribution rules can use different life-expectancy tables and special 10-year-rule requirements. This planner is designed for an owner using the Uniform Lifetime Table.