RMDs & IRAs

RMD Age: 73 or 75? Check Your Birth Year

Your RMD age is 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1959 and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD is for the year you reach that age and can wait until April 1 of the next year; every later RMD is due December 31. Enter your birth date for your exact years.

SECURE 2.0 rules Verified October 23, 2026

Your details

Date of birth

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Your RMD age

73

Your first RMD is for 2026. You can take it as late as April 1, 2027, but every later one is due by December 31.

First RMD year

2026

First deadline

Apr 1, 2027

Second deadline

Dec 31, 2027

The double-RMD trap

Waiting until April 1, 2027 puts two RMDs — 2026 and 2027 — in the same tax year. That can push you into a higher bracket and an IRMAA tier two years later. Most people are better off taking the first one by December 31, 2026.

Born	RMD age
Born before July 1, 1949	70.5
Born July 1, 1949 – December 31, 1950	72
Born 1951 – 1959	73
Born 1960 or later	75

Show the math

SECURE 2.0 set the RMD age at 73 for people born 1951–1959 and 75 for 1960 or later. Your first RMD is for the year you reach that age; the deadline for that first one is April 1 of the next year (the “required beginning date”). Roth IRAs and, since 2024, Roth 401(k)s have no lifetime RMDs. Still working? Your current employer’s plan may let you wait until you retire (not for IRAs, and not if you own 5%+ of the company).

Next stepNow see the dollar amountYour RMD from your balance, with the year-by-year projection.

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RMD Age Calculator: Your First RMD Year and Deadline

Your required beginning date depends only on your birth date. The first RMD is for the year you reach your RMD age; its deadline is April 1 of the following year, and every later RMD is due by December 31. (Treas. Reg. §1.401(a)(9)-2)

Born	RMD age	First RMD for	First deadline
1951	73	2024	April 1, 2025
1953	73	2026	April 1, 2027
1955	73	2028	April 1, 2029
1960	75	2035	April 1, 2036

People born in 1959 are assigned age 73 by the proposed regulations, though the law's wording is unclear; their first RMD year would be 2032.

Senior man celebrating his birthday at a family dinner — Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels

RMD Age 2026: Who Must Start Taking RMDs This Year

If you were born in 1953, you turn 73 in 2026 and your first RMD is for 2026. You can take it as late as April 1, 2027 — but then your 2027 RMD is also due by December 31, 2027, and both land on one tax return. (IRS: RMD FAQs)

Two groups can skip or delay:

Roth IRAs never have lifetime RMDs, and Roth 401(k)s stopped needing them in 2024.
Still working: your current employer's plan can usually wait until you retire, unless you own 5% or more of the company. IRAs never qualify.

Older man reviewing an investment statement — Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Our take: take the first one in the year you reach the age

The April 1 extension sounds generous, but doubling up two RMDs in one year can push you into a higher bracket and an IRMAA tier two years later. Most people should take the first RMD by December 31. Then work out the dollar amount on the RMD calculator or the RMD table, cut it with a QCD if you give to charity, and know the cost of a slip on the missed RMD penalty calculator.

Then pick the timing: When to Take Your RMD: January, December or Monthly?

Frequently asked questions

Do inherited IRAs follow the same RMD age?

No. Inherited IRAs have their own rules — often annual RMDs and a 10-year deadline — that depend on your relationship to the owner and whether the owner had started RMDs.

I have several IRAs. Do I take an RMD from each?

You calculate the RMD for each IRA, but you can take the total from any one or more of them. The same works across 403(b)s, but not between IRAs and 403(b)s.

What about 401(k)s?

Each 401(k) needs its own RMD from that plan. If you're still working and don't own 5% or more of the company, that employer's plan can usually wait until you retire.

Can I give to charity from my IRA before my RMD age?

Yes. Qualified charitable distributions are allowed from age 70½, years before RMDs start, and they lower your IRA balance and future RMDs.

Sources

Primary sources only. We re-check them whenever an agency publishes new figures.

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