After you reach the age of 72, the IRS requires you to begin taking minimum distributions from your traditional retirement accounts. The amount you have to take out of your account each year is called a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

The amount which you are required to take as a distribution is based on the value of your traditional retirement account on December 31 of the previous year. That value is divided by a number (hereafter called the divisor) provided by IRS based on your age.

There are different tables and formulas used to calculate your RMD divisor based on your particular circumstances. The simplest RMD divisor is for individuals who are older than 72 and is called the Uniform Divisor. There is also the Joint Divisor which is an alternate and more favorable RMD calculation for married couples with more than 10 years difference in their ages.

New rules make it so that most heirs do not have an inherited divisor but instead are subject to the 10-Year or 5-Year Rule, but those who are eligible beneficiaries and still receive stretch provisions use the Inherited Divisor. If you are the spouse of the previous owner, you also have the option of doing a Spousal Rollover with the inherited assets, which counts as though it were your own money and uses the Uniform Divisor.

This calculator has been updated to match the IRS and Treasury Department’s updated divisors for 2022 .

The below calculator calculates divisors for the Uniform divisor (using your birthday), Joint divisor (you and your spouse’s birthdays), and Inherited divisor (your birthday and the previous owner’s date of death). It cannot advise you on if you are permitted to use the divisor it calculates. Please familiarize yourself with the requirements of each before proceeding.

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