Required Minimum Distributions aren't an arbitrary percentage — they come from a specific IRS table, and the divisor changes every single year of your life once you're required to take them.
Irs uniform lifetime table calculator, the real divisors
At age 75, the current IRS Uniform Lifetime Table divisor is 24.6 — unchanged since a 2022 IRS regulatory update. A $500,000 traditional IRA balance divided by 24.6 gives a required distribution of exactly $20,325.20 for that year. At 73, the divisor is 26.5; by 90, it drops to 12.2, meaning a larger share of the balance must come out each year as you age.
Rmd age 73 calculator, with the start-age rule built in
Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, RMDs begin at age 73 (rising to 75 for people born in 1960 or later). Enter an age below 73 and this tool tells you directly that no RMD is required yet, instead of calculating a number that doesn't apply.
Rmd divisor by age, sourced from the official table
Every divisor in this tool comes straight from the published IRS Uniform Lifetime Table — the standard table for the most common case (account owner, or a spouse beneficiary not more than 10 years younger). Different tables apply in other beneficiary situations, covered in IRS Publication 590-B.
