The RMD on $500,000 at 85
Divide the balance on December 31 of last year by the IRS Uniform Lifetime divisor for the age you reach this year: $500,000 ÷ 16.0 = $31,250.00, which is 6.25% of the account. You turn 85 in 2026 (born 1941), and your RMDs started at 70½, so the 2026 amount is due by December 31, 2026.
| Taken | Each payment | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Once a year | $31,250.00 | 1 |
| Quarterly | $7,812.50 | 4 |
| Monthly | $2,604.17 | 12 |
The total only has to be out by the deadline; how often you take it is up to you and the custodian. Withholding federal tax from the RMD counts as paying it, and tax withheld late in the year is treated as paid evenly through it.
The next ten years from 85
Starting with $500,000 at 85 and a 5% return after each RMD comes out. The share you must take rises every year, from 6.25% now to 10.53% at 94.
| Year | Age | Balance at start | Divisor | RMD | Balance at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 85 | $500,000 | 16.0 | $31,250 | $492,188 |
| 2027 | 86 | $492,188 | 15.2 | $32,381 | $482,797 |
| 2028 | 87 | $482,797 | 14.4 | $33,528 | $471,733 |
| 2029 | 88 | $471,733 | 13.7 | $34,433 | $459,165 |
| 2030 | 89 | $459,165 | 12.9 | $35,594 | $444,749 |
| 2031 | 90 | $444,749 | 12.2 | $36,455 | $428,709 |
| 2032 | 91 | $428,709 | 11.5 | $37,279 | $411,002 |
| 2033 | 92 | $411,002 | 10.8 | $38,056 | $391,593 |
| 2034 | 93 | $391,593 | 10.1 | $38,772 | $370,463 |
| 2035 | 94 | $370,463 | 9.5 | $38,996 | $348,040 |
What the return changes
The RMD is a share of whatever the account holds, so the return decides how much comes out over the decade and what is left at 94.
| Return | RMDs paid over ten years | RMD at 94 | Balance after ten years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $286,334 | $25,137 | $213,666 |
| 3% | $326,371 | $32,798 | $287,150 |
| 5% | $356,743 | $38,996 | $348,040 |
| 7% | $390,428 | $46,214 | $420,314 |
Tax on an RMD of $31,250
An RMD from a traditional IRA or 401(k) is ordinary income, and it can make more of your Social Security taxable. Estimated federal tax it adds at 85 on 2026 brackets, with the standard deduction, the 65-and-older amount and the senior deduction. Most states add their own tax; the retirement tax calculator includes it.
| Household | Tax the RMD adds | Share of the RMD | RMD after that tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, $24,000 of Social Security | $2,088 | 7% | $29,162 |
| Married, $42,000 of Social Security | $0 | 0% | $31,250 |
Giving it to charity instead
A qualified charitable distribution of the full $31,250 from an IRA straight to a charity satisfies this RMD and keeps it out of taxable income, because it is under the 2026 limit of $111,000. Giving half, $15,625, leaves $15,625 taxable. QCDs are open from 70½, come only from IRAs (not 401(k)s), and have to be paid to the charity directly. A Roth conversion done before RMDs begin is the other way to shrink them: see the Roth conversion calculator.
RMD on $500,000 at other ages
| Age | Divisor | RMD | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 26.5 | $18,868 | $1,572 |
| 74 | 25.5 | $19,608 | $1,634 |
| 75 | 24.6 | $20,325 | $1,694 |
| 76 | 23.7 | $21,097 | $1,758 |
| 77 | 22.9 | $21,834 | $1,820 |
| 78 | 22.0 | $22,727 | $1,894 |
| 79 | 21.1 | $23,697 | $1,975 |
| 80 | 20.2 | $24,752 | $2,063 |
| 81 | 19.4 | $25,773 | $2,148 |
| 82 | 18.5 | $27,027 | $2,252 |
| 83 | 17.7 | $28,249 | $2,354 |
| 84 | 16.8 | $29,762 | $2,480 |
| 85 | 16.0 | $31,250 | $2,604 |
| 86 | 15.2 | $32,895 | $2,741 |
| 87 | 14.4 | $34,722 | $2,894 |
| 88 | 13.7 | $36,496 | $3,041 |
| 89 | 12.9 | $38,760 | $3,230 |
| 90 | 12.2 | $40,984 | $3,415 |
Every age from 73 to 100 is on the RMD on $500,000 page, and every balance at 85 on RMD at age 85.
Other balances at 85
| December 31 balance | RMD at 85 | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $6,250 | $521 |
| $150,000 | $9,375 | $781 |
| $200,000 | $12,500 | $1,042 |
| $250,000 | $15,625 | $1,302 |
| $300,000 | $18,750 | $1,563 |
| $350,000 | $21,875 | $1,823 |
| $400,000 | $25,000 | $2,083 |
| $450,000 | $28,125 | $2,344 |
| $500,000 | $31,250 | $2,604 |
| $600,000 | $37,500 | $3,125 |
| $700,000 | $43,750 | $3,646 |
| $750,000 | $46,875 | $3,906 |
| $800,000 | $50,000 | $4,167 |
| $900,000 | $56,250 | $4,688 |
| $1,000,000 | $62,500 | $5,208 |
| $1,250,000 | $78,125 | $6,510 |
| $1,500,000 | $93,750 | $7,813 |
| $1,750,000 | $109,375 | $9,115 |
| $2,000,000 | $125,000 | $10,417 |
| $2,500,000 | $156,250 | $13,021 |
| $3,000,000 | $187,500 | $15,625 |
| $4,000,000 | $250,000 | $20,833 |
| $5,000,000 | $312,500 | $26,042 |
| $10,000,000 | $625,000 | $52,083 |
The calculator, set to $500,000 at 85
Set to someone born in 1941, who turns 85 in 2026, with $500,000 on December 31. Change the balance, the birth year or a planned QCD; the tax part takes your Social Security, other income and state.
Born in 1941, you are 85 in 2026, so the IRS divisor is 16.0. Your 2026 required minimum distribution from a $500,000 balance is $31,250.00, due by December 31, 2026.
An RMD is income, so it can move your Medicare premium two years later. Add this RMD in the IRMAA calculator.
With $24,000 of Social Security and $20,000 of other income, filing single, your $31,250 taxable RMD adds about $5,452 of federal tax, 17.4% of it. That is the difference between your tax with and without the RMD, on 2026 brackets.
- RMD calculator: any balance, birth year and QCD, with the full IRS table.
- RMDs by age and balance: every page in this set.
- Inherited IRA RMD calculator for an account you inherited.
- Tax on a $100,000 Roth conversion: converting before RMDs start shrinks the balance they are based on.
- Tax on a $50,000 401(k) withdrawal: an RMD is taxed the same way.
- IRMAA calculator: an RMD can raise Medicare premiums two years later.
Figures checked on against IRS Publication 590-B (2025), Distributions from IRAs, IRS, Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs and T.D. 10001, final required minimum distribution regulations (July 19, 2024).