Required minimum distribution dates for traditional IRAs and 401(k)s — plain answers, IRS-cited, updated for 2026.
Last updated: October 2026 · Covers RMDs due in 2026 and 2027
The RMD deadline is December 31, every year.
The single exception is your first RMD: you may delay it until April 1 of the year after you reach your RMD age — 73 if you were born 1951–1959, 75 if you were born 1960 or later. For most people, waiting until April 1 is a costly mistake, because it forces two RMDs into one tax year. Here's the full decision.
| Date | Who it applies to |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2026 | Final deadline for a delayed first RMD, if you turned 73 in 2025 (born 1952) |
| December 31, 2026 | The annual 2026 RMD — everyone past RMD age with a traditional IRA or 401(k) |
| April 1, 2027 | Extended first-RMD deadline, if you turn 73 in 2026 (born 1953) and choose to delay |
Not sure which row is you? Use the deadline calculator — enter your birth year and it prints your exact dates.
The penalty is a 25% excise tax on the amount you failed to withdraw — reduced to 10% if you correct it within the correction window (generally two years). On a $10,000 shortfall that's $2,500, or $400 if you fix it quickly. How to fix a missed RMD step by step.
Enter your birth year — get your first-RMD date, this year's deadline, days remaining, and an estimated minimum amount.
The dual-deadline decision explained with real numbers — and why the April 1 option backfires for most retirees.
The 25% penalty (10% if corrected fast), Form 5329, and the exact steps to fix one or more missed years.
Every date that matters this year and next — annual deadlines, delayed first RMDs, QCD cutoff, inherited IRAs.
Is your RMD age 73 or 75? Full chart from 1949 through 1968, straight from the IRS comparison chart.
When the full balance must be drained, when annual RMDs also apply, and the year-10 deadline math.