April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which you reach age 73.

Generally, April 1 following the later of the calendar year in which you:

reach age 73, or retire (if your plan allows you to delay taking your RMD until retirement).

Example: You have decided to retire on your 73rd birthday, December 31, 2026. Your employer’s 401(k) plan allows participants to delay taking RMDs until after they retire. Your first RMD is due by April 1, 2027, for the year 2026 (based on December 31, 2025, balance in your 401(k) plan). Your second RMD is due on December 31, 2027, for 2026 (based on December 31, 2025, balance). Subsequent RMDs are due on December 31st thereafter.

If you also had an IRA, your first RMD from the IRA was due by April 1, 2026, for the year 2025. Your RMD from the IRA doesn’t affect the RMD due from the retirement plan.

A retirement plan document may require you to begin receiving distributions after you reach age 73, even if you’re still employed.

Example: John reached age 73 on August 20, 2024. He must receive his 2024 required minimum distribution by April 1, 2025, based on his 2023 year-end balance. John must also receive his 2025 RMD by December 31, 2025, based on his 2024 year-end balance.

If you don’t take any distributions, or if the distributions are not large enough, you may have to pay a 25% excise tax on the amount not distributed as required (10% if withdrawn within 2 years).

For the year of the account owner’s death, the RMD due is the amount the account owner would have been required to withdraw, if any, but did not withdraw. Beginning the year following the owner’s death, the RMD depends on certain characteristics of the designated beneficiary.