Calendar marking December 31, 2026 and April 1, 2027 as the two deadline options for a first required minimum distribution at age 73

If you were born in 1953, your first RMD is for 2026, the year you turn 73. You can delay it until April 1, 2027, or take it by December 31, 2026. If you wait, you'll take two taxable withdrawals in 2027: the delayed 2026 RMD and the regular 2027 one. To get the amount, divide your IRA balance on December 31, 2025 by 26.5. For most people, the real question is whether stacking two RMDs into 2027 raises your taxes and Medicare premiums more than it saves you in 2026. The worked numbers below answer that.

Last updated: October 31, 2026 · By Syed Kaja Moinudeen

Key takeaways
  • Born in 1953 means your RMD age is 73. Your first RMD is for 2026 and the latest you can take it is April 1, 2027.
  • If you delay, you take two RMDs in 2027: the 2026 amount by April 1 and the 2027 amount by December 31.
  • 2026 RMD = December 31, 2025 balance ÷ 26.5. For a $500,000 IRA, that's about $18,868.
  • Doubling up can push you into a higher bracket, shrink the $6,000 senior deduction, make more of your Social Security taxable, and raise your 2029 Medicare premiums.
  • Delaying makes sense mainly when your 2026 income is unusually high or your 2027 income will drop.
  • If you miss an RMD, the excise tax is 25%. It drops to 10% if you correct the shortfall on time, and the IRS can waive it.

Who Must Take a First RMD in 2026 (Born in 1953 = RMD Age 73 Under SECURE 2.0)

The IRS sets the required beginning age at 73 for people who turn 72 after 2022. If you were born in 1953, you turned 72 in 2025 and turn 73 in 2026, so 2026 is your first "distribution year." The IRS RMD page says you must start by April 1 of the year after you reach 73.

The rule applies to traditional IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and employer plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s. It doesn't apply to your own Roth IRA while you're alive.

The Two Deadlines: December 31, 2026 vs. April 1, 2027 — and Why Delaying Means Two RMDs in 2027

The April 1 extension only applies to your first RMD. After that, every RMD is due by December 31 of its own year. The IRS gives the same pattern in its April 1 reminder: the first RMD by April 1 of the following year, the second by December 31 of that same year.

Choice2026 RMD taken2027 RMD takenTaxable withdrawals in 2027
Take it nowBy Dec 31, 2026By Dec 31, 2027One
DelayJan 1 – Apr 1, 2027By Dec 31, 2027Two

How to Calculate Your First RMD: Dec 31, 2025 Balance ÷ 26.5 (Worked Examples for $250K, $500K and $1M IRAs)

Take each account's December 31, 2025 balance and divide it by the Uniform Lifetime Table factor for your age in 2026. At 73 that factor is 26.5. At 74, which is the factor for your 2027 RMD, it's 25.5 (Publication 590-B, Table III). There's one exception: if your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger than you, use Table II instead.

Dec 31, 2025 balanceFactor (age 73)2026 RMD
$250,00026.5$9,434
$500,00026.5$18,868
$1,000,00026.5$37,736

Your 2027 RMD uses your balance on December 31, 2026. If you delay, the money set aside for your 2026 RMD is still in the account on that date, so it's counted in that balance too.

Take It Now or Wait? Side-by-Side Tax Comparison of One RMD per Year vs. Two RMDs in 2027

The two examples below are both single filers aged 73. Both use the 2026 federal rules from Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for both years: a $16,100 standard deduction, a $2,050 extra deduction for being 65 or older, and the 2026 brackets. The IRS hadn't published the 2027 brackets when this was written, so using 2026 rules for both years keeps the comparison on the RMD timing. The examples also include the $6,000 senior deduction. Growth is assumed to roughly replace withdrawals. State taxes are left out.

Profile 1: $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension, $500,000 IRA

 One RMD per yearDelay (two in 2027)
RMDs taken in 2026 / 2027$18,868 / $19,608$0 / $39,216
AGI 2026 / 2027$60,256 / $61,625$25,350 / $84,716
Federal tax 2026 / 2027$4,085 / $4,249$120 / $8,165
Two-year tax$8,334$8,285

For this profile it's close to a wash. Waiting keeps most of the 2026 Social Security out of tax. In 2027, benefits hit the 85% cap, so extra withdrawals no longer drag more Social Security into income. The cost of waiting is that about $740 more leaves the IRA in 2027, because the larger 2027 RMD is based on a larger balance.

Profile 2: $36,000 Social Security, $45,000 pension, $1,000,000 IRA

 One RMD per yearDelay (two in 2027)
RMDs taken in 2026 / 2027$37,736 / $39,216$0 / $78,432
AGI 2026 / 2027$113,336 / $114,816$74,150 / $154,032
Federal tax 2026 / 2027$14,839 / $15,184$5,752 / $24,908
Part B IRMAA surcharge (2028 + 2029, at 2026 rates)$1,949$2,435
Two-year tax + Part B surcharge$31,972$33,095

Here, waiting costs about $1,100. Part of the 2027 income lands in the 24% bracket, the senior deduction shrinks to about $1,258, and the Part B surcharge two years later rises a tier. The Part D surcharge isn't included and would add to the gap.

Hidden Costs of Doubling Up: 2027 Tax Brackets, the $6,000 Senior Deduction Phase-Out, Social Security Taxation and IRMAA in 2029

Tax brackets

For 2026, the 22% bracket for single filers starts above $50,400 and the 24% bracket starts above $105,700 ($100,800 and $211,400 for joint filers), according to the IRS. The 2027 thresholds will be adjusted for inflation, but stacking two RMDs into one year still pushes the top slice of income into a higher bracket.

The $6,000 senior deduction

The senior deduction covers 2025 through 2028. It starts phasing out above $75,000 of MAGI ($150,000 joint), and the IRS describes the cut as 6% of the excess. A double RMD year can wipe out most of it. For how to claim it, see our guide on claiming the $6,000 senior deduction on Schedule 1-A.

Social Security taxation

Up to 85% of your benefits become taxable once provisional income (other income plus half your benefits) passes $34,000 single or $44,000 joint (Publication 915). Inside that phase-in range, each extra RMD dollar can pull 85 cents of benefits into taxable income. That turns a 12% bracket into an effective rate of about 22%.

IRMAA two years later

Medicare premiums are generally based on your tax return from two years earlier, so your 2027 income sets your 2029 premiums (SSA POMS HI 01101.010). In 2026, single filers pay the standard $202.90 Part B premium up to $109,000 of MAGI. The premium rises to $284.10 above that and $405.80 above $137,000 (CMS). The 2029 thresholds will be different.

When Delaying to April 1, 2027 Actually Makes Sense (Lower 2027 Income, Retirement Year, Big 2026 Deductions)

  • 2026 is a high-income year. Examples: a final year of salary, a large capital gain, a severance payment, or a big Roth conversion done before the RMD rules applied.
  • 2027 income will drop. For example, a pension ends, or a spouse's wages or a business sale payment stop.
  • Your Social Security is already, or will be, at the 85% cap in 2027 and your total stays inside the same bracket, as in Profile 1.
  • You need the money in early 2027 anyway and taking it then doesn't change your bracket.

Exceptions and Special Cases: Still-Working 401(k) Rule, Multiple IRAs vs. Multiple 401(k)s, Roth IRAs and Inherited Accounts

  • Still working: If your current employer's plan allows it, you can wait until April 1 after the year you retire. This doesn't apply if you own more than 5% of the employer (IRS). It also doesn't apply to IRAs.
  • Multiple IRAs: Calculate each RMD separately, then take the total from one IRA or split it across several. 401(k) and 457(b) RMDs must come out of each plan separately (IRS comparison chart).
  • Roth IRAs: No RMDs during the owner's lifetime.
  • Inherited IRAs: These have separate rules. You can only combine RMDs across IRAs inherited from the same person (IRS FAQs).

Smart Ways to Satisfy Your First RMD: QCDs, Withholding Instead of Estimated Taxes, and Why Roth Conversions Must Wait

QCDs. A qualified charitable distribution goes straight from your IRA to a charity. It counts toward your RMD and stays out of your AGI. The 2026 limit is $111,000 (Notice 2025-67). Lower AGI also protects the senior deduction and IRMAA. See our QCD deadline guide. If you give smaller amounts without itemizing, compare it with the new $1,000/$2,000 charitable deduction.

Withholding. You can have tax withheld from the RMD itself. Unless you show otherwise, the IRS treats withholding as paid evenly through the year (Publication 505), so a December withdrawal with withholding can cover a shortfall from earlier quarters.

Roth conversions. An RMD can't be rolled over or converted. The IRS says the first dollars you withdraw in a year count toward that year's RMD, so take the RMD first and convert after (IRS).

Missed It? The 25% Excise Tax, the 10% Correction Window and How to Request a Waiver on Form 5329

Any amount you don't withdraw on time faces a 25% excise tax, or 10% if you correct it within the correction window (IRS). If the shortfall came from a reasonable error and you're fixing it, file Form 5329 with an explanation, write "RC" and the amount you want waived, and take out the missed amount as soon as you can.

Your Before-December-31 Checklist and FAQs for First-Time RMD Takers

  • Get your December 31, 2025 balances for each IRA and plan.
  • Divide each by 26.5 and add up the IRA totals.
  • Estimate your 2026 and 2027 income both ways, including your Social Security, pension and any capital gains.
  • Check where both years land relative to $75,000 (senior deduction) and $109,000 (IRMAA, 2026 table).
  • Decide how much goes to charity as a QCD.
  • Set withholding on the distribution.
  • Send the request to your custodian early. Year-end processing can take time.
  • Do any Roth conversion only after the RMD is out.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is my first RMD due if I was born in 1953?

Your first RMD is for 2026, the year you turn 73. The deadline is April 1, 2027, but you can take it any time in 2026. Every RMD after that is due by December 31 of its year.

What happens if I wait until April 1, 2027?

You take two RMDs in 2027: the 2026 RMD by April 1 and the 2027 RMD by December 31. Both count as 2027 income. That can raise your tax bracket, make more of your Social Security taxable, shrink the senior deduction and raise Medicare premiums two years later.

How do I calculate my first RMD?

Divide your December 31, 2025 balance by 26.5, the Uniform Lifetime Table factor for age 73. A $400,000 IRA gives a 2026 RMD of about $15,094. If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger, use Table II in Publication 590-B instead.

What is the penalty if I miss my first RMD?

The amount you didn't withdraw is subject to a 25% excise tax, reduced to 10% if you correct it on time. The IRS can waive it for reasonable error if you file Form 5329 with an explanation and take the missed amount.

Can a QCD satisfy my first RMD?

Yes. If you are 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution sent directly from your IRA to a charity counts toward your RMD and is excluded from income, up to $111,000 in 2026.

I am still working at 73. Do I have to take an RMD?

From your current employer's 401(k), you may be able to wait until April 1 after the year you retire if the plan allows it and you don't own more than 5% of the company. IRAs still require RMDs.

Can I convert my RMD to a Roth IRA?

No. RMDs can't be rolled over or converted. Take the full RMD first, then convert any additional amount you want.

Do I need to take an RMD from my Roth IRA?

No. Roth IRAs have no required minimum distributions while the original owner is alive.

Sources

This article is educational information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.