Rex says
The ten-year rule punishes procrastination. Spreading the withdrawals almost always beats one giant year-ten distribution that shoves you into the top bracket.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Withdraw this much this year
$40,000
Total withdrawn over the window
$527,232
Total federal tax, spread evenly
$84,041
Net you keep, spread evenly
$443,191
Total tax if you wait and take it all at the end
$205,835
Extra tax from waiting
$121,794
Your marginal bracket with an even draw
22%
Waiting until the final year costs roughly $121,794 in extra federal tax, because one enormous distribution runs through the top brackets. Spread it.
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How to use this
- 1Enter inherited account balance ($).
- 2Enter years left in the 10-year window.
- 3Enter your other taxable income ($).
- 4Enter filing status.
- 5Enter assumed annual return (%).
- 6Read your withdraw this much this year on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Most non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit an IRA after 2019 must empty it within ten years. If the original owner had already started RMDs, annual distributions are required during those years too. This calculator shows an even-withdrawal schedule, the tax at your bracket, and the cost of the common mistake — waiting until year ten and taking it all at once.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Inherited account balance: 400000 $
- Years left in the 10-year window: 10
- Your other taxable income: 95000 $
- Filing status: Married filing jointly
- Assumed annual return: 6 %
Results
- Withdraw this much this year: $40,000.00
- Total withdrawn over the window: $527,231.80
- Total federal tax, spread evenly: $84,041.00
- Net you keep, spread evenly: $443,190.80
- Total tax if you wait and take it all at the end: $205,834.96
- Extra tax from waiting: $121,793.96
- Your marginal bracket with an even draw: 22%
What each field means
Inputs
- Inherited account balance ($)
- The inherited account balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 400000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years left in the 10-year window
- The years left in the 10-year window used in the calculation. Starts at 10 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–10.
- Your other taxable income ($)
- The your other taxable income used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 95000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Filing status
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Single, Married filing jointly.
- Assumed annual return (%)
- The assumed annual return used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 6 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: -20–20 %.
Results
- Withdraw this much this year
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total withdrawn over the window
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total federal tax, spread evenly
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net you keep, spread evenly
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total tax if you wait and take it all at the end
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Extra tax from waiting
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Your marginal bracket with an even draw
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What is the 10-year rule for inherited IRAs?
For most non-spouse beneficiaries of owners who died after 2019, the entire inherited account must be distributed by December 31 of the tenth year following the year of death. The old 'stretch IRA' — spreading distributions across your own life expectancy — is gone for these beneficiaries.
Do I also have to take annual RMDs during the 10 years?
Yes, if the original owner had already reached their required beginning date. Final IRS regulations confirm annual distributions are required in years one through nine, with the remainder due in year ten. If the owner died before their required beginning date, there are no annual minimums — only the year-ten deadline.
Who is exempt from the 10-year rule?
Eligible designated beneficiaries: a surviving spouse, a minor child of the owner (until majority), a disabled or chronically ill beneficiary, and anyone not more than ten years younger than the owner. They can still use life-expectancy distributions.
Is an inherited Roth IRA taxed?
Qualified distributions from an inherited Roth are tax-free, but the ten-year emptying deadline still applies. Because there's no tax cost to waiting, letting an inherited Roth grow for the full ten years is usually the right move — the opposite of the traditional IRA answer.
Can I roll an inherited IRA into my own IRA?
Only a surviving spouse can. Non-spouse beneficiaries must keep it as a properly titled inherited IRA — taking personal possession of the funds makes the entire amount taxable immediately.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Inherited IRA Calculator — 10-Year Rule Withdrawals (2026). Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/inherited-ira-rmd-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/inherited-ira-rmd-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inherited IRA Calculator — 10-Year Rule Withdrawals (2026) — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Inherited IRA Calculator — 10-Year Rule Withdrawals (2026) — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/inherited-ira-rmd-calculator) (2026).