IRA withdrawals and RMDs | Vanguard (2024)

Withdrawals between ages 59½ & 73*

Restrictions relax at age 59½, and you can withdraw from a Roth or traditional IRA penalty-free.

In addition, with a Roth IRA, you'll pay no taxes on withdrawals, provided your account has been open for at least 5 years.**

With a traditional IRA, you'll owe taxes on the withdrawals of all earnings and any contributions you originally deducted from your taxes.

But remember: Turning 59½ doesn't mean you have to start withdrawing your money.

Withdrawals at age 73*

If you own a Roth IRA, there's no mandatory withdrawal at any age.

But if you own a traditional IRA, you must take your first required minimum distribution (RMD) by April 1 of the year following the year you reach RMD age. For each subsequent year, you must take your RMD by December 31. The RMD amount is based on your life expectancy and the prior year-end balance of your retirement account.

Learn about Vanguard's free RMD Service

Required minimum distributions (RMDs)

Under federal tax law, most owners of IRAs (except Roth IRAs) must withdraw part of their tax-deferred savings each year, starting at age 73*. If you withdraw less than your RMD, you may owe a 50% penalty tax on the difference. RMDs are intended to ensure that the assets in these types of accounts are eventually subject to taxation.

SELF-EMPLOYED OR OWN A SMALL BUSINESS?

You may be able to save even more with a SEP-IRA or SIMPLE IRA.

Learn more about our small-business retirement plans

Withdrawals from an inherited IRA

In general, nonspouse beneficiaries that inherit an IRA from someone that passed away in 2020 or later may be required to withdraw the entire account balance within 10 years. Spousal beneficiaries and certain eligible nonspouse beneficiaries may be permitted to take RMDs over their life expectancy.

You won't pay taxes on withdrawals from an inherited Roth IRA if the original account owner held the IRA for at least 5 years.

But you will pay taxes on withdrawals from an inherited traditional IRA.

Learn more about inherited IRAs

Learn more about RMD rules for inherited IRAs

A word about loans from your IRA

Neither Roth nor traditional IRAs allow you to take loans, but you can access money from an IRA for a 60-day period through a "tax-free rollover" if you put the money back into the same or a different IRA within 60 days. You're limited to only one such "rollover" within a 12-month period, regardless of the number of IRAs you own. Taxes will be withheld from the distribution from your traditional IRA, so you’ll have to use other funds to roll over the full amount of the distribution.

Learn more about "tax-free rollovers"

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IRA withdrawals and RMDs | Vanguard (2024)
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