Beneficiary Tools

This tool can help you explore your withdrawal options as an IRA beneficiary, as well as calculate required minimum distributions if you are taking beneficiary life expectancy distributions.

Distribution Period

The distribution period (the divisor) is the maximum number of years over which a beneficiary is allowed to take life expectancy payments from an inherited IRA. The distribution period for beneficiary life expectancy payments are obtained from the Single Life Expectancy table.

Note: The distribution period used to calculate required distributions for the IRA Owner's year of death are obtained from the Uniform Lifetime table unless a spouse who is more than 10 years younger than the IRA owner is the sole beneficiary of the IRA when the Joint and Last Survivor table is used.

IRA Type

Traditional IRA: Contributions to a Traditional IRA, in some cases, may be fully or partially deductible. In addition, growth that occurs within a Traditional IRA (including income and gains) accumulates on a tax deferred basis and is not taxed until distributed.

Roth IRA: While there is no tax deduction for Roth IRA contributions, the return of contributions from Roth IRAs is never taxed at the time of distribution. In addition, growth that occurs within the Roth IRA (including income and gains) may also qualify for tax-free distribution if certain requirements are met at the time of distribution.

SEP IRA: A SEP IRA is a Traditional IRA which receives tax-deferred contributions (generally employer contributions) under an employer SEP (simplified employee pension) plan. Amounts within a SEP IRA grow tax deferred and are not taxed until distributed

SIMPLE IRA: A SIMPLE IRA is an IRA that receives tax-deferred contributions (i.e., salary deferrals and employer contributions) under an employer SIMPLE (savings incentive match plan for employees) plan. A SIMPLE IRA can only receive SIMPLE IRA contributions. Amounts held within a SIMPLE IRA grow tax deferred and are not taxed until distributed.

Beneficiary Type

Spouse: Spouse is an individual who is treated as the IRA Owner's spouse under applicable state law on the date of the IRA Owner's death.

Eligible Nonspouse: Eligible Nonspouse for purposes of this tool is any nonspouse beneficiary who, on the date of the IRA owner's death qualified as an Eligible Designated Beneficiary (i.e. disabled as defined under IRC Sec. 72(m), chronically ill as defined in IRC Sec. 401(a)(9)(E)(ii)(IV), a minor child of the deceased IRA owner*, or not more than 10 years younger than the deceased IRA owner).

*Once the child reaches the age of majority, such beneficiary will typically be required to withdraw the remaining balance of the Inherited IRA within 10 years from when the child reaches the age of majority, and no longer eligible for life expectancy distributions.

Eligible Trust (Spouse): Eligible Trust (Spouse) for purposes of this tool is a trust beneficiary that meets the criteria, as necessary, to qualify as an 'Applicable Multi-Beneficiary Trust' and whose underlying beneficiary is a chronically-ill or disabled spouse of the deceased IRA owner.

Eligible Trust (Nonspouse): Eligible Trust (Nonspouse) for purposes of this tool is a trust beneficiary that meets the criteria, as necessary, to qualify as an “Applicable Multi-Beneficiary Trust” and whose underlying beneficiary is a chronically-ill or disabled individual who is not the spouse of the deceased IRA owner.

Ineligible Trust: Ineligible Trust for purposes of this tool is any trust that does not meet the statutory criteria to qualify as an 'Applicable Multi-Beneficiary Trust'. (Note: Pending the publication of IRS guidance, many questions remain unanswered concerning the distribution options available to Ineligible Trusts following the enactment of the Secure Act of 2019.)

Estate: Estate is the deceased IRA Owner's estate

Charity or Other Entity: Charity or Other Entity includes an entity including, but not limited to organizations such as a church, college/university, or other nonperson entity.

IRA Balance

The IRA balance is generally the beneficiary's share of the fair market value in the IRA on December 31 of last year. However, any transactions (i.e., transfers and direct rollovers from employer plans) that were outstanding (i.e. not in an IRA or employer plan) at year-end must be added to the year-end balance when calculating the life expectancy payments.

You selected "Qualified Trust - Multiple Person Beneficiaries" as the beneficiary type. In the "Beneficiaries Date of Birth" field, enter the date of birth of the oldest trust beneficiary.

Start Over

Under the SECURE Act of 2019, the opportunity for nonspouse beneficiaries to take life expectancy distributions has been significantly restricted with regards to IRA owner deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2020. For IRA owner deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2020, life expectancy distributions are typically restricted to

Spouse Beneficiaries
Nonspouse Beneficiaries
For a nonspouse beneficiary to be eligible for life expectancy distributions, he or she must qualify as an “Eligible Designated Beneficiary”. To qualify as an Eligible Designated Beneficiary, a nonspouse beneficiary must be
- disabled as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 72(m),
- chronically ill as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(9)(E)(ii)(IV),
- a minor child of the deceased IRA owner*, or
- not more than 10 years younger than the deceased IRA owner.
*Once the child reaches the age of majority, such beneficiary will typically be required to withdraw the remaining balance of the Inherited IRA within 10 years from when the child reaches the age of majority, and no longer eligible for life expectancy distributions.
Trust Beneficiaries
For a trust beneficiary to be eligible for life expectancy distributions, the underlying beneficiary of the trust must generally be chronically ill or disabled, and, in the case of trusts having more than one beneficiary, the trust must qualify as an “Applicable Multi-Beneficiary Trust”.
Nonperson Beneficiaries (Estate, Charity or Other Entity) under certain limited circumstances

Users of this tool are responsible for ensuring that they meet the criteria for taking life expectancy distributions from the Inherited IRA and are advised to seek competent tax and/or legal counsel to determine eligibility.

Continue Start Over

Enter the following information:

IRA Type

IRA Owner's Date of Birth

Month Day

IRA Owner's Date of Death

Date of Death Month Date of Death Day Date of Death Year

Beneficiary Type:

Beneficiary's Date of Birth:

Beneficiary Month of Death Beneficiary Day of Death Beneficiary Year of Death

IRA Balance:

The IRS has yet to update treasury regulations to reflect changes made to the IRA beneficiary distribution rules by the SECURE Act of 2019. Accordingly, many questions concerning the nuanced details of beneficiary RMD calculations remain unanswered. Pending the release of detailed IRS guidance, the calculations generated by this tool reflect a reasonable, good-faith interpretation of the new, SECURE Act 2019, statutory language governing beneficiary distribution requirements. Beneficiaries are advised to seek competent tax and/or legal advice concerning their unique circumstances.

Beneficiary Tools

This tool can help you explore your withdrawal options as an IRA beneficiary, as well as calculate required minimum distributions if you are taking beneficiary life expectancy distributions.

Did the IRA owner die before 2020?

Distribution Period

IRA Type

Beneficiary Type

IRA Balance

Enter the following information: