2026 RMD age lookup
RMD at Age 73: Factor 26.5, Formula, and a Worked Example (2026)
The Uniform Lifetime Table factor for age 73 is 26.5. Divide the prior Dec 31 tax-deferred balance by that factor to get the required withdrawal for a year the account owner turns 73.
Factor 26.5 at age 73
RMD = prior Dec 31 balance ÷ 26.5. This is the same Uniform Lifetime Table factor RMD Compass uses everywhere else on this site — nothing here is a separate estimate.
Source: IRS Publication 590-B, Table III.
Worked example: $500,000 balance
A 73-year-old with a $500,000 prior-year-end balance divides by 26.5: $500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,867.92, computed to the cent.
Educational estimate, not tax advice. Verify with a qualified tax professional.
Eligibility at age 73
Age 73 is the current applicable first-RMD age for anyone born 1951–1959 under the SECURE 2.0 schedule. If that is your birth-year range, the year you turn 73 is the year your first RMD is due — see /first-rmd-deadline for the April 1 exception and its tax-timing trade-off.
Source: Congressional Research Service — SECURE 2.0 RMD age schedule.
Deadline at age 73
Dec 31 of the year you turn 73 is the standard deadline. Because 73 is a first-RMD age for this cohort, the April 1 exception applies: you may delay that one payment to April 1 of the following year, at the cost of possibly reporting two RMDs in that later tax year.
What changes at age 73
One row up, at 72, the factor is larger (27.4) — that age applies only to owners born 1949–1950. One row down, at 74, the factor is smaller (25.5) and the required withdrawal on the same balance is larger.
| Age | Factor |
|---|---|
| 72 | 27.4 |
| 73 | 26.5 |
| 74 | 25.5 |
Source: IRS Publication 590-B, Table III. Full table on /rmd-table.
Plain-language answers
RMD at age 73: questions
What is the RMD factor at age 73?
26.5. Divide the prior Dec 31 account balance by 26.5 for the required withdrawal in a year the owner's age is 73.
Is 73 the age my first RMD is due?
Yes, if you were born 1951–1959. SECURE 2.0 sets your applicable RMD age at 73; anyone born in 1960 or later uses 75 instead.
How much is an RMD at age 73 on a $500,000 balance?
$500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,867.92, computed to the cent.