Inherited IRA 10-Year Distribution Planner

Map a straight-line withdrawal plan that fully distributes an inherited IRA before the SECURE Act 10-year deadline. Provide the current balance, the years you have left, and optional growth and tax assumptions to reveal the equal annual distribution, the monthly target, suggested withholding, and whether any balance remains under your chosen return scenario.

Current market value of the inherited IRA you must distribute within ten years.
Count forward from the beneficiary year of death; include the current tax year.
Projected annualized return while assets stay invested. Defaults to 4% if left blank.
Use your blended federal and state rate to size an annual withholding target. Defaults to 22% when blank.

Illustrative distribution planner — verify beneficiary rules, tax treatment, and withholding with your financial advisor before executing withdrawals.

Examples

  • $450,000 balance, 8 years, 5% growth, 22% tax ⇒ Equal annual withdrawal: $69,624.82 USD (15.47% of the starting balance). Monthly target to stay on pace: $5,802.07 USD. Withholding at 22.00%: $15,317.46 USD per year. Assuming 5.00% annual growth, the account is depleted after 8 years with an ending balance near $0.00 USD.
  • $220,000 balance, 5 years, 0% growth, 18% tax ⇒ Equal annual withdrawal: $44,000.00 USD (20.00% of the starting balance). Monthly target to stay on pace: $3,666.67 USD. Withholding at 18.00%: $7,920.00 USD per year. Assuming 0.00% annual growth, the account is depleted after 5 years with an ending balance near $0.00 USD.

FAQ

Can I schedule uneven withdrawals?

Yes. Use this tool to benchmark a level plan, then adjust in your spreadsheet for front-loaded or back-loaded distributions while ensuring the total reaches zero by year ten.

Does the calculation handle eligible designated beneficiaries?

The planner assumes the standard 10-year rule. If you qualify for life expectancy stretch rules, use the life expectancy tables from IRS Publication 590-B instead.

How do Roth inherited IRAs change the result?

Roth inherited IRAs still follow the 10-year window, but taxes are generally not due. Leave the tax rate blank or at 0% to reflect that while keeping the withdrawal pacing.

What if markets drop mid-plan?

Update the balance, years remaining, and return assumption annually. The calculator will recast the remaining annual withdrawals so you stay on schedule despite market swings.

Additional Information

  • Withdrawals are modeled as end-of-year cash flows; change the expected return to mirror your portfolio mix while you distribute the account.
  • If you enter a zero return, the calculator simply divides the balance by the years remaining for equal installments.
  • The withholding line multiplies the annual distribution by your marginal rate so you can set quarterly estimated payments or withholdings.

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