Retirement · Calculator

Withdrawal sequencer.
Tax-efficient retirement drawdown order.

Given your account balances and income needs, this tool produces a year-1 withdrawal plan: which accounts to draw from, in what order, and what the tax cost is. With IRMAAIncome-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA)A Medicare surcharge added to your monthly premium if your income exceeds certain thresholds.Full definition flagging, RMDRequired Minimum Distribution (RMD)The minimum the IRS requires you to withdraw each year from traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar accounts, generally starting at 73, or 75 if born in 1960 or later. It equals the prior December 31 balance divided by an IRS life expectancy factor. Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s have no RMDs during the owner's lifetime. detection, and Roth conversionRoth conversionMoving eligible retirement money into a Roth account. Pre-tax amounts and earnings generally create taxable income; nondeductible basis is treated under the applicable aggregation rules. Conversions can affect tax brackets and income-based costs, and separate withdrawal rules apply.Full definition opportunity hints.

The question it answersIn what order should I withdraw from my retirement accounts?

Rules: United States. Tax year: models 2026 figures; check the assumptions before using it for another year. Privacy: runs in your browser. What you enter stays on your device unless you copy a share link, which puts your inputs in the link.

US-only. Tax brackets, RMD ages, and IRMAA tiers are US-specific.

Worked example: Age 65. Taxable brokerage $200,000 (50% basis). Traditional IRAIndividual Retirement Account (IRA)A retirement account with tax advantages and eligibility rules. Traditional IRA contributions may be deductible; taxable withdrawals generally enter income. Roth contributions use after-tax money, and qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free.Full definition $600,000. Roth IRA $150,000. Spending need $80,000. Social Security $24,000. Gap to fill: $56,000. Optimal: draw $56,000 from taxable. The realized long-term gain of ~$28,000 may fall in the 0% LTCGLong-Term Capital Gains (LTCG)Profit from selling an asset held over one year, taxed at lower preferential rates than ordinary income.Full definition bracket (married filing jointly, taxable income under ~$98,900 in 2026). Traditional IRA stays untouched, leaving room for Roth conversions in low-income years before RMDs begin at 75.

SITUATION
Age of the Traditional account owner. The RMD and Roth conversion checks use this age.
Used only for the age-65 deductions.
ACCOUNT BALANCES
Cost basis as a percentage of current value. 100% means no embedded gains; 50% means half the value is gain.
YEAR 1 PLAN
INCOME GAP TO FILL
$0
FROM TAXABLE
$0
TAX ON GAINS
$0
FROM TRADITIONAL
$0
TAX (ORDINARY)
$0
FROM ROTH
$0
TAX
$0 (tax-free)
TAX ON WITHDRAWALS YEAR 1
$0
Effective rate on withdrawals: 0%

Estimate, not tax or legal advice. It applies the 2026 rules listed in the assumptions to the numbers you enter. Details this tool does not model can change the result.

How this tool works
  • Conventional withdrawal order (taxable, then Traditional, then Roth) preserves Roth growth longest and uses the lowest applicable tax rates first.
  • The tool fills the income gap from taxable first, then Traditional, then Roth, each capped at its balance. From age 73 the estimated RMD comes out of Traditional first and counts toward the gap. If the balances cannot cover the gap, the tool reports the shortfall. The tax shown is not added to the gap, so paying it takes a further withdrawal.
  • Inputs: a negative amount is treated as $0 and a cost basis outside 0% to 100% is limited to that range, a blank cost basis (with a taxable balance) is treated as 0%, so the whole taxable draw counts as gain, and the tool says so when it does any of this. With no valid age entered, it applies no age-65 deductions, RMD or Roth conversion check; with no valid spouse age on a joint return, no age-65 deductions for the spouse.
  • Long-term capital gainscapital gainsThe profit from selling an asset for more than you paid for it. Taxed differently depending on how long you held the asset. tax: 0% if total taxable income (after standard deductionstandard deductionA fixed dollar amount that reduces your taxable income without itemizing. Most people claim this instead of listing individual deductions.Full definition) is under approximately $49,450 single / $98,900 MFJMarried Filing Jointly (MFJ)A tax filing status where a married couple combines their income and deductions on one tax return. in 2026 ×DON'T TRUST, VERIFYClaim: 0% LTCG bracket extends to ~$49,450 single / ~$98,900 MFJ for 2026 per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.Verify at: IRS Topic 409 ↗ Source 1 in the list belowVerify exact 2026 thresholds at IRS publication and Rev. Proc. annual update.. 15% above that up to ~$545,500 single / ~$613,700 MFJ. 20% above. The tool stacks the gain on top of ordinary income (the taxable part of Social Security, pension and any Traditional draw) after deductions, so part of a gain can fall at 0% and the rest at 15% or 20%.
  • Traditional IRA withdrawals are added to ordinary income and taxed at the marginal rate (0-37% federal in 2026, plus state).
  • Deductions: the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 joint). At age 65 and older the tool adds the extra standard deduction ($2,050 single, $1,650 per spouse) and the $6,000 senior deduction for 2025 through 2028, which shrinks by 6% of income over $75,000 single or $150,000 joint. For joint filers it checks each spouse's age separately. The RMD and Roth conversion checks use the first age entered, taken as the age of the Traditional account owner.
  • RMDs start at age 73 for anyone born 1951 to 1959 and at 75 for anyone born in 1960 or later (SECURE 2.0). The RMD estimate treats the Traditional balance entered as the prior December 31 balance the IRS uses. From age 73 the tool takes the RMD from Traditional before any other account and taxes all of it. If the RMD exceeds the spending gap, the tool reports the surplus, which must still be withdrawn and taxed. It assumes the RMD is taken in the year shown, although a first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the next year.
  • IRMAA tiers above $109,000 MAGIModified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)Your taxable income with certain deductions added back in. The IRS uses this slightly different number to decide if you qualify for some tax breaks.Full definition single / $218,000 MFJ in 2026 apply to 2024 income. Year-1 income is tested two years later against thresholds indexed to inflation, which will likely be somewhat higher; the tool uses the 2026 figures as a stand-in, so income just above them may not raise premiums ×DON'T TRUST, VERIFYClaim: IRMAA tiers begin at ~$109K single / ~$218K MFJ in 2026.Verify at: CMS ↗ Source 2 in the list belowVerify current year's exact IRMAA thresholds at CMS.. The tool flags year-1 income (the taxable part of Social Security, pension, the Traditional draw including any RMD, and the gain) above the first 2026 threshold.
  • Social Security taxation can apply if provisional incomeprovisional incomeThe income figure used to determine how much of your Social Security benefit is taxable. Includes adjusted gross income, tax-exempt interest, and 50% of your Social Security benefit. Up to 85% of SS benefits can be taxable for higher earners. exceeds $25,000 single / $32,000 MFJ: up to 50% of benefits become taxable, and above $34,000 / $44,000 up to 85%. The tool follows the IRS worksheet and recomputes the taxable part with each draw, so a Traditional draw or a gain can add tax twice: once on itself and again by making more of the benefit taxable. It assumes no tax-exempt interest.
  • The 3.8% net investment income tax applies to the smaller of the gain and MAGI over $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ (not indexed). Traditional draws and Social Security are not investment income, but they raise MAGI. The tool counts this tax in the tax on gains.
  • State income tax is not included. Your Traditional IRA withdrawals are likely subject to your state's ordinary income rate as well.
Worked example: filling a $56,000/yr gap
Spending need$80,000/yr at age 65
$24,000$56,000
$24,000/yr Social Security$56,000/yr gap to fill from accounts
Year-1 draw from each account, in order
1stTaxable brokerage$200,000, 50% basis$56,000
$28,000 basis$28,000 gain
The gain may fall in the 0% LTCG bracket
2ndTraditional IRA$600,000$0Untouched, leaving room for Roth conversions before RMDs begin
3rdRoth IRA$150,000$0Untouched, preserving Roth growth longest
The tool subtracts Social Security and any pension from the spending need. From age 73 it takes the estimated RMD from Traditional first and counts it toward the gap; it fills the rest from taxable first, then more Traditional, then Roth. In the worked example (age 65, so no RMD), taxable covers all $56,000/yr, half of that draw is gain, and both IRAs stay untouched.

Not financial or tax advice. Simplified sequencing logic; check state tax with your state revenue department, and Social Security taxation and RMD timing against IRS Publications 915 and 590-B, before acting.

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

This tool runs entirely in your browser: no data is sent to any server. Full rules are under “How this tool works” above. Year-1 math, where “income” means pension plus the taxable part of Social Security at that level of draws:

  • Gap = spending − Social Security − pension (never below 0). From age 73 the RMD is taken from Traditional first and counts toward the gap; the rest comes from taxable, then more Traditional, then Roth, each capped at its balance. Any gap left is reported as a shortfall, and any RMD above the gap as surplus. The tax shown is not added to the gap. Negative amounts count as $0, the basis is limited to 0% to 100%, and a blank basis counts as 0% (the whole taxable draw is gain), each with a note.
  • Deductions = the $16,100 single or $32,200 joint standard deduction; from age 65 add $2,050 single or $1,650 per spouse[3], plus the senior deduction of $6,000 per person less 6% of (income + draw + gain) over $75,000 single or $150,000 joint[4][5]. For joint filers each spouse's age is checked separately.
  • Federal tax = 2026 bracket tax on ordinary income less deductions, plus the gain (taxable draw × (1 − basis %)) stacked on top: any deduction left over offsets the gain, then the gain fills 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 joint of taxable income, 15% up to $545,500 or $613,700, and 20% above[3]. Net investment income tax = 3.8% of the smaller of the gain and (income + draw + gain) over $200,000 single or $250,000 joint[6].
  • Tax on the Traditional draw (the whole draw, RMD included) = federal tax with the draw minus federal tax on income alone. Tax on gains = federal tax with the draw and the gain minus federal tax with the draw alone. Taxable Social Security (IRS Worksheet 1)[7]: provisional income = pension + draw + gain + half of benefits; taxable part = 50% of the excess over $25,000 single or $32,000 joint (at most half of benefits, and at most $4,500 single or $6,000 joint), plus 85% of any excess over $34,000 or $44,000, capped at 85% of benefits. It is recomputed for each of the three tax figures, so a draw's tax includes the benefit it makes taxable.
  • RMD from age 73 with a Traditional balance: Traditional balance, treated as the prior December 31 balance, ÷ the Uniform Lifetime factor (26.5 at 73)[8]. IRMAA note: income + draw + gain above $109,000 single or $218,000 joint, the 2026 thresholds[9], used as a stand-in for the inflation-indexed thresholds that will apply to year-1 income two years later. Roth note, ages 60 to 72 with a Traditional balance: room = the conversion that brings ordinary taxable income (pension + draw + conversion + the taxable part of Social Security at that income, less the deductions at that income) to $105,700 single or $211,400 joint, the top of the 22% bracket; the gain stacks above ordinary income, so it does not use up this room, though it still counts in provisional income and MAGI. The note appears when the smaller of that room and the Traditional balance left after the plan is over $5,000, and says so when the room exceeds that balance.

Not modeled: state tax, tax-exempt interest, investment income other than the gain, years after year 1, and delaying a first RMD to April 1 of the next year. Verify the methodology or inspect the source code in your browser's dev tools.

Where to go from here

Read next

Withdrawal Sequencing

Which accounts to withdraw from first (and why conventional wisdom is often wrong).

Explore further
  • Required Minimum DistributionsRMDs force taxable withdrawals from pre-tax retirement accounts, and missing one is penalized.
  • Roth Conversion TimingRoth conversions pay off most in low-income years: early retirement, a gap year, or a layoff.
  • Roth Conversion Sweet SpotFinds the maximum conversion amount that stays under a target federal bracket ceiling, using 2026 brackets and deductions.
  • RMD CalculatorCalculates this year's required minimum distribution from a prior-year balance and age using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.

Sources

Bracketed numbers and verify badges in the text link to these sources. Figures, rates and rules change: check each source’s date before acting on it.

  1. Internal Revenue Service, IRS Topic 409 ↩
  2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS ↩
  3. Internal Revenue Service, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments). Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  4. Internal Revenue Service, Check your eligibility for the new enhanced deduction for seniors. Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  5. Internal Revenue Service, Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Part V, Enhanced Deduction for Seniors. Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  6. Internal Revenue Service, Questions and Answers on the Net Investment Income Tax. Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  7. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 915 (2025), Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits. Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  8. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B (2025), Appendix B, Table III (Uniform Lifetime). Checked 2026-09-26. ↩
  9. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. Checked 2026-09-26. ↩

Calculators are educational estimates, not financial advice. Disclosures · How pages are reviewed