It depends. First the plan administrator can give you the life expectancy amount to distribute each year. Spouses can roll the IRA into their own IRA, postponing required minimum distributions (RMDs) until they reach 73 or 75. Alternatively, they can use the "life expectancy" method for inherited IRA RMDs.
The 10-year rule is for a non-spouse. However, as indicated by dmertz, depending on the designation of your spouse on the account, you may be required to take the annual amount your spouse would have had to take or begin a 10-year rule for yourself in 2026. Check with the plan administrator to be sure.
Calculating the required minimum distribution -
The required minimum distribution for any year is the account balance as of the end of the immediately preceding calendar year divided by a distribution period from the IRS’s “Uniform Lifetime Table.” Use a different table if the sole beneficiary is the owner’s spouse who is ten or more years younger than the owner. The following can help determine the payout periods and the amount of your required distribution:
@cassie571
[Edited: 01/31/2026 | 11:33 AM PST]
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