Required Mandatory Withdrawals

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I have a government 457K pension. How do I determine the amount of money I must withdraw?

M-MTaxAnswer

Level 15

3. Locate Your IRS Distribution Factor

Most retirees use the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (found in IRS Publication 590-B), which lists a "distribution period" or divisor for each age.

Your Age (on Dec 31)	IRS Divisor (Distribution Period)
73	26.5
74	25.5
75	24.6
76	23.7
77	22.9

(Exception: If your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you, you use the more favorable Joint Life Expectancy Table, which yields smaller required withdrawals).

4. Run the Calculation

Divide your December 31st balance by the IRS divisor to find your mandatory minimum withdrawal.

M-MTax

Level 15

To determine the required mandatory withdrawal—officially known as a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)—from your governmental 457(b) plan, you divide your prior year-end account balance by a life expectancy divisor provided by the IRS.

Because this is an employer-sponsored plan, your plan sponsor or administrator is legally required to calculate this exact amount for you each year and can often automate the withdrawal.

M-MTax

Level 15

1. Confirm Your RMD Age and Eligibility

Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, you do not have to begin taking mandatory withdrawals until you reach a specific age based on your birth year:

Born between 1951 and 1959: Your RMD age is 73.
Born in 1960 or later: Your RMD age is 75.

Note for workplace plans: If you are still actively employed by the government entity sponsoring your 457(b) plan, you can generally delay your RMDs until April 1st of the year after you officially retire, regardless of your age.

2. Gather Your Account Details

To calculate the current year's RMD, you need two items:

Prior Year-End Balance: The total fair market value of your pre-tax 457(b) account as of December 31st of the previous year. (If you have a designated Roth 457(b) balance, exclude it entirely, as original owners no longer have RMDs on Roth workplace accounts).
Your Attained Age: The age you will turn by December 31st of the current year.