topic IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions in Retirement tax questions

IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

shydig — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:42:58 GMT

I'm looking for clarity around surprisingly dynamic IRA rules. I inherited a traditional IRA in 2020 from my dad who was 89. Following the Secure Act, it is my understanding that I have 10 years to withdraw all of these taxable funds. I'm trying to verify that I can take the distributions at my convenience as opposed to annual RMDs. But I have seen some information that suggests that because my dad was already taking RMD's from this account that I may be required to take RMBs as well. Can somebody verify my RMD requirement or point me to documentation that specifies the current rules? Thanks in advance.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

Anonymous_ — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:24:07 GMT

@shydig wrote:

....I have seen some information that suggests that because my dad was already taking RMD's from this account that I may be required to take RMBs as well.

Based upon the facts you stated, you will be required to take RMDs beginning in 2023.

Read the answer by @dmertz in the thread below.

Solved: Successor beneficiary of an inherited IRA - what are the distribution rules? (intuit.com)

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

fanfare — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:33:49 GMT

You may be required because the IRS is proposing rules to that effect, which is different from the current IRS Publication 590 B.

Probably the proposed rule will become official.

@shydig

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

fanfare — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:42:28 GMT

The thread mentioned is overly complicated -dynamic- because the beneficiary (that would be you) died.

You're not dead yet, I see.

@shydig

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

Anonymous_ — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:43:15 GMT

@fanfare wrote:

You may be required because the IRS is proposing rules to that effect, which is different from the current IRS Publication 590 B.

Probably the proposed rule will become official.

It pretty much is official, @fanfare.

See https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-22-53.pdf

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

NCperson — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:11:59 GMT

@Anonymous_ - can you please clarify one aspect of you answer?

@fanfare

If the IRA owned passed in 2020, the beneficiary has 10 years to liqudate the account, with RMDs along the way.

But given all the confusion over the rules implementation of the SECURE ACT, I thought I read that the IRS decided that while the beneficiary was required to take the RMD in 2021 and 2022, the penalty for not doing so was zero (instead of the normal 50%).....

so in this situation, while there is a requirment to take the RMD in 2023 as stated, that is YEAR 3 of the 10 years...... can you clarify that is the case?

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

fanfare — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:33:57 GMT

according to the notice, the regulation does not apply before 2023.

I didn't notice any exemption for 2023, but then again, I didn't drill through every word.

The lack of an RMD before 2023 due to relying on Pub590B will not be penalized.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

NCperson — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:45:57 GMT

@fanfare - but which 10 years are applicable to liqudate the IRA under the circumstances in this instance?

1) 2021-2030

2) 2023 - 2032

3) something else?

my understanding was even though there was all this confusion because the IRS couldn't settled on the rules, that didn't change which 10 years which were applicable for someone passing in 2020. Any clarification on this specific aspect is appreciated!!!!

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

fanfare — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:56:20 GMT

I started using the term anniversary years, because the IRA must be entirely liquidated by Dec 31 of the year containing the 10th anniversary of the owner's death.

This has always been the rule from the new law.

2021-2030

if the owner died in 2021 the tenth anniversary year is 2031, not 2030.

@NCperson

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

Anonymous_ — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 21:03:48 GMT

@NCperson

@fanfare's last post is correct.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

shydig — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:14:16 GMT

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

dmertz — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:02:54 GMT

Beneficiary RMDs start the year following the decedent's year of death, so 2021 is the first year that a beneficiary would be subject to RMDs under the requirements of the SECURE Act. The SECURE Act changes only apply with respect to decedents dying after 2019. Even under the old rules, RMDs were already waived for 2020 by the CARES Act.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

shydig — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:03:17 GMT

My message stated that I inherited a traditional IRA from my dad who was 89? I'm not sure how you concluded that I was dead?

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

dmertz — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:06:11 GMT

fanfare was indicating that my post on another thread regarding RMD requirements of a successor beneficiary did not apply because you, the original beneficiary, are not dead.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

shydig — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 22:41:28 GMT

Thanks for all of the responses. Thanks for understanding my confusion. The rules and timing aren't very clear for us folks that aren't tax professionals. Your messages help me feel that I am currently compliant and penalty-free.

So I have a follow on question. I took no distribution in 2020 (the year of dad's death). In 2021 I took a distribution of about 13% of the account total at that time. I believe I have 9 more years for distributions. I plan on taking a distribution for 2022. How do I calculate my minimum required annual distributions? I've seen some free calculators online but none accommodate an inherited IRA on the 10-year plan.

Thanks in advance again for any insights you can provide.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

dmertz — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:31:27 GMT

Your RMD for a particular year is the previous year's year-end balance divided by the life-expectancy factor for the particular year. Your life-expectancy factor for the particular year is the factor from the Single Life Expectancy Table (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b#en_US_2021_publink100089977) for your age attained in 2021 reduced by 1 for each subsequent year. For example, if you attained age 64 in 2021, the factor for 2022 would be 23.7 - 1 = 22.7.

Re: IRA beneficiary - Required Minimum Distributions

shydig — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 02:45:28 GMT

Thank you dmertz