Your First RMD at 73: Timing, the April Deadline, and the Two-RMD Trap

For decades the goal with a traditional IRA or 401(k) is to let it grow while deferring tax. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are the point where that reverses: the year you reach age 73, the IRS requires you to start withdrawing — and taxing — a portion of those accounts each year. The rules around your first RMD have a wrinkle that catches many people, and getting the timing wrong can mean two years of withdrawals landing in a single tax year.

When do required minimum distributions start?

Under current law, your required beginning date is tied to age 73. You must take an RMD for the year you turn 73 from your traditional IRAs and most workplace plans, according to the IRS required minimum distribution FAQs. Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs during the original owner's lifetime, so this discussion applies to traditional, pre-tax accounts.

The amount is calculated from your prior-year-end account balance and a life-expectancy factor from the IRS tables in Publication 590-B. The percentage is modest at first and rises gradually with age.

What is the April 1 first-RMD deadline?

Here is the wrinkle. For every year after your first, the RMD deadline is December 31. But for your first RMD only, the IRS lets you delay until April 1 of the year after you turn 73 — the required beginning date, per the IRS RMD FAQs.

So if you turn 73 in 2026, you can take your first RMD any time in 2026, or delay it as late as April 1, 2027.

Why is delaying the first RMD a trap?

Delaying sounds appealing, but it comes with a catch. That April 1 grace period only postpones the first-year distribution — it does not move your second-year deadline. Your second RMD is still due by December 31 of that same following year.

The result: if you push your first RMD (for 2026) into early 2027, you must also take your second RMD (for 2027) by December 31, 2027. That stacks two taxable distributions into one calendar year. Because traditional IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, doubling up can push you into a higher bracket, increase the taxable portion of your Social Security, or raise your Medicare premiums through the income-related surcharge — none of which the calendar-year grace period was designed to trigger. Whether taking the first RMD in the year you turn 73 or waiting until April makes more sense depends on your other income in each year, so it is worth projecting both scenarios before deciding.

What happens if you miss an RMD?

The penalty for falling short is steep but improved from years past. The IRS imposes an excise tax of 25% of the amount you failed to withdraw, which can be reduced to 10% if you correct the shortfall within a two-year window, as described in the IRS RMD rules. These percentages are set by the IRS regardless of the size of your account, which is why calendaring the deadline matters.

Can you soften the tax bite of RMDs?

Several approaches can help, though each depends on your specific circumstances. If you are charitably inclined and at least 70½, a qualified charitable distribution can satisfy part or all of your RMD while keeping that amount out of your taxable income. In the lower-income years before 73, some retirees use Roth conversions to shrink the pre-tax balance that future RMDs are calculated from — reducing, though not eliminating, the RMDs to come. And if you find yourself under-withheld late in the year, the mid-year tax checkup explains a year-end RMD withholding technique that can help. Which of these fits — if any — depends on your income, filing status, age, and state of residence.

A note worth highlighting: RMD rules also apply to most workplace plans like 401(k)s, and the calculation runs account-by-account with some aggregation rules. If you hold several accounts, confirm how the total is figured rather than assuming.

The bottom line

Your first RMD is the one worth planning deliberately. Taking it in the year you turn 73 keeps one distribution per tax year; deferring to April 1 can be reasonable but risks doubling up. Because the right choice turns on your income in each specific year, map out both options — ideally with your tax professional — before the deadline arrives.

This article is general educational information, not tax or investment advice. The RMD age, deadlines, calculation tables, and penalty percentages summarized here are set by the IRS and depend on your specific accounts, age, income, filing status, and state. Consult a qualified tax professional before acting.