3684 / How are minimum distribution requirements calculated if an individual owns more than one IRA?

If an individual owns more than one IRA, the required minimum distribution (RMD) must be calculated separately for each IRA, but the total for a category (Roth or non-Roth) may be taken from any one or more of the IRAs within the same category. This rule requires aggregation of amounts that an individual is required to take as the IRA owner and a separate aggregation for amounts that an individual is required to take as the designated beneficiary of a decedent’s IRA. Amounts taken as an IRA owner may not be aggregated with amounts taken as a beneficiary for purposes of meeting the minimum distribution requirements. Similarly, distributions from 403(b) contracts or annuities may not be aggregated with IRA distributions to meet the distribution requirements for either type of account.¹

Example: Mark, who is 75 years old, has two IRA accounts that he contributed to during his working years and an IRA that he inherited from his deceased father. One of his IRA balances equals $50,000 (IRA 1)
and the other equals $75,000 (IRA 2); the inherited IRA has a balance of $25,000. Mark’s required minimum distribution from these accounts is as follows:

IRA 1 = $1887

IRA 2 = $2830