RRIF minimum withdrawal calculator
Once your savings move into a RRIF, the government sets a minimum you must withdraw every year — a percentage of your balance that climbs with age. Enter your RRIF balance and age below to see your 2026 minimum, the factor that applies, and how the required withdrawals grow year by year. This free RRIF minimum withdrawal calculator uses the official CRA prescribed factors.
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How to read this: each bar is one year’s required minimum withdrawal, from your current age onward. Bars rise because the prescribed factor climbs every year — reaching 20% at age 95 — even as your balance is drawn down.
Year-by-year projection
Minimums assume your balance grows at the rate set above, after each withdrawal.
| Age | Factor | Start balance | Minimum |
|---|
How the RRIF minimum withdrawal is calculated
A RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund) is what your RRSP becomes when you turn it into a retirement income stream. The trade-off for years of tax-deferred growth is that the government now requires a minimum withdrawal every year, so the money eventually gets taxed. The formula is short:
Minimum = RRIF balance on January 1 × the prescribed factor for your age
- Balance: the fair market value on December 31 of the previous year.
- Age: your age on January 1 of the withdrawal year.
- Factor (age 71+): a fixed CRA percentage — 5.28% at 71, rising to 20% at 95+.
- Factor (age 70 and under): 1 ÷ (90 − age) — for example 5.00% at 70.
Worked example for 2026: you start the year at age 71 with a $200,000 RRIF. The factor at 71 is 5.28%, so your minimum withdrawal is 5.28% × $200,000 = $10,560 — about $880 a month. You can take more if you want, but never less. Each year the factor climbs, so even if your balance holds roughly steady, the required dollar amount keeps rising. The RRIF minimum withdrawal calculator above runs this for every year at once so you can see the full schedule.
RRIF minimum withdrawal table by age (2026)
This is the full RRIF minimum withdrawal schedule. These prescribed factors apply to every RRIF since 2015 (older pre-1993 plans were brought onto the same schedule). The last three columns show the dollar minimum on common balances — multiply the factor by your own start-of-year balance for an exact figure.
| Age (Jan 1) | Prescribed factor | On $100,000 | On $300,000 | On $500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 651÷(90−age) | 4.00% | $4,000 | $12,000 | $20,000 |
| 701÷(90−age) | 5.00% | $5,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| 71 | 5.28% | $5,280 | $15,840 | $26,400 |
| 72 | 5.40% | $5,400 | $16,200 | $27,000 |
| 73 | 5.53% | $5,530 | $16,590 | $27,650 |
| 74 | 5.67% | $5,670 | $17,010 | $28,350 |
| 75 | 5.82% | $5,820 | $17,460 | $29,100 |
| 76 | 5.98% | $5,980 | $17,940 | $29,900 |
| 77 | 6.17% | $6,170 | $18,510 | $30,850 |
| 78 | 6.36% | $6,360 | $19,080 | $31,800 |
| 79 | 6.58% | $6,580 | $19,740 | $32,900 |
| 80 | 6.82% | $6,820 | $20,460 | $34,100 |
| 81 | 7.08% | $7,080 | $21,240 | $35,400 |
| 82 | 7.38% | $7,380 | $22,140 | $36,900 |
| 83 | 7.71% | $7,710 | $23,130 | $38,550 |
| 84 | 8.08% | $8,080 | $24,240 | $40,400 |
| 85 | 8.51% | $8,510 | $25,530 | $42,550 |
| 86 | 8.99% | $8,990 | $26,970 | $44,950 |
| 87 | 9.55% | $9,550 | $28,650 | $47,750 |
| 88 | 10.21% | $10,210 | $30,630 | $51,050 |
| 89 | 10.99% | $10,990 | $32,970 | $54,950 |
| 90 | 11.92% | $11,920 | $35,760 | $59,600 |
| 91 | 13.06% | $13,060 | $39,180 | $65,300 |
| 92 | 14.49% | $14,490 | $43,470 | $72,450 |
| 93 | 16.34% | $16,340 | $49,020 | $81,700 |
| 94 | 18.79% | $18,790 | $56,370 | $93,950 |
| 95+ | 20.00% | $20,000 | $60,000 | $100,000 |
Do you have to withdraw in the first year?
No. There is no mandatory minimum in the calendar year you open the RRIF. The rule is that you must convert your RRSP to a RRIF by December 31 of the year you turn 71 — but your first required withdrawal does not come until the following year, the year you turn 72. That is why some people deliberately open their RRIF late in their 71st year: they avoid a year of forced taxable income. If you do take money out in that first year, the entire amount is treated as an above-minimum withdrawal and has withholding tax applied.
Withholding tax on RRIF withdrawals
The minimum withdrawal has no tax withheld at source — though it is still fully taxable income you report on your return. Tax is only withheld on the portion you take above the minimum, at these lump-sum rates (for residents outside Quebec):
- 10% on the first $5,000 of excess over the minimum.
- 20% on excess from $5,001 to $15,000.
- 30% on excess over $15,000.
That withholding is just a prepayment of tax — it is credited against your actual bill when you file. The calculator above shows the tax withheld as soon as your planned withdrawal exceeds the minimum.
Using a younger spouse’s age to lower the minimum
If your spouse or common-law partner is younger, you can elect to base your prescribed factor on their age instead of yours. A lower age means a smaller factor, a smaller forced withdrawal, and more money compounding tax-deferred. The catch: the election is made when the RRIF is set up and is irreversible, so it only makes sense if you do not need the extra income. Flip the spouse toggle in the calculator to compare.
Managing RRIF withdrawals and taxes
Because every RRIF dollar is taxable, the minimum can quietly raise your tax bracket and even trigger the OAS clawback once income passes $95,323 in 2026. A few levers help:
- Draw your RRSP down earlier (an "RRSP meltdown") to shrink the balance — and the forced minimums — before 72.
- Split RRIF income with a spouse once you are 65 to move income to the lower earner — see pension income splitting.
- Coordinate with CPP and OAS timing so your highest-income years do not all stack up — see taking CPP and OAS together.
What this calculator doesn’t model
This RRIF minimum withdrawal calculator estimates your minimum and projects it using 2026 factors and a flat growth assumption. It does not calculate your income tax, the Quebec withholding rates, investment fees, or other income sources. For a full, tax-aware retirement picture, use the retirement planner, and check the OAS clawback calculator to see how RRIF income affects your Old Age Security.
Frequently asked questions
How is the RRIF minimum withdrawal calculated?
Multiply your RRIF’s fair market value on January 1 by the prescribed factor for your age that year. For ages 71 and up the factor comes from the CRA’s fixed schedule — 5.28% at 71, 5.82% at 75, 6.82% at 80, rising to 20% at 95+. For ages 70 and under the factor is 1 ÷ (90 − your age). This RRIF minimum withdrawal calculator runs that math for you and projects it forward year by year.
What is the RRIF minimum withdrawal at age 71 and 72?
At age 71 the factor is 5.28%, and at 72 it is 5.40%. So a $200,000 RRIF must pay out at least $10,560 the year you are 71 and $10,800 the year you are 72. The age that matters is your age on January 1, applied to the balance at the start of that year.
Do I have to take a RRIF withdrawal in the first year?
No. There is no mandatory minimum in the calendar year you open the RRIF. You must convert your RRSP to a RRIF by December 31 of the year you turn 71, but your first required withdrawal is not until the following year — the year you turn 72. Many people open the RRIF late in the year they turn 71 to skip a year of forced income.
Is there withholding tax on the RRIF minimum withdrawal?
No tax is withheld on the minimum amount itself — but the full minimum is still taxable income you report at tax time. Withholding only applies to anything you take above the minimum: 10% on the first $5,000 of excess, 20% from $5,001 to $15,000, and 30% over $15,000 (rates for residents outside Quebec). That withheld tax is a prepayment, credited when you file.
Can I use my younger spouse’s age to lower my RRIF minimum?
Yes. You can elect to base the prescribed factor on a younger spouse or common-law partner’s age, which produces a smaller minimum and keeps more money growing tax-deferred. The election is made when the RRIF is set up and cannot be changed later, so it is a one-time, irreversible choice. Toggle the spouse option in the calculator to see the difference.
Can I withdraw more than the RRIF minimum?
Yes — the minimum is a floor, not a cap. You can take out as much as you like in any year; there is no maximum on a RRIF. Anything above the minimum has withholding tax applied at the lump-sum rates and adds to your taxable income, which can also push you into the OAS clawback. The minimum is simply the least you are legally required to withdraw.
What is the RRIF minimum withdrawal percentage by age?
The percentage rises every year: 5.28% at 71, 5.82% at 75, 6.82% at 80, 8.51% at 85, 11.92% at 90, and a flat 20% once you reach 95. Below 71 it follows 1 ÷ (90 − age) — for example 4.00% at 65 and 5.00% at 70. The full schedule is in the table on this page.
Does the RRIF minimum count toward the OAS clawback?
Yes. RRIF withdrawals are fully taxable and count as net income, so large minimums later in retirement can push you past the 2026 OAS recovery threshold of $95,323 and claw back 15 cents of OAS per dollar over. Drawing an RRSP down earlier, or splitting RRIF income with a spouse, can soften that. See our OAS clawback calculator to model it.
Educational tool, not financial advice. Figures use the 2026 prescribed RRIF factors and federal withholding rates for residents outside Quebec. Verify your situation with the CRA or a financial professional.