Gold IRA RMD Rules After Age 73

If you own a Gold IRA and you're in your 70s, one question matters a lot: when do Required Minimum Distributions start, and how do they work when your IRA holds physical gold or silver instead of just mutual funds?

A Gold IRA still follows the same basic IRS distribution rules as other traditional IRAs. The difference is practical: instead of selling shares, you may be dealing with coins or bars stored in a depository. You can estimate your RMD amount using our RMD calculator.

When RMDs Start for a Gold IRA

For traditional IRAs, including traditional Gold IRAs, RMDs generally begin at age 73 for people who reached age 72 after December 31, 2022. That change came from the SECURE 2.0 Act.

Your first RMD must be taken by April 1 of the year after the year you turn 73. After that, yearly RMDs are generally due by December 31.

Important note: Roth IRAs do not require RMDs during the original owner's lifetime. But most Gold IRAs are traditional, not Roth. For a broader overview of Gold IRA tax considerations, see our Gold IRA tax rules guide.

How Gold IRA RMDs Are Calculated

The IRS does not give Gold IRAs special treatment for the calculation itself. The formula is the same as for other traditional IRAs:

Most IRA owners use the Uniform Lifetime Table in IRS Publication 590-B. For example, at age 73, the life expectancy factor is 26.5 under the current table. If your Gold IRA was worth $106,000 on December 31 of the previous year:

$106,000 ÷ 26.5 = about $4,000

That $4,000 would be your approximate RMD for the year. The tricky part with a Gold IRA is figuring out the fair market value of physical metals as of December 31. To understand how this fits into your overall retirement portfolio allocation, start with a realistic allocation plan.

How Physical Gold Is Valued Inside the IRA

If your IRA owns bullion coins or bars, the custodian must report the account's fair market value (FMV) to the IRS each year, generally on Form 5498. That valuation is usually based on:

• The type of metal held
• Quantity and weight
• Metal purity
• The market spot price
• Sometimes a pricing method used by the custodian or depository

You don't usually calculate this yourself. The custodian does it. But you should still review the reported value for reasonableness, because your RMD is based on that number.

In-Kind vs Cash Distributions

With a Gold IRA, you generally have two ways to satisfy an RMD:

1. Cash distribution

Your custodian sells enough metal inside the IRA to generate the required cash, then distributes the cash to you.

2. In-kind distribution

Instead of selling the metal, the IRA distributes actual coins or bars to you personally. The fair market value of the metals on the date of distribution counts toward your RMD and is generally taxable as ordinary income.

That means if you take gold coins worth $5,000 out of the IRA, that $5,000 generally counts as your taxable IRA distribution. Once the metals leave the IRA, they are no longer inside a tax-advantaged account.

Not every custodian handles in-kind distributions the same way, so ask about process, shipping, insurance, and fees.

What Happens If You Miss an RMD?

If you fail to take your full RMD, the IRS can impose an excise tax on the amount not withdrawn. Under current law, the penalty is generally 25% of the missed amount. If corrected in a timely way, it may be reduced to 10%.

You may also need to file Form 5329. In some cases, the IRS may waive the penalty if the shortfall was due to reasonable error and you take steps to fix it. Still, it is much easier to avoid the problem than clean it up later. Our Gold IRA guide walks through the full setup and distribution planning process.

A Real-World Example

Let's say Ray, a 74-year-old retired machinist, rolled part of an old 401(k) into a Gold IRA a few years ago. His account held mostly gold bullion, and the year-end value reported by his custodian was $132,500.

Using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for age 74, Ray calculates his RMD. He doesn't want to sell all his metal during a weak market, so he asks the custodian to do a partial in-kind distribution of coins equal to the required amount.

That can work, but Ray still owes income tax on the value distributed. The lesson: with a Gold IRA, RMDs are doable, but you need to plan ahead, especially if most of the account is tied up in physical metal. Learn more about situations where a Gold IRA may not be the right fit.

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