IRA Withdrawal Tax Calculator

Calculate the 2026 federal and state tax on a traditional IRA withdrawal, the 10% early-withdrawal penalty and the IRA-only exceptions that waive it, how much of your Social Security the withdrawal makes taxable, and whether the withholding you elect will cover the bill.

By NumbersLab Editorial·Updated for 2026 tax year·Editorial standards

Retiree reviewing an IRA statement — representing federal and state tax on an IRA withdrawal and the early-withdrawal exceptions — Photo by Vlad Sargu on Unsplash

Interactive Calculator

All inputs adjust the result in real time. No data leaves your browser.

Tax Year

IRA Withdrawal Amount

Your Age

years

Filing Status

State of Residence

Other Taxable Income This YearPension, wages, interest, other IRA/401(k) distributions

Social Security Benefits This Year

Federal Withholding You ElectIRA default is 10%; you may choose 0% or more.

Net After Tax and Penalty

$24,02719.9% of the withdrawal

from a $30,000 traditional IRA withdrawal in Texas

Federal Income Tax

$5,973

22.0% marginal bracket

Texas State Tax

No state income tax

10% Early Penalty

59½ or older

SS Made Taxable

$16,900

provisional income $62,000

Withholding vs. the real bill

Gross withdrawal$30,000

Federal withholding elected (10%)−$3,000

Deposited to you$27,000

Actual federal tax + penalty on this withdrawal$5,973

Federal tax still owed at filing$2,973

Net you keep after all tax$24,027

Total taxable income after withdrawal$70,400

The Background

Money coming out of a traditional IRA is ordinary income — there is no capital-gains treatment and no basis unless you made nondeductible contributions. The tax depends on everything else on your return that year, which is why this calculator asks for your other income and Social Security: it computes your federal and state tax with and without the withdrawal and charges the difference to the withdrawal. For retirees, the hidden cost is often Social Security: a $20,000 IRA withdrawal can make up to $17,000 of benefits newly taxable.

Withholding works differently from a 401(k). IRA custodians apply a default 10% federal withholding, and you can elect any other rate, including zero. There is no mandatory 20%. That flexibility cuts both ways: electing too little leaves a bill and possibly an underpayment penalty in April, while many retirees deliberately over-withhold from a year-end IRA distribution to cover tax on other income, because withholding is treated as paid evenly through the year.

Under 59½ the IRS adds 10% unless an exception applies, and IRAs have exceptions 401(k)s lack: up to $10,000 lifetime toward a first home, qualified higher-education costs, and health-insurance premiums while unemployed. Shared exceptions include 72(t) substantially equal periodic payments, disability, unreimbursed medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI, up to $5,000 for a birth or adoption, and $1,000 a year for emergencies. The Rule of 55 does not apply to IRAs — roll a 401(k) into an IRA at 56 and you lose that exception.

Roth IRAs follow ordering rules: contributions come out first, always tax- and penalty-free; converted amounts next, penalty-free after five years; earnings last, tax-free only once the account is five years old and you are 59½. This calculator is for traditional (pre-tax) IRAs and for the earnings portion of a non-qualified Roth withdrawal. Required minimum distributions begin at 73 (75 if born in 1960 or later) and are taxed the same way.

States: nine have no income tax; Illinois, Mississippi and Pennsylvania exempt IRA distributions; many others — among them Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Delaware and Iowa for those 55 and over — exclude a fixed amount of retirement income. Elsewhere the withdrawal is taxed at the state's regular brackets. Inherited IRAs are a separate case with their own 10-year rule; see the inherited IRA calculator.

Frequently Asked

How much tax do you pay on an IRA withdrawal?+

A traditional IRA withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income at your federal bracket (10% to 37%) plus state income tax where it applies, with a 10% additional tax under 59½ unless an exception covers it. Because it stacks on your other income, the same $30,000 withdrawal costs a retiree with $20,000 of Social Security about $4,500 of federal tax but costs a working 45-year-old in the 24% bracket about $10,200 with the penalty. Roth IRA contributions come out tax-free at any age; Roth earnings are tax-free after five years and age 59½.

How much federal tax is withheld from an IRA withdrawal?+

Custodians withhold 10% by default, and you can elect a different rate on the distribution form, including 0%. Unlike a 401(k), there is no mandatory 20%. Withholding is a prepayment: if 10% is less than your actual rate on the withdrawal, you owe the rest when you file and may face an underpayment penalty if the shortfall is large. Many retirees elect a higher rate on a year-end IRA distribution to cover tax on all their income, because IRA withholding is treated as paid evenly across the year.

Can I withdraw from an IRA early without penalty?+

Yes, for specific reasons. IRA-only exceptions: up to $10,000 lifetime toward a first home, qualified higher-education expenses, and health-insurance premiums while receiving unemployment. Exceptions shared with 401(k)s: substantially equal periodic payments under 72(t), total disability, unreimbursed medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI, up to $5,000 for a birth or adoption, $1,000 a year for an emergency, and IRS levies. The Rule of 55 does NOT apply to IRAs — it is a 401(k) exception; see the 401(k) withdrawal tax calculator.

Does an IRA withdrawal affect my Social Security?+

It does not change your benefit, but it can change how much of it is taxed. Social Security is taxed on 'provisional income' — other income plus half of benefits. A single filer is untaxed on benefits below $25,000 of provisional income, taxed on up to 50% between $25,000 and $34,000, and up to 85% above $34,000 ($32,000 and $44,000 for joint filers). An IRA withdrawal counts in full toward that figure, so a $20,000 withdrawal can make as much as $17,000 of benefits newly taxable. The calculator reports that amount separately.

When do I have to start IRA withdrawals?+

Required minimum distributions begin at age 73 for anyone born 1951 to 1959 and at 75 for those born in 1960 or later. The first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the following year, but that means two taxable distributions in one year. Missing an RMD costs a 25% excise tax on the shortfall (10% if corrected within two years). Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMDs. Use the RMD calculator for the exact amount.