Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Calculator 2026 β€” Retirement Account Order

Compare conventional, Roth-first, and bracket-filling withdrawal strategies. See which account order minimizes your lifetime retirement taxes over 20 years.

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After-tax brokerage, savings accounts
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$
$
Before Social Security
$
At your chosen start age
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β€”
Best Strategy
$0
Conventional Total Tax (20yr)
$0
Roth-First Total Tax (20yr)
$0
Bracket-Fill Total Tax (20yr)

Year-by-Year β€” Best Strategy

AgeYearSS IncomeWithdrawal SourceGross WithdrawalTax OwedTraditional BalanceRoth Balance

How to Use This Withdrawal Strategy Calculator

Enter your starting balances for each account type, your annual spending need, your age, Social Security start age, and expected benefit. The calculator simulates 20 years of withdrawals under three different strategies and shows the total tax paid under each approach.

Accounts grow at your expected return rate between withdrawals. Social Security begins at your chosen age and reduces the amount you need from your investment accounts. Up to 85% of SS benefits may be included in taxable income depending on your combined income.

The Three Strategies

Conventional: Taxable β†’ Traditional IRA/401k β†’ Roth (last)
Roth-First: Roth β†’ Taxable β†’ Traditional IRA/401k (last)
Bracket-Fill: Fill 12% bracket from Traditional, rest from Roth/Taxable

Example

$200K taxable, $500K traditional, $150K Roth β€” $60K annual spend, age 62, SS at 67:
Conventional: Draw $60K/yr from taxable first β†’ zero tax first 5 years (below deduction), then taxable traditional income kicks in
Bracket-Fill: Each year pull up to $48,475 from traditional (12% bracket), rest from Roth. Minimizes future RMD burden.
Result: Bracket-filling typically saves $20,000–$60,000 over 20 years vs. conventional
Extended

Strategy Comparison Dashboard

Side-by-side cumulative tax comparison at years 5, 10, 15, and 20 across all three strategies

Cumulative taxes paid at key milestones under each withdrawal strategy.

MilestoneConventionalRoth-FirstBracket-FillBest at This Point

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the conventional withdrawal order for retirement accounts?
The conventional wisdom is to withdraw from taxable brokerage accounts first (lowest tax impact), then traditional IRA/401k accounts (ordinary income tax), and leave Roth accounts for last so tax-free growth compounds as long as possible. This approach often minimizes taxes in the short term but may not be optimal for everyone.
Why might withdrawing from a Roth account first make sense?
If you expect traditional account balances to grow large enough to trigger Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) or push you into a higher bracket later, withdrawing from Roth early can keep future RMDs lower. It also preserves tax-free growth for heirs and avoids large taxable income spikes in later years.
What is bracket-filling withdrawal strategy?
Bracket-filling means withdrawing from your traditional IRA/401k up to the top of your current tax bracket each year β€” typically filling the 12% or 22% bracket β€” and pulling additional funds from Roth or taxable accounts. This prevents a large traditional balance from forcing higher-bracket withdrawals later via RMDs.
When do Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) start?
Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs begin at age 73 (for those born 1951-1959) or age 75 (for those born 1960 or later). RMDs are calculated as your traditional IRA/401k balance divided by IRS life expectancy factors. Failing to take RMDs results in a 25% excise tax on the shortfall.
How does Social Security timing affect withdrawal strategy?
Delaying Social Security from 62 to 70 increases your benefit by roughly 8% per year. During the gap years before SS starts, you may be in a lower tax bracket β€” making it an ideal time to do Roth conversions or draw down traditional accounts at lower rates. Once SS starts, up to 85% of benefits can become taxable, which affects which accounts to tap.

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