What Are the RMD Rules for an Inherited IRA?

Inheriting an IRA comes with its own set of distribution rules, and the rules that apply to you depend on your relationship to the person who passed away. A surviving spouse has the most flexibility and can roll the inherited IRA into their own IRA, treating it as if it were their own account and using their own RMD schedule. Most other beneficiaries, including adult children and other non-spouse heirs, are subject to the 10-year rule, which requires them to empty the account by the end of the tenth year following the original owner's death. Some beneficiaries, including minor children of the deceased and people who are disabled or chronically ill, qualify for exceptions to the 10-year rule. The rules around inherited IRAs changed significantly with the SECURE Act of 2019 and again with SECURE 2.0, so if you inherited an IRA in recent years, it is worth confirming which rules apply to you.