Updated July 28, 2026. Quick answer: IRAs aggregate: compute the required amount across all of them and take the total from whichever you like. 401(k)s do not. Each employer plan requires its own separate distribution, and taking extra from an IRA does not cover a 401(k) shortfall.
The rule that surprises people
| Account type | Aggregate? | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional IRAs (incl. SEP, SIMPLE) | Yes | Total across all, take from any |
| 401(k), 403(b) with other 401(k)s | No | Each plan separately |
| 403(b)s with other 403(b)s | Generally yes | Aggregate within the type |
| Inherited accounts with your own | Never | Entirely separate — see below |
Someone with three old 401(k)s from three employers must take three separate distributions. Taking the whole amount from the largest leaves shortfalls on the other two, each attracting the excise tax — and the account statements will not warn you, because no custodian sees the others.
Why consolidating before 73 is worth doing
Rolling old employer plans into one IRA converts a multi-account compliance problem into a single calculation. The window to do that cleanly is before RMDs begin — rolling in an RMD year has its own ordering rules.
See the basics and estimator for the underlying calculation this all sits on.
Sources
IRC §401(a)(9) (required minimum distributions); IRC §408(d)(8) (qualified charitable distributions); IRC §4974 (excise tax on shortfalls, as amended by SECURE 2.0); SECURE Act (2019) and SECURE 2.0 (2022); final RMD regulations published 19 July 2024. Cross-checked July 2026 against professional analyses. Indexed dollar limits and correction windows are described rather than asserted.
This states what the cited authority says. It is not tax advice.