Death after Required Beginning Date

Beneficiary Distributions Table II

Beneficiary	Rule	Distributions Must Begin	Comment	Required Documents
No designated beneficiary or beneficiary is not an individual	Single account holder’s life expectancy	RMD based on account holder’s life expectancy must be taken by 12/31 of the year of death. Subsequent distributions must be made by 12/31 each year.	Life expectancy is reduced by one each year.	Certified Copy of the Death Certificate Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration if the beneficiary is the estate. Letters of Instruction from the executor or distribution form Estate tax ID number
Non-spouse	For IRAs - the greater of the beneficiary’s life expectancy or Account Holder’s remaining life expectancy (See “If Employer Plans”)	RMD based on account holder’s life expectancy must be taken by 12/31 of the year of death. Subsequent distributions must be made by 12/31 each year.	If there are multiple designated beneficiaries, and the account is not split into separate accounts in the required time frame (12/31 of the year following death), then the life expectancy of the oldest beneficiary is used.	Certified Copy of the Death Certificate Letters of Instruction from the executor or distribution form from each designated beneficiary Beneficiary’s SSN, DOB, and address.
Spouse	Greater of Spouse’s life expectancy or account holder’s remaining single life expectancy	RMD based on account holder’s life expectancy must be taken by 12/31 of the year of death. Subsequent distributions must be made by 12/31 each year.	A spouse also has the right to treat the account as their own or roll over the assets to their own account. However, the spouse must be the sole designated beneficiary to elect to treat the account as their own.	Certified Copy of the Death Certificate Letters of Instruction or distribution form from the spouse Beneficiary’s SSN, DOB, and address.
Trust	(See Trust as Beneficiary)	RMD based on the account holder’s life expectancy must be taken by 12/31 of the year of death. Subsequent distributions must be made by 12/31 each year.	If the underlying beneficiary of the trust is an individual, they can take distributions based on life expectancy rules for non-spouse beneficiary. If they are Not an Individual, for instance, a charity, the five year rule applies.	Certified Copy of the Death Certificate Letters of Instruction form from trustee(s) of the trust and each designated beneficiary Full copy of the trust with all amendments Trust tax ID number