This calculator can estimate the annuity payout amount for a fixed payout length or estimate the length that an annuity can last if supplied a fixed payout amount. Please use our Annuity Calculator to estimate the end balance of an annuity for the accumulation phase.
An annuity payout calculator helps you plan the income distribution phase of an annuity - the point at which a lump sum or accumulated fund begins to be paid out in a series of regular payments. This calculator offers two modes:
Both modes account for the interest rate earned on the remaining balance during the payout phase. A companion Annuity Calculator covers the accumulation phase - estimating how large your fund will grow before payouts begin.
An annuity is a financial contract, typically issued by an insurance company, that provides a series of payments over time in exchange for a lump-sum investment or series of contributions. Annuities are primarily used as retirement income vehicles because they can provide guaranteed, predictable income for a specified period or for life - eliminating the risk of outliving your savings.
While banks, mutual funds, and brokerage accounts are the most common way Americans save for retirement, annuities offer something those vehicles cannot: a guaranteed income stream that will not run out regardless of how long you live. This longevity insurance is the core value proposition of annuitization.
The accumulation phase is the period during which cash value builds inside the annuity contract. You may fund it with a single lump-sum premium (as with an immediate annuity) or through a series of contributions over time (a deferred annuity). During accumulation, earnings grow tax-deferred - you owe no income tax on interest, dividends, or capital gains until you begin making withdrawals. This tax deferral allows compounding to work on a larger base than in a taxable account.
Annuitization is the singular event at which the contract transitions from the accumulation phase to the payout phase. You instruct the insurance company to convert your accumulated value into a stream of income payments. This decision is generally irrevocable - once annuitized, you cannot change the payout option or take a lump sum back. In a variable annuity, accumulated units are converted to annuity units at this point, and the income stream may vary based on investment performance.
The payout phase - the focus of this calculator - is when the insurance company distributes periodic payments to the annuitant. Payment amounts are determined by the accumulated value, the credited interest rate, the selected payout option, and the annuitant's life expectancy (for life-contingent options). The payout phase can last a fixed number of years or continue for the remainder of the annuitant's life.
Not all annuities work the same way. Understanding the major types helps you interpret the calculator's results and choose the right product:
When you annuitize, you must choose a payout option. This choice determines who receives payments and for how long. The options differ significantly in payment amount, survivor protection, and flexibility:
When you know the duration of the payout - for example, 20 years - you can calculate the regular payment amount using the present value of an annuity formula. For an ordinary annuity (payments at end of period), the payment is:
PMT = PV × r / (1 − (1 + r)−n)
Where PV is the present value (starting balance), r is the periodic interest rate, and n is the total number of payment periods. For monthly payments at a 6% annual rate over 20 years (240 months), a $100,000 annuity produces a payment of approximately $716.43 per month.
For an annuity due (payments at beginning of period), the payment amount is slightly lower because each payment earns one extra period of interest. The formula is divided by an additional factor of (1 + r).
When you know how much you want to receive each period, you can calculate how many periods the annuity will last using:
n = −ln(1 − PV × r / PMT) / ln(1 + r)
For example, with $100,000, a 6% annual rate, and a desired monthly payout of $600, the annuity will last approximately 360 months (30 years). If the payout amount is set too high relative to the interest earned, the fund will be depleted more quickly.
Note: If PMT ≤ PV × r (the payout is less than or equal to the interest earned each period), the annuity will theoretically last forever, as withdrawals never exceed earnings. The calculator flags this case as "Indefinitely."
To illustrate how starting balance, interest rate, and payout term interact, the table below shows the monthly payment produced by a $100,000 annuity under various combinations (ordinary annuity, monthly payments):
| Payout Period | 3% Rate | 5% Rate | 7% Rate | 10% Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years | $965 | $1,061 | $1,161 | $1,322 |
| 15 years | $691 | $791 | $899 | $1,075 |
| 20 years | $555 | $660 | $775 | $965 |
| 25 years | $474 | $585 | $707 | $909 |
| 30 years | $422 | $537 | $665 | $878 |
Notice how the rate has a substantial impact: a $100,000 annuity at 10% over 20 years pays nearly $410/month more than the same annuity at 3% - a difference of roughly $4,900 per year in income.
An ordinary annuity (also called an immediate annuity) makes payments at the end of each period. This is the most common structure for fixed income annuities. An annuity due makes payments at the beginning of each period, resulting in slightly lower payment amounts for the same fund size and interest rate, because each payment is made one period earlier (and thus earns less interest before being paid out). Most insurance-issued income annuities use the ordinary annuity structure.
Annuities are classified as qualified or non-qualified based on how they were funded - a distinction that has major tax implications:
Qualified annuities are held inside tax-advantaged retirement plans such as traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, Keogh plans, and SEP-IRAs. Contributions are made with pre-tax dollars and are typically tax-deductible. The entire distribution - both principal and earnings - is taxable as ordinary income when withdrawn, because no taxes were paid going in. Qualified annuities are subject to Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rules starting at age 73 (under current law), meaning you must begin withdrawals on schedule whether you want to or not.
Non-qualified annuities are purchased with after-tax dollars outside of a retirement plan. Only the earnings portion of distributions is taxable - the return of your original after-tax investment (your "cost basis") is tax-free. Unlike qualified annuities, there are no contribution limits and no mandatory RMD rules. The IRS uses an exclusion ratio to determine what fraction of each payment is taxable: Exclusion Ratio = Cost Basis / Expected Total Return. For example, if your cost basis is $60,000 and your expected total payout is $120,000, 50% of each payment is tax-free return of principal and 50% is taxable earnings.
Under LIFO (last-in, first-out) rules for non-qualified annuities purchased after August 13, 1982, earnings are considered withdrawn before principal - meaning early lump-sum withdrawals are fully taxable until all earnings have been distributed.
A 1035 Exchange is an IRS provision that allows you to transfer the accumulated value of one annuity contract to another - or to exchange a life insurance policy for an annuity - without triggering a taxable event. Named after Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code, it is the annuity equivalent of a direct IRA rollover.
Valid 1035 exchanges include: annuity-to-annuity, life insurance to annuity, and endowment policy to annuity. The owner, insured, and annuitant must be the same on both the old and new contracts. A partial 1035 exchange allows you to move a portion of your contract's value tax-free, with the cost basis divided proportionally - potentially reducing taxable income on future distributions compared to a full surrender and reinvestment.
1035 exchanges are commonly used to move to a newer contract with better features, lower fees, or a higher guaranteed rate without paying taxes on accumulated gains.
Withdrawing money from an annuity before age 59½ triggers a 10% early withdrawal penalty in addition to ordinary income taxes on any earnings. This penalty mirrors the rules for traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. Exceptions include:
Most annuity contracts also impose surrender charges during an initial period (typically 6–10 years) if you withdraw more than the allowed free withdrawal amount (usually 10% of account value per year). Surrender charges can start at 7–9% and decline by 1 percentage point per year until they disappear.
The interest rate credited during the payout phase has a significant effect on the payment amount and duration. A higher rate means more of each payment is covered by interest, preserving the principal longer and either increasing the payment size (for a fixed term) or extending the payout duration (for a fixed payment). For a $100,000 annuity over 20 years, a 4% rate yields about $606/month, while an 8% rate yields about $836/month - a difference of over $2,750 per year. Over a 20-year payout period, that rate difference produces more than $55,000 in additional total income.
The tax treatment of annuity payouts depends on whether the annuity was funded with pre-tax or after-tax dollars. Payouts from qualified annuities (funded with pre-tax money from a 401(k) or traditional IRA rollover) are fully taxable as ordinary income. Payouts from non-qualified annuities (funded with after-tax dollars) are only partially taxable - the portion representing earnings is taxable, while the return of your original after-tax contribution (the "cost basis") is not. The IRS uses an "exclusion ratio" to determine what percentage of each payment is taxable.
Annuity income does not qualify for the lower long-term capital gains tax rate - all taxable annuity distributions are taxed at ordinary income rates, which can be as high as 37% at the federal level. This is an important consideration when comparing annuities to other investments. However, the tax deferral during the accumulation phase can still be valuable if you expect to be in a lower tax bracket during retirement.
An annuity calculator (like our companion tool) focuses on the accumulation phase - it projects how a lump sum or series of contributions grows over time with compound interest. An annuity payout calculator focuses on the distribution phase - given an accumulated balance, it calculates either the periodic payment amount for a fixed term or how long a given payment amount will last. Both tools together give you a complete picture of an annuity's lifecycle.
For a fixed payout length (ordinary annuity): PMT = PV × r / (1 − (1 + r)−n), where PV is the starting balance, r is the periodic interest rate, and n is the total number of payment periods. For a fixed payment amount, the number of periods is: n = −ln(1 − PV × r / PMT) / ln(1 + r). When the payout equals or is less than the periodic interest earned (PMT ≤ PV × r), the annuity lasts indefinitely.
It depends on whether the annuity is qualified or non-qualified. Distributions from qualified annuities (funded with pre-tax money) are fully taxable as ordinary income. For non-qualified annuities (after-tax dollars), only the earnings portion is taxable - the return of your original cost basis is tax-free, calculated using the IRS exclusion ratio. Either way, annuity income is taxed at ordinary income rates, not the lower capital gains rate.
The Life Only (straight life) option provides the highest monthly payment of any life-contingent payout because it covers just one life with no guaranteed minimum period and nothing passes to heirs. However, this comes with the risk that if you die shortly after annuitizing, the insurance company keeps the remaining value. Payout options with longer guarantees or joint-life coverage provide lower monthly amounts but more protection for survivors or beneficiaries.
The outcome depends on the payout option chosen and the contract terms. Under a Life Only option, payments stop at death with nothing passed to heirs. Under a Period Certain option, remaining payments go to the named beneficiary. Under a Joint and Survivor option, payments continue to the surviving joint annuitant. Under a Life with Period Certain option, if the annuitant dies during the guaranteed period, the beneficiary receives the remaining payments for the rest of that period. Most annuities also include a death benefit during the accumulation phase ensuring heirs receive at least the amount invested.
Yes, but with potential penalties. Most contracts allow annual free withdrawals of up to 10% of the account value without surrender charges. Withdrawals beyond that amount during the surrender period (typically 6–10 years) incur surrender charges of up to 7–9% on the excess. Additionally, any withdrawal before age 59½ is subject to the IRS 10% early withdrawal penalty on earnings, plus ordinary income tax. After the surrender period ends and after age 59½, you can withdraw freely, though taxes still apply to earnings.
A 1035 Exchange is an IRS provision (Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code) that lets you transfer the value of one annuity contract to another - or exchange a life insurance policy for an annuity - without triggering a taxable event. You should consider a 1035 Exchange when you want to switch to a product with better features, lower fees, or a higher guaranteed rate, and you have accumulated gains that you don't want to pay taxes on yet. The owner, insured, and annuitant must be identical on both contracts. A partial 1035 exchange lets you move only a portion of your contract's value while keeping the rest in the original contract.
Standard fixed annuities pay a level dollar amount that does not increase with inflation. Over a 20-year retirement, even 3% annual inflation will erode the purchasing power of a fixed payment by more than 45%. To address this, some insurers offer inflation-adjusted annuities (also called CPI-linked annuities), which start with lower payments but increase annually in line with the Consumer Price Index. Some retirees also build a ladder - pairing a fixed immediate annuity for baseline income with growth assets (stocks, TIPS) to offset inflation over time.