10/29/2026
Same donation. Same charity. ~$1,700 less in federal taxes. 💡
Here’s a retiree example:
Age 73+, a ~$19,600 RMD from a $500K IRA, plus Social Security. Every year they give $8,000 to their church and local charities.
📝 Path A: Withdraw the RMD, pay the tax, write personal checks.
Federal tax owed: ~$2,680
🏦 Path B: Send $8,000 straight from the IRA to charity as a QCD.
Federal tax owed: ~$980
Why the gap?
✅ The $8,000 never hits taxable income
✅ Less Social Security gets taxed
✅ The standard deduction stays fully intact
✅ Lower AGI can help avoid Medicare IRMAA surcharges
Most retirees take the standard deduction, so a personal check often earns $0 in tax benefit.
⚠️ The golden rule: the money must go directly from the IRA custodian to the charity. Once it lands in your bank account, QCD treatment is lost.
A QCD doesn’t change how much you give. It changes what the IRS sees.
