The Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 introduced a little-used tax trick – you are allowed to donate money directly from your IRA and have it count as part of (or all of) your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). You must be 70-1/2 or older, and the limit is $100K. Who does this benefit? For starters, only those who are taking RMDs, about 9% of the population. Next, it really will just help those who don’t itemize, after all, if you itemize, a charitable donation is a deduction added to your schedule A itemized deductions. Last you have to want to donate to charity anyway. You see, donating $1000 to save $250 in taxes makes little sense. But if you planned the donation anyway, this will save you some tax in the process.
I started by discussing PPA, passed in 2006, so why do I bring this up now? The rule allowing the donation from your IRA had expired in 2009. It was only the Tax Hike Prevention Act passed in December 2010 that revived this opportunity. Since it was passed so late in the year, you have until January 31 to make that donation and have it count for 2010.
Joe
February 12th, 2011 at 3:46 am
[...] Joe Taxpayer tells US readers about donating your IRA RMD. [...]
March 7th, 2011 at 7:38 am
[...] JoeTaxpayer looks at Donating your IRA RMD. [...]
May 16th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Donating your RMD to charity can be beneficial even if you do itemize your deductions, since the donated RMD will not count toward your AGI, which might keep you from having to pay taxes on your Social Security income, and would also reduce the amount needed to reach the 7.5% of AGI for medical cost deductions.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Nice catch. I’d written about the effect of social security being taxed but never combined it with this. Excellent point. Thanks!
August 2nd, 2011 at 2:44 pm
If I reduce my AGI by donating part of the RMD, can I count the amount donated as part of my itemized deductions? Probably not.
August 2nd, 2011 at 6:53 pm
No, Doug, sorry. This benefits those who don’t itemize more than other groups. No double dipping.