QCD CALCULATOR · RUNS IN YOUR BROWSER · NOTHING UPLOADED

Is a QCD better than giving cash? Put your numbers in.

Type your IRA distribution, Social Security, other income and the gift you plan to make. The tool compares a qualified charitable distribution with the same gift in cash, including the knock-on effect on taxable Social Security and the senior deduction, and shows what the gift really costs after tax.

Arithmetic on assumptions you type. Not tax, legal or financial advice. The example figures are placeholders, not your return; tax-year figures are for 2026; confirm them against IRS publications.

1. Your IRA

2. Other income and deductions

3. Filing status and the gift

Questions people ask

What is a qualified charitable distribution (QCD)?

A direct transfer from your IRA to a qualifying public charity, available once you are 70 1/2 or older. The amount is not included in your income, counts toward your required minimum distribution, and you do not need to itemize. The check must go from the IRA custodian to the charity; money you withdraw first and then give does not qualify.

Is a QCD better than donating cash and taking the deduction?

Usually, and more so if you take the standard deduction. A QCD lowers AGI, which also lowers how much of your Social Security is taxed and can shrink the Medicare IRMAA surcharge, while a cash gift only helps if it is itemized or fits the small non-itemizer deduction. The calculator runs both with your numbers so you can see the gap.

How much can I give as a QCD?

Up to an annual limit per person, indexed for inflation ($111,000 for 2026 in this tool, and editable). A married couple can each give up to their own limit from their own IRAs. Only the part that comes out of an IRA counts; 401(k) money must be rolled to an IRA first.

Does a QCD count toward my RMD?

Yes. A QCD made in the year counts toward that year's required minimum distribution, up to the RMD amount, and the first dollars out of the IRA each year are treated as the RMD. A QCD larger than the RMD is allowed but only the RMD-sized part satisfies it.

Can a QCD go to a donor-advised fund?

No. QCDs cannot go to donor-advised funds, private non-operating foundations or supporting organizations. They must go to a public charity eligible to receive deductible gifts, and you cannot receive anything of value in return.

Is this tax advice?

No. It is arithmetic on the figures you type, using ordinary-income brackets and the tax-year figures shown in the code. Check the IRS Publication 590-B and your return with a qualified professional before you give.

Not decided

Medicare IRMAA (it uses your AGI from two years earlier), NIIT, AMT, gifts of appreciated stock, donor-advised funds, state rules that differ from federal, the 35% cap on itemized benefit at the top bracket, preferential rates on gains and dividends, and each spouse's separate QCD limit. Rates and thresholds can change by law.

Related tools: the RMD calculator, the charity bunching planner, the Medicare IRMAA cliff calculator and the Social Security benefits tax calculator.