I added the oblivious investor verbiage as a note and link to the wiki line your reference up top.[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Qualifi ... tributions
The Wiki states: Distributions must be made directly to the charitable organization.
Mike Piper/Oblivious Investor states:
The IRC section that defines qualified charitable distributions (§ 408(d)(8)(B)) explicitly states that the distribution must be made “directly” by the trustee to the qualifying non-profit organization. So I understand why people might be concerned if the check arrives in their own mailbox. But, to be clear:
It’s OK if the check is made out to the charity but delivered to you and you forward it to the charity.
It’s not OK for the check to be made out to you (or for the funds to be electronically distributed from the IRA to your own account). In that case it’s not a QCD. It’s just a regular distribution.
In fact, that’s often preferable to have the check made out to the charity but mailed to you, because it gives you a chance to scan the check for your records.
https://obliviousinvestor.com/qualifie ... st-timers/
It seems that Mike's explanation contains a bit of nuance that the Wiki omits. Would it be useful to edit the Wiki or to include a link to the Oblivious Investor article that provides a deeper level of context?
Statistics: Posted by JBTX — Tue Oct 21, 2025 8:22 pm — Replies 773 — Views 790916