Personal Finance (Not Investing) • Easiest RMD Question Ever

I will turn 73 in August 2028.

Like the OP, I'm also planning ahead for my RMDs.

Your RMD age will be 73, under current law.

But starting the day after you turn 70.5 you can make QCDs (Qualified Charitable Distributions).

QCDs are a way to make charitable gifts with money that is never taxed. QCDs do not add to your AGI (for things like taxability of SS, IRMAA, etc). And any early QCDs you take will lower your future RMDs. It can be very advantageous to deploy QCDs for those (two or three, depending on your birthday) years.

Once you reach RMD age, you can satisfy all or part of RMD with QCDs.

Any QCD amounts are self-reported to IRS and reduce the taxable amount; I believe starting 2025 there is a code Y in box 7 of the 1099-R to indicate that there was some QCD, but AFAIK the QCD amount is not specified.

Here's the Boglehead conversation about new Y coding: New 2025 Distribution code for QCDs.

Statistics: Posted by Flobes — Fri Dec 05, 2025 1:10 am — Replies 17 — Views 2104

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