Charitable Giving with Purpose: Mastering QCDs and the IRA-to-CGA Rollover
For many retirees, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) create unintended tax burdens — especially for clients who no longer itemize deductions or don’t need the income from their IRAs. Join CPA Larry Pon to enhance your knowledge of one the most powerful charitable planning tools available to these clients: the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).
Attendees will gain a deep understanding of how QCDs allow individuals age 70½ and older to direct up to $105,000 annually (2025 limit) from their IRAs directly to qualified charities — satisfying RMD requirements without increasing taxable income. We’ll compare the tax efficiency of QCDs versus traditional cash donations and highlight key compliance rules that ensure contributions qualify under IRS standards.
The session will also cover an exciting, lesser-known opportunity: the once-in-a-lifetime IRA rollover to fund a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). This provision allows eligible taxpayers to transfer up to $53,000 (indexed for 2025) from an IRA to create a lifetime income stream for themselves or a spouse — while making a meaningful charitable impact. Advisors will learn how to evaluate when this strategy is most beneficial, how it fits into overall retirement income planning, and what pitfalls to avoid in execution.