If you’ve reached age 70½, you can make cash donations directly from your IRA to IRS-approved charities. These qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) may help you gain tax advantages. QCD basics QCDs can be made from your traditional IRA(s) free of federal income tax. In contrast, other traditional IRA distributions are wholly or partially taxable, depending on whether you’ve made nondeductible contributions over the years. Unlike regular charitable donations, you can’t claim itemized deductions for QCDs. That’s OK because the tax-free treatment of QCDs equates to a 100% deduction. To be a QCD, an IRA distribution must meet the following requirements: It can’t occur before you’re age 70½. It must meet the normal tax-law requirements for a 100% deductible charitable donation. It must be a distribution that would otherwise be...