IRA rollovers

The charitable IRA rollover, or qualified charitable distribution (QCD), is a special provision allowing certain donors to exclude from taxable income -- and count toward their required minimum distribution – certain transfers of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets that are made directly to public charities, including the Virginia Tech Foundation Inc.

Since it was first made available in tax year 2006, many Virginia Tech donors age 70 1/2 or older have used this popular option to support the areas of their choice with tax-wise gifts ranging from $100 to $105,000.

A charitable IRA rollover makes it easier to use IRA assets, during lifetime, to make charitable gifts.

Under current law, withdrawals from traditional IRAs and certain Roth IRAs are taxed as income, even if they are immediately directed to a charity. The donor receives a tax deduction for his or her donation, but various other federal, and sometimes state, tax rules can prevent the deduction from fully offsetting this taxable income. As a result, many donors have chosen not to use IRA assets for lifetime gifts. The charitable IRA rollover eliminates this problem.

• A gift that qualifies, technically termed a “qualified charitable distribution,” is:
  
• Made by a donor age 70 1/2 or older
  
• Transferred from a traditional or Roth IRA directly to a permissible public charity, such as the Virginia Tech Foundation Inc. (If giving in this manner, please tell your broker or fund manager to name you as the donor on the transfer, and if your gift is intended for a particular area have the broker specify that as well.)
  
• Completed during the applicable tax year
  

Yes. An individual taxpayer's total charitable IRA rollover gifts cannot exceed $105,000 per tax year.

If you have not already taken your required minimum distribution in a given year, a qualifying rollover gift can count toward satisfying this requirement.

No. The gift would be excluded from income, so providing a deduction in addition to that exclusion would create an inappropriate double tax benefit.

Withdrawals from a Roth IRA may be tax-free only if the account has been open for longer than five years or if certain other conditions apply. Otherwise, withdrawals are taxed as if they came from a traditional IRA. Therefore, certain Roth IRAs could benefit from a charitable IRA rollover.

No. However, it may be possible to make a tax-free transfer from such other accounts to an IRA, from which a charitable rollover can then be made.

No. Excluded are:

• Donor advised funds

• Supporting organizations

• Private foundations

Who can benefit from using the charitable IRA rollover to make a gift?

• Persons with significant assets in an IRA

• Persons making gifts that are large, relative to their income. (Because a charitable rollover is not included in taxable income, it does not count against the usual percentage limitations on using charitable deductions.)

• Persons having so few deductions that they choose not to itemize

Yes. You can honor your gift pledge to Virginia Tech with one or more qualified charitable IRA rollover transfers of up to $105,000 per person, per calendar year. You can direct your IRA provider to transfer your charitable gift to the Virginia Tech Foundation quarterly, annually, or other timing that works for you. Simply have your provider indicate that the transfer is a gift from you.

Yes, a donor has a one-time opportunity to use $53,000 of a rollover gift to fund a charitable remainder trust or a charitable gift annuity. All of the $53,000 must fund the the life income plan within the same taxable year. Other rules apply. To learn more, contact Virginia Tech’s Office of Gift Planning at 540-231-2813 or giftplanning@vt.edu.

No. While a charitable IRA rollover gift can be made to Athletics, the donor is not permitted to receive substantial benefits, such as ticket privileges, in exchange for the gift. Otherwise, the gift will not be a qualified charitable IRA rollover.

The only permissible benefits from a charitable IRA rollover gift are those that would not reduce the tax deduction for which the donor would have otherwise qualified. At Virginia Tech, a charitable IRA rollover gift is allowed to count toward naming opportunities and toward recognition society memberships such as the Ut Prosim Society and the 1872 Society.

It simply will be included in taxable income as other IRA withdrawals currently are.

While this is a great option, other types of gifts may provide donors with more tax benefits. As with any gift planning question, donors should consult their tax professionals for specific advice.

Absolutely! Whether or not you choose to make a charitable IRA rollover gift, you can still designate the Virginia Tech Foundation Inc. as a beneficiary to receive IRA assets after your lifetime. The lifetime charitable IRA rollover is simply another option for donors who would like to see their philanthropy at work now.

Yes. The current law extends the charitable IRA rollover provision indefinitely – with no expiration date – allowing individuals to make qualifying gifts every tax year.