Since the standard deduction rose, millions of generous households give every year and deduct none of it. Three tools fix that — and none of them reduce what your charities receive by a dollar.
Bunch two years into one
Instead of giving $12,000 each year and taking the standard deduction both years, give $24,000 in January and again the following January — two years of gifts, one year of itemizing. You alternate: itemize in the bunch year, standard deduction the next. Same generosity, thousands more in tax benefit.
QCDs after 70½
A qualified charitable distribution sends IRA money straight to charity — it counts toward your required distribution but never touches your taxable income. For givers over 70½, it's the single best giving tool in the code: better than a deduction, because it also lowers the income that drives Medicare premiums and Social Security taxation.
The December checklist
Fund the donor-advised fund with appreciated stock (deduct fair value, never pay the gain), schedule QCDs before RMD season, confirm eligible charities early, and get written acknowledgments for everything over $250. Do it by early December — custodians get slow when it matters most.
The takeaway
If you give but don't itemize, you're leaving money on the collection plate. We'll rebuild your giving plan around bunching and QCDs before year-end.
