topic Which approach will save more in taxes, contributing stocks/mutual funds from my personal investment account or a QCD from my traditional IRA, my age is 71. in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Which approach will save more in taxes, contributing stocks/mutual funds from my personal investment account or a QCD from my traditional IRA, my age is 71.

user17609972892 — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:14:01 GMT

Re: Which approach will save more in taxes, contributing stocks/mutual funds from my personal investment account or a QCD from my traditional IRA, my age is 71.

Bsch4477 — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:21:01 GMT

If you don’t need the income from your IRA the advantage of the QCD is that it reduces your AGI while not being taxed.

Re: Which approach will save more in taxes, contributing stocks/mutual funds from my personal inv...

DawnC — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:19:02 GMT

It depends. A QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution) usually produces a better tax outcome — especially if:

You use the standard deduction (don’t itemize deductions)
You’re subject to RMDs
You want to keep your AGI lower

But there are situations where donating appreciated stock will produce a better tax outcome. If you itemize and donate stock you held over 1 year, you can deduct the fair market value (FMV) and avoid capital gains tax. But it doesn't reduce your RMD.

QCD

Capital Gains