Charitable donations

[Randall4]

I am donating from my IRA to several charities (QCDs). I am taking the standard deduction on my Federal return. Do I list these same donations in the Charitable Contributions section of TurboTax to get a reduction of my California tax? Am I required to take a standard deduction on my California tax return?

[macuser_22]

No.   A QCD entered in the 1099-R section is already excluded from tax and does not get entered anywhere else.

Qualified charitable distributions.

A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) generally is a nontaxable distribution made directly by the trustee of your IRA (other than a SEP or SIMPLE IRA) to an organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. You must be at least age 70½ when the distribution was made. Also, you must have the same type of acknowledgment of your contribution that you would need to claim a deduction for a charitable contribution.

If you are 70 1/2 or older, the interview will ask if you took the RMD. After that it will ask if you make a charitable contribution. Answer yes and then enter the QCD amount.

The 1099-R box 1 amount will go in the 1040 form line 4b (taxable amount) minus the QCD amount and the total box 1 amount will go on line 4a with "QCD" next to it.

Enter a 1099-R here:

Federal Taxes,
Wages & Income
(I'll choose what I work on - if that screen comes up)
Retirement Plans & Social Security,
IRA, 401(k), Pension Plan Withdrawals (1099-R).

OR Use the "Tools" menu (if online version left side) and then "Search Topics" for "1099-R" which will take you to the same place.

Be sure to choose which spouse the 1099-R is for if this is a joint tax return.
Be sure to pick the correct 1099-R type: Standard 1099-R, CSA-1099-R, CSF-1099-R, RRB-1099-R.

[NOTE: When you get to the "Your 1099-R Entries" screen where you can add another 1099-R, use "continue" to keep going as there are additional interview questions after that screen in most cases. You can always return as shown above.]

[Carol40]

This information is not applicable for 2020 tax returns.  The IRS suspended the RMD for 2020 for those born between July 1, 1949 and sometime in 1950.  But they allowed the QCD deduction from IRA distributions for those individuals.  Thus, when entering the 1099-R and the question is asked "How much of this distribution is an RMD?" the answer is NONE which does not prompt the question "Did you contribute any of this amount to a QCD".