This little-known tax move takes the sting out of RMDs. Yet 90% of Americans are missing it. How not to be one of them

QCDs are different. There’s no deduction because the money is simply excluded from income, which is “better than a deduction,” said Juan Ros, CFP and partner at Forum Financial Management (1).The majority of Americans — 91% of filers, according to the Tax Policy Center — take the standard deduction instead of itemizing (4). While some choose not to itemize because it can yield a larger deduction, others simply opt for standard deductions because they can be simpler. That means their regular charitable donat ...