IRA Distribution - charitable contribution

[oceanlovin'ea]

I have a 1099R from credit union with amount of total distribution from IRA. They automatically distribute the RMD the first of December. But congress didn't pass the patches for tax returns until later in the month of December. So we didn't know until then that part of the RMD could be given to a charitable organization.
We went in and tried to get them to redo the distribution but the person helping us told us that they would issue a check from her account to the charity and that would be sufficient.

In 2013 they actually issued the 1099R's correctly because we were able to intercept the RMD in time.

Can I put the total amount of the distribution in box 1 and the amount minus the contribution in box 2 and then put a statement with the return stating the circumstances of the transaction?

I have to contact the credit union tomorrow about another issue anyway so I can talk to them about this then too. (It is my mother's account)

Linda, EA

[Roland Slugg]

Do you have the year correct in your OP? The QCD for the year 2013 was not delayed by Congress. The QCD for 2012 was held in limbo until Congress finally acted late in December 2012, at which time it was extended for two years ... 2012 and 2013.

In any case, if the RMD was returned back into the IRA within 60-days and the same amount was distributed by December 31st via a direct payment to the charitable organization, then everything should be fine.

I don't know what you mean by "box 1" and "box 2," but of you're asking how to report the IRA distribution and related QCD on the tax return, you do it as follows: Report the amount distributed from the IRA on line 15a, report the portion, if any, that was NOT paid directly to a charity (or charities) on line 15b, and write QCD on the dotted line to the left of line 15b. Your tax prep program should do this for you ... mine does. If the entire distribution was paid directly to one or more charities, line 15b will be zero.

[Burke]

Roland is correct. You don't have to attach a statement, as the software should take care of it and print "QCD" on that line explaining the difference between gross and taxable. Mine has a little worksheet at the bottom of the 1099R to do this.