How to take a qualified certified delivery (QCC) at Vanguard [with Screenshots]

Qualified qualified distributions (QCDs) are the most effective way for seniors to give to charity. You can still see your taxes, but all your donations are made in pre-tax dollars. Also, it can replace some or all of any required minimum distributions (RMDs) for that year. The only downside of QCDs is that they are limited in size to $108,000 [2025 — visit our annual numbers page to get the most up-to-date figures] But inflation has been pointed out and they will not be able to go directly to the Donor Presented Fund (DAF).

Just like we did step-by-step guides to taking your RMDs at Vanguard, this post will be a step-by-step guide to taking a QCD at Vanguard. Note that every time Vanguard changes its website, this guide is out of date and may be out of date until we receive new images. But the basic process should remain the same.

Distribution Courtesy of Vanguard News

The first step is to log in to your private Vanguard account. After that you go up to the top of the top menu, click on “Portfolio” (red arrow), and then go down to “Retrirement Summary” (black arrow).

Make sure the client’s name and tax year are correct, then click on the “Required bottom distribution page” (black arrow).

Now, click the “Request QCD” button, the bottom left path.

Next, select the Fund you wish to take from QCD from (in this case, I chose the fund that I know has money allocated to the spread and then I want to donate QCD, then hit the “Continue” button (all black arrows). Note that you can take QCD from more than one fund in one step here.

When you hit “Continue,” the page changes to allow you to interact with the right side. Use the menu on the right, scroll down to “send me a check payable to charity” and select it (black arrow). After that, hit the “Continue” button (red arrow).

When the information screen appears at the top, hit the “OK” button (black arrow).

Note a few things here.

First, the Vanguard Goofy IT interface often makes you restart the left side at this time, so it is possible to re-select the bag and / or set the QCD value again. Don’t be surprised; It happens a lot. Second, Vanguard will use your default shipping address to send the check. I don’t think you can change this without changing your default shipping address. It’s a security thing.

Type in the name of your chosen charity and make sure it is a legitimate charity that reaches the IRS (Vanguard will not check it; Then hit “Continue” (black arrow).

Next, go to the tax write-off page, similar to what you see at this point in the RMD process. I don’t think most will withhold part of their QCD for tax, but it’s an option if you want to. If I were you, I would set this to 0% (black arrow), and choose how you want the notification to be sent – if there is one (green arrow) – to continue “(red arrow).

Next is the review page, which should look familiar. Check everything, then hit the “Submit” button (black arrow).

The next page is just a confirmation page.

That’s all. In a week or so, the check will appear in the mail, and you can hand deliver it or send it via email of your choice. You can do more than this; Just follow the same process.

More details here:

Why generous wealthy people shouldn’t do a roth conversion

4 things you can do with minimal distribution required (and 1 you can’t)

Bonus! How to take an RMD at Vanguard

This section is especially applicable if you want your required minimum distribution to go to your Vanguard merchant account, not your bank account. Most of this has been covered on the blog in the past and updated from time to time, but I noticed a slight trend in 2025 when I tried to move an RMD to a consumer account. So, I took more photos this year.

You will see if you look closely at the screenshots above that the QCD was $14,344, but the RMD figure was $56,992.85. After QCD, an RMD of $56,992.85-$14,344 = $42,648.85 was still required. Let’s take it!

Start by returning to the main page after logging in. Go to “Portfolio” (black arrow) and find the drop down menu. Note that if you are at RMD age, you may have a “required minimum distribution” component there up front and center. Thank you, Vanguard! It helps a lot.

Also, select “Retary Summary” (black arrow).

Next, check that the name and year of the RMD you want to take are correct, then click on the “Minimum Distribution Distribution” link (black arrow).

Click the “Get Distribution” button (black arrow).

Select the fund or currency from which you wish to take distributions. In this case, I chose to take it from cash and then return to the portfolio a day or two later. I could do all the moves again by taking different amounts from each fund in the account, but that seemed too complicated. Hit the radio button next to your selected bag (black arrow), then hit the “Continue” button (red arrow).

On the next page, select a certain dollar amount (black arrow), put it in the box (red arrow), and hit the “Continue New Order” button (green arrow).

Here’s where things got interesting in 2025. If you want to move your RMD to a bank account, no problem, this will work fine. You just check the radio button next to “YES, take an IRA distribution and send money to a bank account” (black arrow), make sure you’re OK with the withholding tax button, and hit the “Preview” button (check order arrow).

But I didn’t want to transfer the money to the bank account. I wanted to move it to a consumer account, and it wouldn’t let me. It is also worth noting that even though I had already placed the QCD order earlier the same day, the website still told me that the RMD had been removed from this account. That doesn’t update until the next day. The bottom line is that I realized this would not work.

I’m back on the main page, it’s on the dashboard. At that time, I went to the left side of the traditional IRA account that I wanted to take the RMD from, opened the “Transact” menu, and clicked on “Exchange (black arrow).

Actually, maybe that’s me if it has done. What I am actually CHANGED TO “BUYING COMMUNICATIONS,” Which I took from here:

Realizing this was just not where I wanted to be, I saw the link I was looking for: “Use the “full page” page. I don’t know why vanguard does this kind of thing. Maybe trying to make things easier for people, but in reality, I think it’s more complicated. I need more options, so I found the “full sale” page will work, and I was right. That link takes you here:

Select “Sell in dollars” (black arrow), select the fund you want to sell, set the RMD amount (red arrow), and hit the “Continue” button (green arrow).

There is an option we want, “Switch to another bag.” Hit that and “Continue,” and you’ll get here:

Now, I can select a fund in the brokerAge account, enter the RMD amount, and hit “Continue” (black arrows).

Accept delivery of the electronic version of the Fund Prospectus if necessary by clicking “Accept” (black arrow).

Now it’s time to talk about tax withholding notices. While I don’t think anyone looking for restricted money in a QCD for unfair taxes, many people have restricted money in their RMDs. In fact, if you take your RMD a year late, which many do, this is a great way to not owe the IRS a bunch of extra cash at 0%. Instead of making quarterly prorated payments, you can simply pay a lump sum or your annual payment by using an RMD set aside in December.

The IRS doesn’t care when money is withheld, but it does care when quarterly payments are made. If you have money withheld in January or December, it’s all the same to the IRS whether it’s paychecks, pension checks, social security checks, or social security checks, or social security checks, or social security checks. In this case, a decision was made to withhold 20% from the tax. After that, you should click on the radio button to find out if you want to know how this is done, and then click on the “Continue” button (black arrow).

Now, you are on the review page. If everything looks OK, hit “Submit,” and the confirmation page will look similar. Note that the notice from Vanguard still says that none of the RMDs have been taken. But if you go back the next business day, you’ll see this:

Now, you can give yourself a pat on the back! Of course, by the time we publish this and you’re around to take the RMD (probably 2026 or later), Vanguard may have changed its website again. But the process should be the same every year, even if the pages look different.

Does this process make sense to you? Have other RMD or QCC questions?