Yes! You can use AI to fill out Request for a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from a Brokerage Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

The form explicitly requires a notary's signature and seal if it is submitted via mail or fax, a detail that is easily overlooked. Submitting a form without the required notarization will cause it to be rejected, leading to significant processing delays until a properly notarized version is received. To avoid this, either use the recommended secure digital upload option which waives the notary requirement, or ensure you visit a notary public before mailing or faxing the document.

This section is only required for individuals who have standing instructions for automatic Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), but many people either miss it when it's required or fill it out when it's not. Failing to complete this section when required can result in incorrect distributions, such as receiving your RMD payment in addition to the QCD when you intended for the QCD to satisfy it. Always verify if you have automatic RMDs scheduled on your account and select the appropriate option to ensure your distributions are handled as intended.

A simple typographical error when entering the brokerage account number is a frequent mistake that stops the entire process before it starts. If the account number is incorrect, the system cannot locate the account, and the request will be rejected for being incomplete or invalid. To prevent this, carefully double-check the account number against a recent account statement. Using a tool like Instafill.ai can help by securely storing and accurately auto-filling this information on subsequent forms.

The form states that self-directed accounts must have sufficient settled cash to cover the distribution, but account holders often submit the request immediately after selling securities, before the trade has settled. This results in the request being denied for insufficient funds, which can cause you to miss important deadlines, especially at year-end. Before submitting the form, log in to your account and confirm that you have enough 'cash available for withdrawal' to cover the full donation amount.

The form specifies a 32-character limit for fields like the charity's name, but people often enter the full, official name which can be much longer. This leads to the name being truncated on the check, which can cause confusion or processing issues for the receiving charity. To avoid this, use a commonly accepted abbreviation or the specific name the charity requests for donations, ensuring it fits within the provided space.

When requesting the check be sent directly to the charity, people sometimes forget to fill out the complete mailing address, including the city, state, and zip code. They may assume the financial institution knows the address, but this information is required for processing. An incomplete address will result in a failed delivery, and the donation will not be completed until the information is corrected and resubmitted.

The form clearly states that a P.O. Box cannot be used for overnight mail, as couriers like FedEx or UPS require a physical street address for delivery. Selecting the overnight option and providing a P.O. Box will cause the delivery to fail, delaying the donation and wasting the $12 overnight fee. If you need expedited delivery, first confirm the charity has a physical street address that accepts courier deliveries.

Account holders sometimes misunderstand the age requirement, believing they are eligible in the calendar year they turn 70½ rather than on the specific date they reach that age. A distribution made before you are officially 70½ years old is not a valid QCD and will be treated as a normal, taxable IRA distribution, negating the tax benefit. You must confirm that you will be 70½ or older on the actual date the distribution is processed, not just sometime during the year.

In the rush to complete the financial details, the final signature and date are often missed, which is one of the most common reasons for rejection. An unsigned form is not legally valid and cannot be processed, forcing a complete resubmission and causing delays. Always perform a final check of the entire document, paying special attention to the signature and date fields on Page 4 before you submit.

The form allows for more than four donations by attaching extra pages, but it requires that each attached page be individually signed and dated. People often attach a simple list of additional charities without the required signatures, meaning only the donations on the main, signed form will be processed. To ensure all your intended donations are made, you must sign and date every single page you attach to the form.