IRA owners can have their RMD's used as QCD's. But Qual Plan RMD's cannot?

IRA owners can have their RMD's used as QCD's. But Qual Plans cannot. Is there any way around this?

QCDs are a no brainer for those who give to charity anyway, because QCDs reduce AGI. Normal charitable contributions go on schedule A, which almost no one files anymore.  They get no charitable deduction.

Small business owners who continue to maintain their qual plans have to take RMD's but cannot use the QCD advantage.

Is there any way around that?

Can't you just do an in-service distribution to get most if not all of their balance in the qualified plan into the IRA?  Starting the next year they can have at it.   The current year RMD out of the qualified plan has to be paid obviously.   Sure, you might have to amend the plan to allow in-service distributions and you will have to allow anyone besides the owners who meet the requirements of the in-service.  I would only open the in-service to anyone who is 65 or older if I was going to do this. 

Short of that I am not aware of away around it.  

Sorry ESOP Guy, I just saw your reply. Good idea, but do we get the tax savings of QCD rules. 

I don't see why Plans can't do QCD's like IRA's.

2 hours ago, RayJJohnsonJr said:

I don't see why Plans can't do QCD's like IRA's.

Maybe it's not that significant compared to all of the other minutiae we handle, but I'm grateful that we TPAs don't have to deal with it.

2 hours ago, RayJJohnsonJr said:

Sorry ESOP Guy, I just saw your reply. Good idea, but do we get the tax savings of QCD rules. 

I don't see why Plans can't do QCD's like IRA's.

As I understand it once it gets to the IRA it does.   That first RMD from the plan doesn't.