The mission and ministry of Easley Presbyterian can be furthered through gifts of securities or qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.

Gifts of appreciated securities, like stocks, can provide an effective way to support Easley Presbyterian Church, receive a personal tax deduction for the gift, and avoid capital gains taxes.

Example

A church member has 100 shares of Apple, Inc. valued at $26,786 that was purchased for $12,000.  This means the unrealized capital gain of $14,786 would be subject to capital gains taxes if the stock is sold.  Alternatively, the church member could donate the stock to EPC; they could receive a charitable deduction of $26,786 and avoid taxes on the capital gains. (The deductibility of gifts of appreciated stock are limited to 30% of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and the stock must have been held for at least one year.)

The church maintains a gift account with a brokerage firm. Contact Dicie (dicie@easleypresbyterian.org  or 864-859-4220) for details on how to donate stock.

In addition to donating securities, IRA owners over 70 ½ years old can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from their IRA account to the church.  In 2025, an IRA owner aged 70.5 or older can make a QCD up to $108,000. For IRA owners who are required to take minimum distributions (RMD), they can use a QCD for some or all of their required distribution, up to the $108,000 limit. By sending this distribution directly to the church, they avoid recognizing the distribution as income and paying taxes on this amount.  The QCD is not deductible as a charitable gift, but the IRA distribution avoids income taxes by going to the church.

This educational illustration is not professional tax or legal advice: consult a tax advisor about your specific situation.