IRS Tax Deductions for Church Work
If you spend time volunteering to work at your church, you might wonder if you are allowed any tax deductions for doing this work. After all, money that you donate to the church is tax deductible. Tax deductions are available for church volunteer work, and it makes sense to keep track of these expenses to claim them at tax time. You could receive a financial benefit in addition to the spiritual benefits of the work.
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Mileage and Vehicle Expenses
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The IRS allows you to take a deduction for the mileage that you drive your vehicle working while working for the church. While commuting to and from work is not deductible, mileage driven to and from church to volunteer is fully deductible at the rate of $0.14 per mile. Any mileage that you drive while working for the church is also deductible at the same rate. You can choose instead to deduct the actual cost of fuel that you use while driving for charity if you keep track of the costs. Fees paid for parking or tolls while doing church work are also fully deductible.
Un-reimbursed Expenses
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Any un-reimbursed expenses that you pay to help the church complete its work are fully deductible. Examples include postal expenses for a church mailer or materials for a Sunday School class. The taxpayer must keep good records, including a receipt with a notation of the date and time of the purchase, and what the item was used for. If your church required you to purchase and wear a specific uniform that was not usually worn outside of church work, such as a choir robe, your purchase expense for this is deductible as well.
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Childcare
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The IRS has considered in the past that childcare expenses are not deductible as charitable contributions. However, the Tax Court ruled that expenses parents pay for childcare to allow them to leave their children and perform charitable work are deductible, even though the charity did not receive the money directly. This would include a mother who serves meals at a church soup kitchen, and hires a babysitter to watch the kids while she does this.
Other Considerations
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Although you may spend a great amount of time volunteering and working at your church, you are not allowed a deduction for the amount of hours that you work. Also, if your church has a private primary or secondary school affiliated with it, and you work as a paid teacher for the school, you may take a deduction of up to $250 for school supplies that you purchase to use in the classroom.
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