Can I Deduct Round-trip Mileage for Charity Work?
You can deduct round-trip mileage costs associated with doing charitable work as long as you follow guidelines outlined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Deductible travel expenses associated with charitable work go beyond mileage though, so hang on to receipts as you travel to ensure you claim all of your allowable deductions.
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Mileage Deduction
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Volunteers can deduct 14 cents per mile if they use their own vehicle in service of a charitable organization, based on the IRS's 2011 standard mileage rates. Such volunteer activities might include participating in, for example, an organization's effort to deliver food to senior citizens. You could choose to deduct the gasoline and oil used by your vehicle instead of taking the mileage deduction, according to the Nolo law information website. However, you can't write off car repair or maintenance expenses for using your vehicle to do charitable work.
Travel Fees
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Taxpayers typically can deduct any parking fees or tolls they pay while driving their vehicle to and from events or locations associated with charitable work that they do. Nolo indicates that people who use public transportation generally can deduct bus, subway or taxi fares they pay that are associated with traveling to participate in volunteer work.
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Other Travel Expenses
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Volunteers don't have to restrict themselves to mileage deductions if they travel out of town in service of a charity. For example, the costs incurred for airfare and meals while traveling to take part in a board meeting for a charitable organization are deductible, according to Nolo. These types of deductions aren't allowed if most of the trip includes recreational activities instead of charity work. For example, merely accompanying a volunteer on an out of town trip for a charitable organization doesn't qualify for travel expense deductions.
Restrictions
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The IRS allows deductions for mileage and other travel expenses only if you're working with qualified organizations, which include churches, museums, veterans' organizations and more. The IRS has a tool on its website that allows users to search for specific organizations to determine whether they qualify for deductions. You also need to itemize deductions on your tax return to claim your travel expenses. Nolo warns taxpayers that they can't double-dip -- meaning you can't claim a deduction on your return for travel expenses if a charitable organization reimbursed the costs you incurred.
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