Tax Deductions and Credits Is This Deductible? My Volunteer Work Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Ginita Wall Published Apr 12, 2017 - [Updated May 6, 2022] 2 min read How do you spend your spare time? Many people spend time giving back to their communities. Whether you volunteer at your children’s schools, the animal shelter, or participate in a local clean-up effort, you may be one of the people who find volunteering to be a way to make a difference in the world. It doesn’t matter if you are using your business skills or hammering a nail for the first time, whatever you do to help a worthwhile cause may have tax benefits. Here’s what you need to know. To take a tax deduction for your volunteer work, no matter what you do, you must be rendering services to a qualified 501 (c)(3) organization that meets the IRS requirements for receiving tax deductible donations. As you might guess, the major public charities are qualified organizations, and many lesser known charities qualify as well. It is important to affiliate yourself with one of those organizations – if you and your best friend decide to clean up the beach one morning, strictly on your own, there won’t be any tax deductions available to you unless you are part of a greater structure. To find out tax-exempt status of a charity, you can use IRS Exempt Organization Select Check. So what can you deduct? Here’s the bad news first. No matter how valuable your time is, you can’t take a deduction for the time you spend in charitable endeavors. Walking the dogs at the local shelter is invaluable, there’s no question, but it doesn’t generate a tax deduction. But wait! Keep reading to find out what you can deduct. Before you go to the shelter to walk the dog, do you put dog treats into your pocket that you bought for that purpose? The expense you incur for the dog biscuits is tax deductible. So are the supplies you buy to use in your child’s classroom, and the bags you purchase to use at the charity-sponsored community cleanup. If you incur fundraising expenses, such as hosting a party for the charity, ka-ching! The expenses of that party are tax deductible. Do you wear a uniform while volunteering? The cost of the uniform and the costs to clean it are deductible. You may also deduct parking fees and tolls, as well as mileage at 14 cents per mile. If you use public transportation during your volunteering, that’s tax deductible as well. So go ahead, pick up the phone and tell your local charity you’d like to volunteer. You’ll get the satisfaction of making a difference, make lots of new friends, and may even garner a tax deduction. Still haven’t filed your taxes? Don’t worry you still have time, but don’t forget those charitable donations you made last year. TurboTax will also ask you simple questions about you and give you the tax deductions and credits you are eligible for based on your answers. Previous Post You Can Deduct That? 6 Surprising Tax Deduction Tips for… Next Post Tax Tips for Last Minute Filers Written by Ginita Wall More from Ginita Wall Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Tax News Intuit TurboTax April Report: A Look at Refunds and S… Tax Planning April 15 is the Tax Deadline: 6 Things You Need to Know… Tax Planning Unable to Pay Your Tax Bill? Here’s What To Do Tax Tips Tax Credits 101: What They Are & How They Work Business How to Know if You Should Invest in Business Insurance Tax Deductions and Credits What Is the Standard Tax Deduction for 2023 – 202… 401K, IRA, Stocks Should You Use Your 401(k) or Retirement to Pay Off Deb… Tax Planning What Happens If You Don’t Pay Taxes? Understanding Pe… Tax Deductions and Credits Family Taxes: Take Advantage of Tax Savings Taxes 101 How Much Do You Have to Make to File Taxes? Demystifyin…