On Mar 21, 9:23*pm, "removeps-gro...[at]yahoo.com" <removeps-
gro...[at]yahoo.com> wrote:

- quote -

Public schools qualify to receive deductible contributions because
they are part of the governments that operate them.

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On Mar 21, 3:38 pm, Tom Russ <t...[at]isi.edu> wrote:

- quote -

It's pushing the edge, and I hope someone else can reply. As for me,
I'd say debates, sports, bands/orchestra are generally personal events
and not deductible. But volunteering in a soup kitchen is charitable;
and performing in debates, sports, or bands for a fundraiser to raise
money for a qualified charitable purpose is also charitable -- so if
you drive your child to these events the miles would in my opinion be
deductible. The publication does not seem to address whether if you
drive your child to these events, the miles are deductible on your
return or the child's, but I think it should be deductible on your
return.


- quote -

Yes, I would say that these miles are deductible, but I'd be cautious
about writing off miles when the end result is personal benefit.

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On Mar 20, 6:57 am, Bill Brown <brow...[at]longwood.edu> wrote:

- quote -

Thanks for pointing out. I read up on it at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p526/ar02.html.
But I also read that money spent to lobby government is not
deductible. So if I donate a traffic light to my city, it would be
deductible, right?

- quote -

What about public schools?

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On Mar 19, 11:37*pm, "removeps-gro...[at]yahoo.com" <removeps-
gro...[at]yahoo.com> wrote:
- quote -

The answers below pertain to the situation where the child is doing
the volunteering.

I was interested in deductibility of out-of-pocket expenses (i.e.,
mileage) from the point of view of the driver.

- quote -

But presumably if one is driving one's own child to participate in,
say a debate tournament, this would not be deductible.

- quote -

What about this case, where one is enabling the operation of the
organization. One is providing transportation to allow participation
in an event that is being done to advance, say, the education of the
group. Presumably the miles are deductible.

If it makes any difference, consider an alternate scenario where a
person drives one's personal van around town to pick up children or
elderly worshippers and transport them to church. The mileage would
be deductible, correct? Is this different from driving a debate team,
sports team or band to a school-sanctioned event?


- quote -

Again, what if the volunteer activity in question is the driving, and
not the performance of specific services at the location?

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On Mar 20, 2:37*am, "removeps-gro...[at]yahoo.com" <removeps-
gro...[at]yahoo.com> wrote:
- quote -

Out of pocket expenses incurred doing volunteer work for a government
organization or a qualified education institution are deductible as
charitable contributions.
By the way, many privately operated education institutions (Duke
University comes to mind) are 501(c)(3) organizations.

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On Mar 19, 12:10 pm, Tom Russ <t...[at]isi.edu> wrote:

- quote -

It has to be a 501(c)(3). I'm not sure if donations to schools are
501(c)(3) deductible. Certainly government organizations are not
501(c)(3).

- quote -

If the child is volunteering at the 501(c)(3), then I'd imagine the
miles are deductible -- like if you drive them to the soup kitchen. I
was thinking just now that it might be deductible on the child's
return only (in which case it would probably be meaningless as the
standard deduction of $850 might be more than the itemized deduction),
but then again, I'm not sure.

- quote -

Same, they all have to volunteer at the 501(c)(3).

- quote -

If they all volunteer at the 501(c)(3), I don't see why not.

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Well, I'll piggy-back some questions on this thread since they are
related.

Consider a situation where one is doing volunteer work to support, say
an academic club at a local public school.

Presumably this has the potential for being a valid charitable
deduction since it goes to a local government or a non-profit school.
Correct?

OK. Now suppose you are the leader of this group and accompany the
group to a competition. Based on reading the information in p526
about troop leaders on camping trips (p.5, Example 1), this would seem
to make the mileage and other necessary expenses deductible. Right?

Now, suppose that a parent drives their child to such an event. I
would guess this falls in the category of personal expense, since it
is to allow their child to participate, rather than facilitating the
group activity. Non-deductible, correct?

Other facts. Suppose a person provides transportation for several
children, none of them related to the driver. Deductible? Right?

And now the $64,000 (or at least $0.14) question: What is the
treatment if a parent drives a group of children to such an event,
including one of their own offspring. Is this deductible or not?

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Phil Marti wrote:
- quote -

Phil, I suspect they are confusing it with the miles deduction a
salesman is allowed. The rules suggest that a salesman cannot take the
miles from his home to the first account call, but only between that
first call and the rest of the day, the first being considered as a
commute. I haven't paid much attention to that law, maybe it's changed
as well.
Note: Pub 526 does allow the cost of oil changes to be prorated to
calculate actual costs. (But no repairs, tires, maintenance.)

Joe

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Phil Marti wrote:
- quote -

contribution of services. However, unreimbursed expenditures made
incident to the rendition of services to an organization
contributions to which are deductible may constitute a deductible
contribution. For example, the cost of a uniform without general
utility which is required to be worn in performing donated
services is deductible. Similarly, out-of-pocket transportation
expenses necessarily incurred in rendering donated services are
deductible. Reasonable expenditures for meals and lodging
necessarily incurred while away from home in the course of
rendering donated services also are deductible. For the purposes
of this section, the phrase while away from home has the same
meaning as that phrase is used for purposes of section 162.

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"joetaxpayer" wrote:

- quote -

Gee, I wonder if the IRS knows about this Q&A, which is incontradiction to
Table 2 on page 6 of Pub 526, which clearly states this commute is a
deductible charitable contribution.

--
Phil Marti
Clarksburg, MD

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sandybeth wrote:
- quote -

See http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq...ductions.shtml
It says to me that there's little you can deduct except for out of
pocket expenses which the museum would have had anyway (e.g. you pick up
some office supplies on the way there, it's a deduction.)
It also implies the commute to the museum isn't even a deduction, but
your own personal expense. Although milage while you are running an
errand for the museum would be, of course.
Joe
www.blog.joetaxpayer.com

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sandyhb6[at]yahoo.com (sandybeth) posted:

- quote -

Not really. If you contribute some materials or equipment, they could
be deducted, but I doubt the art museum would need you to do so ... as
they probably will have anything needed for your volunteer services.

The standard rate for volunteer mileage is 14 cents per mile -- still
unchanged, though the "business mileage" rate has risen to 50.5 cents
per mile for 2008.

The value of your time is never deductible. That's why they call it
"volunteering."

Bill

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I am retired and am contemplating doing some volunteer work at the art
museum. Other than mileage, are there any other tax deductions that I
can take from doing this?

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