- quote -

Several years ago we (AARP/TCE) received a cute little calculator, with a
tiny display and minuscule buttons. Just the thing that our aging
volunteers needed.

Actually this season the IRS gave out really nice canvas tote bags with
their SPEC logo at the "train-the-trainers" regional meeting.

Come and join us in Upstate NY. More snow, better gifts, and fewer MFJ/MFS
problems.
--
Don EA in Upstate NY

--
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In article <a7b66028-c2c3-49ab-94dc-eeade82d24ab[at]35g2000pry.googlegroups.com> ,
<wpatch[at]aol.com> wrote:
- quote -


Bill



I attended a VITA briefing in Columbus in November, and received

+ an order form

+ an IRS Taxpayer Advocate ball point pen, dried up so no ink supply

+ a keychain flashlight saying IRS Volunteers Make It Happen.




When the Columbus program was run out of Cincinnati a few years ago,
we also had a luncheon after tax season, altough we all kicked in
the money for that luncheon, it was still nice to have.


Not quite the same thing as filling out a form and having AARP make
reimbursements.
--


ArtKamlet at a o l dot c o m Columbus OH K2PZH

--
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wpatch[at]aol.com wrote:
- quote -

provides liability insurance for a volunteer who is acting within
the scope of the program. As to mileage reimbursement, I thought
everyone had access to the nominal flat fee reimbursement.. but I
could be wrong.

--
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On Dec 28 2008, 12:05�pm, an_ordinary_guy_...[at]hotmail.com (Bill)
wrote:
:
- quote -

sister org VITA around Dayton have not havd a rich
pockets sponser such as AARP tax Aides, and do
not received mileage reimbursements or liability in-
surance.

Bill Patch
Hilliard Ohio
VITA Volunteer Fairborn OH 2006-2008

--
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In article <ca756447-c0b8-4c1c-9be9-8dee2b634bb5[at]z28g2000prd.googlegroups.com> ,
removeps-groups[at]yahoo.com <removeps-groups[at]yahoo.com> wrote:
- quote -


And you are right, too.
--


ArtKamlet at a o l dot c o m Columbus OH K2PZH

--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. > << ------------------------------------------------------- >

Alan <sfcnm-mtm[at]yahoo.com> wrote:
- quote -

Let's go back to the Booster Clubs being audited in Kentucky.
If a parent or a student put in a two hour shift and was given
a chit for the equivalent value of a pound of coffee, then there
would be a similarity to the Red Cross. The distinction, however,
is that the Red Cross then sells your blood to hospitals and
records the revenue on their books to use for expenditures NOT
directly benefiting the contributors.

If, for example, the Booster Club distributed its revenues to
reduce the cost of band instruments to everyone by 25% and
those who had chits were allowed to pay with them, the only
problem the Booster club would have is issuing 1099's to
every family with a combined chit total over $600 (I would
advise over $100).

I do not know how often one can donate blood, but it seems
appropriate that someone who donates enough to run up around
$100 in de minumus cash, coffee, or chits should be getting
a 1099.

Dick - whose blood is loaded with pain killers

--
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removeps-groups[at]yahoo.com wrote:
- quote -

employees when it comes to compensation.

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On Dec 30, 2:41 pm, Alan <sfcnm-...[at]yahoo.com> wrote:

- quote -

Do these fringe benefits apply only to employers? I found a write up
on fringe benefit rules at http://www.webtaxcenter.com/fringe_benefits.jsp.
A volunteer working 8 hours a week is not really an employee, so they
can still get the fringe benefits?

Art, why do you think that the coffee bags are taxable (technically
speaking, though the IRS would not enforce it)? Is it not a fringe
benefit?

--
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removeps-groups[at]yahoo.com wrote:
- quote -


or cloth grocery bags
Not taxable.
for volunteering,
- quote -

Not taxable.
You think these are taxable?
Reason: They are nominal gifts having minimal dollar value. As
such, they fall under the de minimis fringe benefits rules.

--
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On Dec 28, 12:34 pm, kam...[at]panix.com (Arthur Kamlet) wrote:

- quote -

I've sometimes got T shirts or cloth grocery bags for volunteering,
and once even a meal. You think these are taxable?

--
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In article <gj8l01$mak$1[at]news.motzarella.org> , mort <Mort[at]lccn.com> wrote:
- quote -

Cash or items equivalent to cash would generally be income.


- quote -


if there is quid pro quo, I'd call this taxable.

If you worked hard all day volunteering and they brought in
pizza for everyone, that would probably nontaxable.



- quote -


Probably yes, but I can;t believe the IRS would crack down on a red cross
gift of coffee.

- quote -


Yes. If you had won $600 they would have had to issue a tax form
showing that prize - probably form 1099-Misc box 3. Just because they
are not required to issue a tax ofrm for below $600, does not mean it
isn't taxable.
--


ArtKamlet at a o l dot c o m Columbus OH K2PZH

--
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"Alan" <sfcnm-mtm[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:15y5l.11574$YU2.9480[at]nlpi066.nbdc.sbc.com...
- quote -

That's rotten, but since I seem to be in the 0% tax bracket, it doesn't
actually matter.

Had they given it to wife, who has no connection to them, would it have been
taxable?
How about if whoever donated it to them gave it to me directly. Taxable?
The Red Cross is giving out a pound of coffee for blood donations. Is that
taxable?
Four years ago I won somesort of lottery for donors and got a $50 gift card.
Was that taxable?

--
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sfcnm-mtm[at]yahoo.com (Alan) posted:
[unnecessary material elided]

- quote -

True, although the charity mileage rate is a Schedule A deduction limit,
for inclusion along with other cash or (non-cash) material
contributions. And it's a tragic oversight that the rate has been
maintained at a puny 14 cents per mile, compared with the 2008 50.5
cents for business use.

When one considers the service provided by those who drive the poor or
disabled for medical care, for example, the deduction should more
reasonably reflect the true cost.

Bill

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mort wrote:
- quote -

generally treated the same as employees when it comes to
compensation, gifts, awards and reimbursement for expenses.
As such, I can find nothing in the law that would exempt the $25
card from being treated as taxable income. The statement from
the organization that it was "to offset travel expenses" does not
make it a reimbursable expense that one can exclude from income
because there is no accountable plan. As there is no accounting
by the volunteer for the expense, the payment is taxable and the
volunteer can deduct the cost of travel at 14 cents per mile if
the taxpayer elects to itemize deductions.

As a side note, when some us volunteer for IRS VITA/TCE or any of
the Partner Programs (e.g., AARP Taxaide), there is an accounting
for travel and any any reimbursement is tax exempt. What is
interesting about this, is that the partner organizations
reimburse at the business mileage rate and the volunteer is not
required to declare as income the difference between the business
mileage rate and the charity mileage rate.

--
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I just got a gift card for $25 of gas from an organization I volunteer for,
"to offset travel expenses".

Does this reduce the amount I could deduct for travel expenses in principle?
I say "in principle" because my income is too small to deduct anything
anyhow, but I am still curious.


========================================= MODERATOR'S COMMENT:
Yes, your charitible deduction is limited to your Unreimbursed
travel expenses. And you could have taxable income to the extent your
travel expenses did not exceed the amount reimbursed.

--
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