It depends. If you’re like many Americans who dedicate time to giving back to the community, there are certain items related to your volunteerism that you can write off on your tax return. Just remember: you must itemize your deductions to claim these volunteer‑related expenses.
Does my volunteer work qualify for a tax deduction?
There are essentially two criteria that you must meet in order to deduct volunteer activities on your tax returns: 1) You volunteered with a registered organization and 2) you were not paid.
Registered organizations include churches, nonprofits, fraternal orders, and veteran’s clubs. They are classified as 501(c) organizations and, upon request, can usually tell you their status. If for some reason they can’t, you can look them up in the IRS.gov database.
You must not receive payment from the organization for your services. Payment, by definition, disqualifies your assistance from being categorized as volunteer work.
What expenses for volunteer work are tax deductible?
Costs associated with certain out‑of‑pocket volunteer expenses can be deducted as long as you keep receipts and itemize your deductions. These may include:
- Mileage driven for volunteer work
- Public transit fees
- Gas expenses
- Parking fees
- Tolls
- Airfare for volunteer‑related travel only
- Hotel stays during volunteer service only
- Meals when volunteer responsibilities take place throughout the duration of the trip.
It’s important to stick to the expenses that you incur specifically while performing volunteer duties. In other words, you can’t go to Costa Rica for a week, spend one morning volunteering in a community, and subsequently deduct all your travel expenses. You may have to prove that the costs you are deducting were not for leisure.
You can deduct any out-of-pocket expenses that are required to complete the volunteer work. Things like supplies and equipment fall into this group. So, if you volunteered in a Costa Rican community and you bought supplies for the residents to use and enjoy, you may deduct that expense.
What volunteer expenses are not deductible?
Some volunteer expenses just aren’t deductible. For example, you can’t deduct things like paying for childcare while you volunteer, buying regular clothes you also wear in everyday life, or grabbing meals unless your volunteer work requires an overnight trip. And if a trip is for fun – like a vacation where you only volunteer for a very short time – you can’t deduct those travel costs.
Are volunteer hours tax deductible?
No, volunteer hours aren’t tax‑deductible because the IRS doesn’t allow deductions for the value of your time.
How can I claim tax breaks for volunteer work?
To claim any volunteer‑related deductions, you’ll need to itemize your return. That means you’ll fill out IRS Form 1040 Schedule A with all of your volunteer-related expenses. If your expenses are over $250, keep documentation of those expenses, such as receipts and confirmation emails from the registered organization.
Can I deduct travel for a service trip?
It depends. Typically, you can write off travel expenses for services performed away from home for a charitable organization, but there must be no recreation or vacation involved on the same trip.
If your expenses total $250 or more, include an acknowledgment that details the following information:
- A description of the services you provided
- A statement from you of whether the organization provided you with any service or good to reimburse you for your expenses.
- A description and an estimated value of any service or good provided to you for reimbursement
- A statement of any intangible religious benefits provided to you
Can I take a deduction if I sponsor someone going on a service trip?
Most contributions of this kind are not deductible. If you give money directly to an individual or to an organization on a person’s behalf, the donation is not tax deductible. However, if you give directly to a church or other religious organization, you can deduct your donation.
