Deductions & credits

If you are not paid by the church, and want to take a deduction for charity donations for mileage and other out of pocket expenses, you need to make sure that you get a receipt or statement signed by someone else with authority to sign a donation receipt, such as the treasurer or the chairperson of the board of elders.  You don't want to be signing your own receipts as pastor, that could look like self-dealing if you are audited.