topic What can I claim as a volunteer- mileage, office equipment? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

What can I claim as a volunteer- mileage, office equipment?

KatVin — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:37:00 GMT

Re: What can I claim as a volunteer- mileage, office equipment?

Opus 17 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 19:28:29 GMT

You can claim a deduction for donation to charity if you are volunteering for a government or branch of government (like public schools) or for a registered tax-exempt organization. Other types of volunteering are not deductible. All this is entered under gifts to charity.

You can deduct mileage you drive in providing service to the charity, at a rate of 14 cents per mile (enter the mileage in turbotax and turbotax will do the math.) You must have reliable written records of the date, purpose and mileage of each trip.

You can deduct supplies and equipment you purchase for the organization if the supplies become the organization's property. You must have reliable written records. Enter these items as "item" donations. If you donate new items, you should have receipts showing what you paid. If you donate used items, you need an itemized list that includes the date you originally obtained the property, how it was obtained by you (purchase, gift, etc.), the price you paid, the date of the gift to the charity, and the fair market value at the time, the condition (good, fair, poor) and how you determined the value. The fair market value of used items is what someone would pay in an open sale, such as at a thrift store or eBay sale, and is usually much less than the price new.

You can't take a deduction for items in poor condition unless you have a signed appraisal from an independent qualified appraiser.

If the amount you claim is more than $250, you must have a receipt or letter of acknowledgement from the organization. The letter does not have to verify the value of the donation, if you have your own receipts, but the organization's letter must confirm and acknowledge receipt of the supplies.

You can't deduct anything for the use of your own property, or the value of items that are lent to the organization.

Re: What can I claim as a volunteer- mileage, office equipment?

JamesG1 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 19:32:03 GMT

You may claim a tax deduction for some out-of-the-pocket expenses you occur when volunteering your time.

The value of your time is never deductible as a charitable contribution.
However, if the charity requires you to wear a special uniform when volunteering or you have to pay to park your car in a garage, these types of expenses can be applied to your charitable deduction for the year.

There are other things you can deduct as well. When you use your personal vehicle to get to the organization you are volunteering for, you can deduct the cost of gasoline.

Calculating the precise cost may be more trouble than it is worth and for this reason the IRS allows you to calculate the expense using a standard mileage rate.
Just multiply the miles you drive by the rate and that is the gasoline cost you can deduct as a charitable contribution.

See TurboTax Help.