topic I'm part of a small startup church, limited funds. I paid for the pastor's hotel so he could attend a conference vital to our ministry. Can I take that as a contribution in Retirement tax questions

I'm part of a small startup church, limited funds. I paid for the pastor's hotel so he could attend a conference vital to our ministry. Can I take that as a contribution

bk2basics — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:53:23 GMT

No, you can't deduct what you paid. To deduct a charitabl...

rjs — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:53:25 GMT

No, you can't deduct what you paid. To deduct a charitable contribution you have to pay it to the church or other charitable organization and get a receipt from the organization. You can also deduct your own out-of-pocket expenses when you perform services as a volunteer for the organization. But you can't deduct a church employee's expenses that you paid directly.

In the future, donate the money to the church, and let the church pay the pastor's travel expenses.

and be sure that the church qualifies as a charity. Not a...

SweetieJean — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:53:26 GMT

and be sure that the church qualifies as a charity. Not all do,

https://www.thebalance.com/church-vs-religious-organization-2501877">https://www.thebalance.com/church-vs-religious-organization-2501877</a>