Travel For Charitable Deduction

[RandanHunt]

Hi,

I have a storage unit in Puerto Rico. I had anticipated returning to the island at some point but I no longer think that is viable. Unsure what to do with the items, I thought that it might make sense to give them to charity.

Would travel costs to the island be deductible as travel associated with a charitable gift?  Would a hotel stay/car rental so that I can unload the unit be?  I'd rather give the items away to charity than have them be auctioned, but if that stuff isn't deductible its a pretty big expense.

Thanks!

[rjs]

There is no deduction for "travel associated with a charitable gift." You can deduct travel expenses when you are doing work for a charitable organization, but emptying out your storage unit so that you can donate the contents is not doing work for the organization.

[RandanHunt]

Ah interesting. That makes sense. So theoretically if I got a signed statement from the charity saying that I was there to work for them, and the work for them was procuring charitable donations, it would then be deductible.

Thanks!

[Vanessa A]

No, you would still be donating your own items and not working for them.