Are charitable miles to and from the organization deductible at 14¢/mi?

I know the IRS allows charitable mileage deductions at 14¢/mi "related to the use of your car in giving services to a charitable organization" according to Pub 526. But I'm confused about whether driving from my house to the charity location counts as deductible miles. If this was for my job, these would clearly be commuting miles and not deductible. But I've seen some non-official websites saying that for charitable purposes, you CAN deduct the miles driving to and from the organization. Can anyone clarify this? It seems like there's conflicting information out there. I'd love to know the correct way to handle this on my taxes. (I'm aware charitable donations are itemized deductions and that fewer people will be itemizing with the higher standard deduction, but I still want to know the right answer for my situation.

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22 comments

Carmen Ruiz

•8M

Yes, you absolutely can deduct the mileage to and from your home to the charitable organization! This is different from business mileage rules where commuting isn't deductible. The key difference is that with charitable work, you're volunteering your time and resources. The IRS recognizes this distinction and allows you to deduct the miles driven from your home to the charity location, while you're volunteering there, and then back home again. Just make sure you keep good records of your volunteer dates and mileage. A simple log with dates, starting/ending odometer readings, and purpose of the volunteer work is sufficient. Remember the rate remains at 14¢ per mile (unlike business mileage which changes yearly).

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Carmen Ruiz

•8M

Publication 526 covers charitable contributions, including the mileage deduction. While it doesn't specifically state "to and from home" in those exact words, it's well established that the charitable miles include travel between your home and the volunteer site. If you make a stop for personal reasons on the way home, you should only count the direct miles that would have been traveled between the charity and your home. So if your normal route home is 10 miles but you detoured an extra 2 miles to stop at the grocery store, you would only count the 10 miles. It's best to document the standard mileage between locations for consistency.

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Zoe Alexopoulos

•8M

I wanted to share my experience with charitable mileage deductions. I was really confused by this same issue last year when volunteering at a food bank. I tried doing research online but kept finding conflicting info - some sites said you can deduct to/from home miles, others weren't clear. I finally used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to analyze my situation and get a definitive answer. I uploaded my volunteer log and some tax documents, and they confirmed that yes, the miles from home to charity and back ARE deductible at the 14¢ rate. They even provided the specific IRS references that supported this. Their system explained the difference between business commuting (not deductible) vs charitable travel (deductible) in terms that actually made sense. Saved me a lot of confusion!

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Zoe Alexopoulos

•8M

They're extremely accurate because they use actual IRS publications and tax court cases to provide answers. I was skeptical at first too, but they cite their sources directly from official IRS materials, not just someone's interpretation. They don't file your taxes for you - they're more of a research and analysis tool. You ask specific tax questions and they provide well-researched answers with supporting documentation. I initially just needed help with the charitable mileage question, but ended up using them for several other tax situations I wasn't sure about. Much cheaper than hiring a CPA for simple questions.

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Mei Wong

•8M

Just wanted to update after checking out taxr.ai like I mentioned above. Wow, it was super helpful! I uploaded my volunteer calendar and mileage log from the animal shelter, and they confirmed I could claim ALL those miles at 14 cents each. The thing that surprised me most was learning that even if I volunteer regularly (like every Tuesday), each trip is still considered a separate charitable contribution - not "commuting" like I feared. That's totally different from job commuting rules. I've been volunteering 3x weekly at a shelter 15 miles away, so that's actually going to add up to a decent deduction I would have missed. They even provided a template for tracking future volunteer miles properly. Definitely recommend if you're confused about tax stuff!

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QuantumQuasar

•8M

For anyone still struggling with IRS questions like this, I had a similar issue with charitable miles last year. I tried calling the IRS directly for clarification but kept getting stuck on hold FOREVER. Finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to try it. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I was facing. The agent confirmed that yes, miles from home to charity and back are fully deductible at 14 cents per mile. They emphasized keeping good records though - date, mileage, purpose of volunteer work, and organization name. Having that official confirmation directly from the IRS gave me peace of mind when claiming those miles.

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QuantumQuasar

•8M

It's actually pretty simple - they use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. When they reach a human agent, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. No magic, just technology saving you from hours of hold music. It's definitely real. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The IRS doesn't give them any special access - they just handle the frustrating waiting part for you. I wasted hours on multiple days trying to get through on my own before finding this. And no, they don't collect or sell your information - they just connect the call.

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Amara Eze

•8M

I need to apologize and correct myself here. After posting my skeptical comment above, I decided to try Claimyr myself because I've been trying to reach the IRS about an issue with my 2023 refund. Honestly, I'm shocked it actually worked! I've been calling for WEEKS with no luck. Today I used the service and got through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to fix my refund issue AND I asked about the charitable mileage question while I had them. They confirmed that miles to and from your home to the charity ARE deductible at 14 cents per mile. The agent explained it's different from business commuting because charitable work is voluntary. They suggested keeping a log with dates, mileage, and the name of the organization. Sorry for being a doubter before. This was genuinely helpful.

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Giovanni Greco

•8M

I've been doing my own taxes for 40+ years and there's a key detail missing in this discussion. The 14¢/mile charitable deduction ONLY applies if you're providing SERVICES to the charity. Just attending meetings or events doesn't count! For example: - Driving to deliver meals = DEDUCTIBLE - Driving to volunteer at a shelter = DEDUCTIBLE - Driving to attend a fundraiser dinner = NOT DEDUCTIBLE - Driving to a board meeting = DEPENDS on your role/activities Also, the 14¢ rate hasn't changed since the 1990s, while the business rate is now around 65.5¢. Pretty stingy of the IRS if you ask me!

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Giovanni Greco

•8M

Dropping off donated items is generally NOT considered providing services - it's just making a donation. You can deduct the fair market value of the donated items, but not the mileage to deliver them in most cases. However, if you're regularly driving as part of an organized donation collection program (like if you're the designated person who picks up donations from multiple locations for the charity), then those miles would likely qualify as service to the organization. It's about whether you're volunteering your time and skills versus just being a donor.

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Carmen Ruiz

•8M

Unfortunately, yes - that's incorrect. Miles driven simply to donate items to Goodwill are not deductible as charitable miles. You can deduct the fair market value of the donated clothes, but not the mileage to get there. The charitable mileage deduction only applies when you're providing volunteer services to the organization. A good rule of thumb: if you're donating your time and using your car as part of that volunteer work, the miles count. If you're just dropping something off, the miles don't count.

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Yara Abboud

•5M

This is a great discussion! I've been volunteering at a local literacy center for the past two years and was always unsure about the mileage deduction. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like my situation definitely qualifies since I'm tutoring students (providing services) rather than just attending events. One thing I'd add from my experience: I keep a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, starting odometer reading, ending odometer reading, total miles, and purpose of trip. It takes literally 30 seconds to fill out each time, but having that documentation gives me confidence when tax time comes around. For anyone on the fence about tracking these miles - they really do add up! I drive about 12 miles round trip twice a week to volunteer, so that's roughly 1,200 miles per year. At 14¢/mile, that's about $168 in deductions I would have missed without proper tracking. The key insight from this thread is distinguishing between "providing services" vs "just donating items." That's a distinction I hadn't fully understood before. Thanks everyone for the clarification!

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QuantumQuest

•4M

Your spreadsheet system sounds perfect! I'm new to volunteering and wasn't sure how detailed my records needed to be. A simple log like that seems much more manageable than what I was imagining. Quick question - do you track anything else besides the basic mileage info? Like should I note if I make multiple stops during one volunteer trip, or is it enough to just record the total round-trip miles from home to the organization and back? Also, thanks for doing the math on how much it adds up to annually. Seeing that $168 figure really puts it in perspective - definitely worth the 30 seconds of record-keeping!

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Keisha Robinson

•3M

I've been volunteering at our local animal rescue for about six months now, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was always hesitant to claim the mileage because I wasn't 100% sure it was legitimate, but after reading everyone's experiences and the clarification about "providing services," I'm confident my situation qualifies. I do dog walking, help with adoption events, and assist with basic medical care - definitely providing services rather than just dropping off donations. The rescue is about 18 miles from my house, and I volunteer there twice a week, so that's going to be a significant deduction I've been missing out on. One question for those who've been tracking this longer: do you include miles for special trips, like if the rescue asks me to transport an animal to a vet appointment? That seems like it would definitely count as providing services, but I want to make sure I'm not overstepping. Also, Giovanni's point about the 14¢ rate being stuck since the 1990s is wild - with gas prices and car maintenance costs today, that rate seems pretty outdated compared to the business mileage rate!

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Dmitry Volkov

•2M

Yes, transporting animals to vet appointments would definitely count as deductible miles! That's a clear example of providing services to the organization - you're volunteering your time and vehicle to help with their operations. I'd suggest tracking those special transport trips separately in your log since they might be different routes than your regular volunteer visits. Just note the purpose (like "transported rescue dog to vet") so it's clear you were providing services. You're absolutely right about that 14¢ rate being ridiculously outdated! When you compare it to the current business rate of 65.5¢/mile, it really shows how little the IRS values volunteer work. But hey, something is better than nothing, and those miles definitely add up over time. Your animal rescue work sounds like exactly the type of volunteer service the deduction was designed for. Keep good records and claim those miles with confidence!

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