Are mileage deductions for charity work calculated one way or round-trip?
I volunteer weekly with a local food bank and I'm tracking my mileage for tax deductions. I know charitable mileage is deductible at 14 cents per mile, but I'm confused about whether I can only count the miles from my house to the food bank, or if I can include the entire round trip in my calculations? Like, if it's 15 miles each way, can I deduct for 30 miles total per volunteer day? This is my first year itemizing deductions and I want to make sure I'm doing this correctly and not leaving money on the table, but also not claiming more than I'm allowed. Thanks for any help!
19 comments
Join the conversation
Ethan Scott
You can absolutely deduct the entire round trip mileage when volunteering for a qualified charitable organization. The IRS allows you to deduct the mileage for both directions - from your home to the charity location and then back home again. So in your example, if it's 15 miles each way, you can claim the full 30 miles for each volunteer day at the 14 cents per mile rate. Just make sure you keep good records of your trips - dates, locations, purpose, and mileage. A simple logbook or spreadsheet works fine. Also worth noting that you can only claim these deductions if you itemize on Schedule A rather than taking the standard deduction. Many people find that the standard deduction (which is $13,850 for single filers in 2023) ends up being more beneficial than itemizing.
0 coins
Lola Perez
•Thanks for the info! Quick question - does parking count too? I sometimes have to pay for parking when I volunteer downtown. Also, is there a specific form I need to fill out to track the mileage or can I just use a notebook?
0 coins
Ethan Scott
•Yes, parking fees and tolls related to your volunteer work are separately deductible in addition to your mileage! Just keep your receipts or take photos of them. You don't need any specific IRS form for tracking - a simple notebook, spreadsheet, or even a mileage tracking app works fine. Just make sure you record the date, destination, purpose (which charity you were volunteering for), and miles driven. Some people also note their odometer readings as extra documentation, but it's not strictly required.
0 coins
Nathaniel Stewart
I went through this exact same confusion last year with my volunteer work at an animal shelter. After hours of research and getting nowhere, I finally found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that cleared everything up for me. I uploaded my volunteer logs and it instantly analyzed everything, confirmed I could claim round-trip mileage, and even highlighted other charity-related expenses I could deduct that I had no idea about! It saved me from leaving a bunch of legitimate deductions on the table and gave me specific guidance for my situation. The tool also let me know that I needed to make sure the organization qualified as a 501(c)(3) charity, which thankfully mine did. It's been super helpful for all my tax questions since then.
0 coins
Riya Sharma
•How does it work exactly? Does it just give general advice or does it actually help with the calculations too? I've been volunteering at three different places and my mileage log is kind of a mess.
0 coins
Santiago Diaz
•Sounds interesting but isn't that just doing what TurboTax or H&R Block already does? I'm skeptical about needing yet another tax tool when I'm already paying for tax software.
0 coins
Nathaniel Stewart
•It goes way beyond general advice - it actually analyzes your specific situation and documents. I uploaded my messy mileage logs and it organized everything, flagged potential issues, and even suggested better tracking methods for multiple volunteer locations. It calculated everything automatically too. No, it's completely different from TurboTax or H&R Block. Those programs just have you input numbers, but don't actually analyze your documents or provide specific guidance on what you can claim. This tool examines your actual records and identifies deductions you might miss, especially with complex situations like multiple volunteer locations or mixed-purpose trips. It saved me over $200 in deductions I would have otherwise missed.
0 coins
Santiago Diaz
I was super skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but I finally tried it after struggling with my complicated volunteer situation (I drive for Meals on Wheels AND do wildlife rescue transport). It actually sorted through my awful mileage tracking system and identified exactly what I could claim for each organization. The best part was that it flagged some of my mixed-purpose trips where I was combining personal errands with volunteer work and showed me the correct way to allocate the mileage. I was surprised that it found an additional $347 in legitimate deductions I would have missed. Definitely worth it for anyone with multiple volunteer activities or complicated circumstances.
0 coins
Millie Long
If you're having trouble getting a straight answer about charity mileage deductions, you might want to try calling the IRS directly. I know that sounds like a nightmare (and it usually is), but I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I had a similar question about volunteer mileage for my church work, and the agent confirmed that round-trips are fully deductible. They also explained some nuances about when I could and couldn't claim mileage that I hadn't found anywhere online. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it's pretty straightforward.
0 coins
KaiEsmeralda
•Wait, how does this actually work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS nowadays. My cousin said she was on hold for 3+ hours last month.
0 coins
Debra Bai
•Yeah right. No way any service can magically get you through to the IRS faster than everyone else. Sounds like a scam to get desperate people's money during tax season.
0 coins
Millie Long
•It uses a callback system that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through, then it calls you when an agent is ready. It's basically doing the waiting for you, so instead of being stuck on hold for hours, you just get a call when they've reached an agent. I completely understand the skepticism - I felt the same way! But the system works because it's not doing anything magical, just automating the painful redial process. The IRS phone system is notoriously understaffed, but this service essentially puts you in multiple virtual lines at once until one works. I was shocked when I actually got a call back with a real IRS agent on the line who answered all my specific volunteer mileage questions.
0 coins
Debra Bai
I'm actually eating crow here. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation because I needed clarification on some volunteer expenses before filing my taxes this weekend. I expected it to be a waste of money, but I got a call with an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was super helpful and confirmed that I could deduct round-trip mileage AND parking fees for my volunteer work. She even explained exactly how to document everything properly to avoid audit flags. Saved me a ton of stress and probably prevented me from making a mistake on my return. I hate admitting I was wrong, but this service actually delivered what it promised.
0 coins
Gabriel Freeman
Just wanted to add - make sure you're doing volunteer work for a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. I learned the hard way last year that not all "charitable" activities qualify! For example, if you're helping a friend's gofundme or doing nice things for neighbors, that mileage isn't deductible even though it feels charitable.
0 coins
Laura Lopez
•How do you know if an organization is definitely a qualified 501(c)(3)? I volunteer at a community garden and they said they're non-profit but I'm not sure if that's the same thing?
0 coins
Gabriel Freeman
•You can verify an organization's 501(c)(3) status using the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool on their website. Just search by the organization's name or EIN number. Non-profit status alone isn't enough - it specifically needs to be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization for the mileage deduction to apply. Community gardens can be tricky because some are run by qualified charities while others are neighborhood associations or informal groups. Ask them for their EIN (Employer Identification Number) and check it on the IRS site, or simply ask if they can provide a donation receipt - qualified organizations will typically have proper documentation systems in place.
0 coins
Victoria Brown
One thing nobody mentioned - if youre tracking mileage for a bunch of diff't charities, the Stride app is free and lets you track diff't categories. I use it for my volunteer work at the animal shelter, food bank AND habitat for humanity and it keeps everything seperate. Super helpful at tax time!!
0 coins
Samuel Robinson
•Does it calculate the deduction amount automatically? And is it easy to export for taxes? I'm using a paper logbook right now and its a huge pain to add everything up.
0 coins
PixelWarrior
•Yes, Stride automatically calculates everything using the current IRS rates (14 cents per mile for charitable work). At the end of the year, you can export a detailed report that shows total miles and deduction amounts for each organization separately. Way better than adding up a paper logbook! The export works great for uploading to tax software or giving to your accountant.
0 coins