As a DPFCF volunteer, you are eligible for some special tax deductions if you itemize your personal income tax return. According to the IRS, you may be able to amounts you pay in giving services to a qualified organization (such as DPFCF) if they meet all of the following criteria.

The amounts must be:
• Un-reimbursed
• Directly connected to your volunteer service with DPFCF
• Expenses you incurred only because of the service you gave, and
• Not personal, living, or family expenses

The most common tax deductions taken are related to the use of your personal vehicle while you are volunteering. You can deduct the costs of gas and oil that are directly related to getting to the qualified organization where you are a volunteer. Any mileage you incur traveling to the DPFCF office or an event site to volunteer or with a program participant on a Rosebud outing qualify for this deduction. If you don’t want to figure your actual costs, you can use the standard mileage rate. The rate for travel for charitable volunteer work is 14 cents a mile.

You can deduct unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, that are directly related to the use of your car in giving services to a charitable organization. You cannot deduct general repair and maintenance expenses, depreciation, registration fees, or the costs of tires or insurance. You can deduct parking fees and tolls, whether you use your actual expenses or the standard mileage rate.

You must keep reliable written records of your car expenses. For more information, see Car Expenses under Records To Keep, later.

If you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer, follow this link http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf to download a copy of IRS Publication 526: Charitable Contributions. Publication 526 specifically outlines how to document and claim tax deductions related to your volunteer work. Please consult your tax advisor when taking deductions related to your work as a volunteer.