Features

• Volunteer employees who contribute supplies or purchase uniforms incidental to their charitable services may deduct these charity-related expenses. However, personal expenses, such as meals eaten while performing the charitable work and childcare expenses, cannot be deducted.
  
  

Identification

• IRS regulations state that the time expended on services a taxpayer donates may not be deducted as a charitable contribution. Taxpayers may deduct qualified contributions to specific charities or non-profit organizations. These organizations include religious, educational, scientific, charitable and literary groups. The group must be qualified by the IRS to be a charitable organization.
  
  

Considerations

• Taxpayers may deduct donated cash or property to a recognized charity. If the taxpayer donates property, the fair market value of the property is deducted. Taxpayers may not deduct a charitable contribution to a non-qualified charity or specific individual. Personal contributions to fraternal societies may not be deducted. Additionally, taxpayers who receive a financial benefit in return for the contribution may not deduct the portion of the contribution representing the financial benefit.