Why shouldn’t the mileage allowance for volunteering be equal to business miles? Volunteers do some great things for those less fortunate, as well as the animals in all of those shelters. If it was up to me, I would allow even more of a deduction for volunteering, as demonstrating help for others is one of the most noble traits we humans possess.
A good example is having to drive across town to volunteer at a nursing home. It costs money to get in the car (some nursing homes just aren’t that convenient to bus or ride a bike to) and drive, especially with the current cost of gasoline nowadays. Many elderly and sick at nursing homes and hospitals depend upon the generosity of folks that give their time to visit and do other good deeds. Some folks are finding it tough to get by, and volunteering means that people have to give, either their money or their time. For the people that want to volunteer and who don’t have that much money, it is a real obstacle to find the extra dollars to keep their car on the road, that is even if they have one! Not only that, if they do, keeping gas in the car is already a drain on their limited finances. Who suffers in the end? Those folks at the hospitals and nursing homes and animal shelters who depend upon these people to cheer them up and provide necessary goods and services.
The above is just one example, but there are hundreds of others. Every month I drive clear across town to donate goods to a large animal shelter. I would estimate it costs roughly ten dollars round trip to go there. Items that animal shelters need, such as newspapers, dog biscuits, cleaning products, etc. are those things that I load my trunk up with and deliver at least once a month. Luckily, I can afford to do this, so I’m not complaining from a personal standpoint, but for those who can’t afford to drive there on a regular basis, a little tax deduction at the end of the year would be a nice complement for the work that they do. I wouldn’t mind it myself!
Getting a little tax deduction for volunteering is equal to the government saying “Thank You” for your help to the less fortunate. In reality, people who are kind and generous with their time and money are going to volunteer whether there is a tax deduction or not, but it wouldn’t hurt for the government to show a little generosity to those who are benevolent in their efforts to others who are less well off.
This topic should be put to a vote, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if this “bill” passed with flying colors!