Is the value of volunteer time tax deductible?
As with all questions having to do with tax law, please consult a legal, tax, or accounting professional for definitive answers to your specific question(s). Nonprofit organizations that want to know more about calculating the value of their volunteers, please see What is the Monetary Value of Volunteer Time?
If your volunteers ask whether they can deduct the value of the time they give your organization on their U.S. tax forms, say no.
Volunteers who provide professional services for free to a qualifying nonprofit organization cannot claim a tax deduction for the value of their time or services.
They might be able to deduct uniforms, transportation or other documented, unreimbursed, out-of-pocket expenses that they paid in order to volunteer. But they cannot deduct donations to blood banks or income lost while volunteering.
Please see IRS Publication 526: Charitable Contributions for specific examples of what expenses they can and cannot deduct.
See also:
What is the monetary value of volunteer time?
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