Volunteer Expenses?

[superman]

Client coaches a softball team that travels to different cities and play tourments during the season. They stay overnight on the weekends and pay for a hotel and food. Would you think that they can write this off as an expenses for volunteer work or no?

They do not get paid for the coaching so just a thought I know we can write off the mileage but other expenses?

Thanks in advance

Superman

[erchess]

My reactions

The softball team must be in and of itself or be tied in with a recognized charity in order for any expenses to be deductible as charitable expenses. Of course if the unpaid coaching is not charitable then it is a hobby and hobby expenses are not deductible except to the extent of hobby income.

If you are correct in deducting the mileage then you would also be correct in deducting other expenses. Just remember the additional rule that there cannot be any significant element of personal pleasure or recreation involved.

Note that if hobby meals are allowed at all they are allowed in full because they are not business meals limited to 50%.

I have to say I'm skeptical of your chances of making any of these coaching expenses fly by an auditor who looked closely.

[superman]

thanks

That was what I was thinking but just wanted a different opion to see if what I was thinking was on point or just maybe I missed something

Superman

[MAMalody]

Many of these coaches also have their own children playing on their team. If this is true, or their child may be on a different team at the same tournament, you have moved from thin ice to deep water.

[RitaB]

Totally unrelated

Just did a return where the guy does spreadsheets with graphs and color and the whole nine yards. He had 245 charitable miles.

No other contributions. At all. Zippo.

Schedule A amounted to $3,454. Married filing jointly.

You would think somebody who could use spreadsheets to that extent could read the directions on line 29 of Schedule A and take a gander at line 40 of Form 1040.

[BP.]

You would think somebody who could use spreadsheets to that extent could . . .

Yeah, and you would think somebody who could use spreadsheets to that extent could hit the auto sum button, too, but lots of 'em don't.