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Mileage Reimbursement for Volunteers?

April 11, 2022 by Michael Simkins

Should our nonprofit reimburse volunteers at the business rate because nonprofits are businesses? Or should we reimburse at the rate for charitable organizations?

First of all, whether or not to provide mileage reimbursement to your nonprofit’s volunteers is optional. So is the rate at which you choose to reimburse them. But there is an important caveat!

The IRS reimbursement rate for charitable mileage is currently 14 cents per mile. If a volunteer itemizes deductions and keeps track of miles driven for charitable purposes, that amount can be a deduction. But, if you choose to reimburse the volunteer at a higher rate, the volunteer must report the difference as income.

If you choose to offer mileage reimbursement to your volunteers, it is good practice to adopt a written policy that makes it clear what trips qualify, when and how the reimbursement will be made, and what documentation the volunteer must submit in order to be reimbursed.

Here are some sound resources on this topic:

  • Mileage Reimbursement Policy for Nonprofit Volunteers
  • Reimbursing Volunteers for their Expenses: Set Up An Accountable …
  • Volunteer Mileage | National Council of Nonprofits

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DISCLAIMER: Spokes offers informed advice and recommendations, not professional counsel. Blog content is current as of the date shown. Individual posts are not necessarily updated, so please confirm the accuracy of the information, especially of older posts.

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