Recording Expenses and Mileage

Expenses and mileage are costs that you incur through a direct connection with the charitable service you are providing and for which you are not reimbursed. The expense cannot be a personal, living, or family expense.

For more information about this type of deduction, refer to "Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services" in IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions.

To record expenses and mileage:

  1. On the Enter Deductions tab, click Expenses & Mileage, and then click New Deduction.

  2. From the Charity Name drop-down list, select the charity that received your donation, or select Enter New and type the name of a charity (up to 37 characters).

    Note: If you enter a new charity, make sure to enter its address on the Manage Charities tab.

  3. In the Date box, type the date on which you incurred the expense in mm/dd/yyyy format.

    Tip: You can also click the calendar icon beside the box to display a calendar from which you can select a date.

  4. In the Description box, type a description of the expense that you incurred (up to 40 characters).

    Tip: Use this field to keep notes that have enough detail to remind you of why you incurred the expense in case the IRS questions your deduction.

    For example, if you bought a ticket to a sporting event for an underprivileged child, you might want to record the event name and the name of the child that you brought.

  5. In the Miles box, type the total number of miles traveled to and from the charity.

  6. In the Expenses box, type the dollar amount of the expense that you incurred.

  7. DeductionPro automatically:

  8. To enter another expense, click either New Deduction or New Recurring Deduction. Learn about recurring expenses

    To print the list of expenses and mileage deductions, click Print. When the Print Preview window appears, click the printer icon, and then click OK in the Print dialog box.

  9. When you’re done entering expenses and mileage, click Save.

    Note: DeductionPro automatically saves the entry as you complete each row. However, you must click Save to save the information entered in the last row.