2018 Charity Mileage Deduction

Each year the charitable mileage allowance, as the IRS refers to it, changes.

This year 2018 it is 14 cents a mile - again!

In 2013 it was 14 cents a mile, in 2014 it was 14 cents per mile and guess what ! 2015 was 14 cents a mile and then again in 2016 it was the same 14 cents per mile. Same in 2017.

I wish they would change it just to keep us interested in what it would be this year.

This year it is the same number. The IRS seems to like the number 14 for charity.

Oh well we can stay on doing the same charity and still make out better because this year the cost of gasoline has dropped dramatically so we are ahead from last year.


Check with us next year for news about what the mileage allowance or mileage deduction will be. All of you have asked me about the info for next year so as soon as it comes out I will publish it for you.

Now you know the situation for mileage deduction or allowance for charity miles driven as far as the tax situation is concerned.

For those to whom it applies, it is a saving grace, to cover some of the cost of the fuel to get there.
There are cars where the total amount would be covered for gas costs - they are usually the high
miles per gallon vehicles.

On the business mileage page, we discussed the advantage of using mileage as a deduction form rather than real costs. For most of us using business miles adding the charity miles in is a bonus.

The Charity Miles trip

Might be 50 miles each way once a week. That adds up to a 100 mile round trip weekly.

If you have the 14 cent deduction, then you will be getting $14.00 for the trip as an allowance on your tax return.

Now that pays some of the cost for the gas.

Don't for get to use the free to print out mileage log on this site to keep track of your miles.

My wife gets 25 miles to the gallon on her car, and she uses about  four gallons for the trip. The cost currently for gas is about $2.10 per gallon.

She'll end up using use a bit less than $8.40 to pay for gas but collect a deduction of $14.00 for the trip.

So the situation in the longer run is

That $14.00 - $8.40 for the cost of gas saves her a bonus of $5.60. That is an advantage of only $5.60 but better by far that paying for the gas in full.

This is certainly better than nothing as an advantage.

If she drives the same trip once a week for 10 weeks, then you would gain the allowance of $140.00 and of that your cost might be $84.00 leaving you with a bonus after the tax deal of $56.00.