Mileage: what's deductible?

[Deleted]

DH and I recently move about 10 miles away from many of our familiar places: doctors, dentist, church, etc.  I hadn't been logging all of our charitable mileage and hadn't logged any Medical mileage because  the numbers were pretty small, but now they're starting to add up.  I've got questions on a few examples:  deductible or not?

1.  I go back into our former town for a non-deductible reason and pick up a refill of DH's prescription while I'm there.

2.  I go to church for the Sunday service but need to get there early or stay late for a Committee meeting.  It's deductible as Charitable if you make a separate trip, but what if you would have gone to the service anyway?

3.  Mileage to donate blood.

Thanks!

[TheOtherMe]

I will tell you what I do on my own tax return.

If the primary purpose of my trip is to see the doctor or do volunteer work (which I do), then I deduct only the mileage to and from the doctor or volunteer site.  The mileage for any errands I run, I do not deduct.

For me, the medical mileage doesn't matter most years.  It might next year if the law stays the same as I will turn 65 and the AGI reduction is 7.5% rather than 10%. 

[Opti]

I'd say all non deductible. I don't think picking up prescriptions is deductible, but I could be wrong. Probably should keep track of my clinic visits as they are not close by.

ETA: I do deduct medical on my state return as the threshold is lower than the federal.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

IRS form 2106. I don't think any of your mileage counts.

[TheOtherMe]

Medical and charitable mileage does not go on Form 2106.  They would go on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions.  No way are they business expenses.

[Deleted]

I log a LOT of volunteer miles for my local civic association but they are not deductible b/c the association is a 501(c)4, not a 501(c)3.  It's not what you are doing, but who you are doing it for when it comes to volunteer miles.

[Ombud]

I'd only deduct mileage to donate blood. Definitely not going to church or picking up meds on the way home. Both are social outings

But seriously, why bother? How many times do you donate blood?

[Deleted]

I donate blood every 2 months. I've been driving out to work in the church garden a few times a month all summer and have also gone there for committee meetings and, last week, to work patching the blacktop in the parking lot. Those trips are all outside of normal church service times.

Because DH is 65, we qualify for the 7.5% AGI threshold on Medical and a boatload of premiums make that easy to hit.  I've had every darn dime I made reported and taxed my whole adult life so even if I pay $30 less in taxes from deducting mileage I'll do it.

I'll back down on the prescription pickups and any meetings before or after church, though! 

[Ombud]

So maybe $112 a year deduction?

20 miles rt × twice month × 12 months × 23.5c mile?

[TheOtherMe]

I have the same attitude as athena when it comes to my charitable and medical miles.

[Deleted]

It adds up. Last year was a bit exceptional but 12 vestry (governing body) meetings, probably a dozen trips to work in the church garden, 4 in-person meetings of a Discernment Committee (to decide if someone was called to ordained ministry).

We also got a new priest. The vestry a social gathering with each of the 3 on the short list, then an interview with each, then one final conclave to make a choice. You bet I declared all that!the d