Senior Couple - Tax Deduction for Housing

If a senior couple is going out to serve a mission and donates their money for housing to the ward missionary fund, is this 100% tax deductible? Their house is not being rented out while they are gone and they are still making their own house payments.

bbjens20 wrote:If a senior couple is going out to serve a mission and donates their money for housing to the ward missionary fund, is this 100% tax deductible?

They would have to seek the advice of a tax advisor for the correct answer to their question. Generally, if a person is able to itemize deductions on their U.S. income tax return, donations to the ward missionary fund are deductible, and the Church will include them on the annual tax form showing charitable contributions.

At that point, I would stop asking questions. [smile]

I am trying to find good materials on senior missionary taxes. I know the $1,400 donated to the church is tax deductible. But opinions are all over the map as to what other expenses are tax deductible. Examples include:

Likely or partially deductible

1. Missionary food
2. Missionary travel expenses
3. Missionary clothing
4. Missionary medical

Not deductible

1. Mortgage on home left vacant or rented
2. Expenses on home left vacant or rented

Soes anyone have any good information they can share?

Thanks.

Bryan Sudweeks [Email removed]

bls76 wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 8:08 pm I am trying to find good materials on senior missionary taxes.

You're going to need to find a tax expert. If you get audited, what matters is tax laws and what the experts say, not the forum. If you go it alone, I'd carefully read the tax department's publications on deductions for charity work. A few of those might fly, but I personally think most would not.

Pay attention to if this would require you to itemize to take the deduction. A few years back I had enough deductions to make itemizing worth it, but the current standard deduction is high I'm better off taking the standard. I'm pretty sure my deductions are higher than most members.

The code of conduct prohibits "Legal discussions or debate", so it's not advisable to get into detail.