jonfrei

NO! Absolutely not! See my previous post on that subject. You are not allowed to take ANY deduction for SERVICES. Period. All this bad advice is going to end someone up in jail...

Motorbones Loc: Fair Oaks, CA

One other point. If you feel the need to be rewarded or have an expectation for charitable work for anything more than the blessing of having the opportunity to give back and celebrate the joy of faith and abundance... perhaps you're either in the wrong church or are doing it for the wrong reason. Resenting a good deed tends to take all the good out of the deed. A good friend of mine asked me once to always question my motives for doing things. Some motives are good while others are not so much that way, but whenever we do something, there's always a motive behind our actions.... Even churches themselves should question the motives of the church.... This is a healthy thing to do...

glyphtrix

[quote=Deanie1113]For those of you who are regular churchgoers: do you give of your time and skills to your /quote]

If your purpose of giving is to receive something than you are not giving at all and you should expect no rewards.

Jesus had quite a few negative things to say about people who gave things away in return for honor and recognition from others .

On the other hand , your heavenly father knows what you do in secret and what you secretly give. He is able to and will cause others to be generous and give to you in return

When you give with sincere, heart led giving WITHOUT expecting any gain or returns for your giving .

Anything else is a business promotion. The bible had no teachings about business promo give aways.. other than to say" a gift opens the way for the giver".

However I you feel that your church is using you after you offered a promotional give away to generate business . . Quit. Before you get more bitter .

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

Correct. However I doubt if jail time is in their future for bad advice.

Go to the bottom of pp 4 and top of page 5. Expressly NOT a deduction. One may deduct certain out-of-pocket expenses... but not for services rendered. For example, you can deduct the mileage to and from the location where you volunteered. Of course you should keep a log to attach as a statement to your tax return.

glyphtrix

Leitz..what you say started out as wisdom then turned foolish. If you give for revenge or to cheat your sacrifice will Not be accepted. In the end you will receive no blessing and still lose what you gave.
G-d looks at the heart and motivation of the giver.

The tithe is commanded.. payment of the full amount is required.
Additional volunteer service and additional offerings are not mandatory.

if you claim the value of your time in an offering but you short the amount due of your tithe . Then you cheat G-d and you should expect nothing.

If you set the value of your time as an offering above and beyond the required tithe ..and you freely give from a generous heart without expecting to receive anything in return then you will be rewarded by G-d's own generosity that exceeds our own.

"ANYONE Who breaks the law And Teaches others to do so..will be judged most severely ."

jonfrei

I had to fight the IRS once — over a $400 deduction they said was improper. Penalties and interest hit me with an INITIAL bill of $17,000 — it took a couple years of fighting to win — had I not won, the final bill would have been in the vicinity of $68,000 — might as well have been jail time at that point in my life. The ONLY reason actual jail time was not on the table was because I was able to PROVE there was no intent to defraud the government — otherwise there was 3 to 5 years on the table as well.

You want to laugh about tax fraud, go ahead. When they come knocking, be afraid...

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

A little amazed at the 'screw them' attitude shown by many contributors here but not really surprised. I am also amused at how many are ascribing motive and intent to the church administrators when only one person could possibly have asked them (but didn't). Is it any wonder that the media does the same thing these days ? Vilify people based on not knowing information because it makes the accuser feel superior and self righteous. I have no problem at all with somebody saying they want to be compensated in some way for their donated action except when they simply assume that other people know what they want. If you don't ask for what you want, you have nobody but yourself to blame for not getting it. If one continues complaining without ever talking to the perceived transgressor then, again, the complainer has no valid reason to complain.

Also interesting how so many desperately need affirmation of their skills from outside sources. Is it really a problem if - in your mind - you are not adequately recognized for your skills or abilities by means of what you deem 'appropriate' compensation ? Certainly you can/should determine what you want in exchange for your service but if your service does not have the same value to somebody else, it doesn't change your personal value. If we have failed to translate those concepts to our children, is it any wonder that the millennial are so maligned ? Its really NOT their fault, its ours.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

Not reading the whole thread, Id shoot for them if they could put your advertisement in the church bulletin for free and explain how you have done all this free work and others get the paying jobs.

I have shot dogs and cats for a local rescue. I put my name on all the photos, they have put my name in their booklets with the hope I get some work. Never happened. Not one job so now I do it because it makes me feel good.

fosis Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

The church may "appreciate" your work if you're participating in some of the planning of the efforts as a committee member. In other words, the advance publicity next year could use the prior year's photos - and then see if attendance rises. I've found that a bit of ongoing background shooting of iconic events during the year makes it possible for the congregation to pay more attention to what the church is doing. And that kind of effort - without much extra effort - can make a large difference in participation throughout the congregation. Much more personally satisfying than "whether or not someone calls to offer you a side gig."

Leitz Loc: Solms

My comment was simply to chide the OP's hypocritical view of volunteer work for the church.

dragonfist Loc: Stafford, N.Y.

This is why my wife and I no longer belong to a church. Once you volunteer they try and play the guilt trip on you for other jobs that need doing. It ends up with a small percentage of the people doing the lions share of rhe work to keep the organization going. If you want to put an end to it tell them up front this time it is going to cost in $. Practice for free doesn't pay the bills.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Religion is a business like any other. Belief in a God is personal and free.Doing 'good' for others is an emotional response. Thinking all three mix is often a mistake.

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

Not that this is a Religious Forum, but the Bible says, tithe 10% of all you have, so do to medical conditions from Combat, I cannot give 10% of my income, so I give 10% of my time, my knowledge, and abilities! But that's just me, you can do whatever your heart and mind allow you!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Not that simple. Check first before you deduct it.

Motorbones Loc: Fair Oaks, CA

Give someone a dollar, they can buy a candy bar. Give some one your time, you give them faith, hope, and a part of yourself. When God sends me His address where he wants me to send the money, I'll give Him give a tenth of what I make. I do not, will not, shall not support organized religion from my wallet, but I will serve my fellow man with both my time and money. This is why I give a lot of both for veteran issues... To me that is tithing... My choice...