How to reduce your flight costs

Fly dogs for Pilots and Paws. We just totaled up last years flights for PNP.
We did a total of 11 flights that added up to 52 hours and most importantly rescued 62 dogs. The 52 hours represented a little over 50% of the year's total. Since PNP is a 501c3 organization the costs associated with flying for them is deductable as a charitable contribution. It is my understanding that in addition to the direct operating costs you can also deduct the portion of your fixed expenses equivalent to time flown. It's worth the work to keep good records.

and....

Don't forget to write off the travel to the airport and back.

rsipp said:

Fly dogs for Pilots and Paws. We just totaled up last years flights for PNP.
We did a total of 11 flights that added up to 52 hours and most importantly rescued 62 dogs. The 52 hours represented a little over 50% of the year's total. Since PNP is a 501c3 organization the costs associated with flying for them is deductable as a charitable contribution. It is my understanding that in addition to the direct operating costs you can also deduct the portion of your fixed expenses equivalent to time flown. It's worth the work to keep good records.

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I thought the FAA required that you had to at least have a commercial rating to write off expenses related to flying for charitable organizations. Their view point was that the tax deduction is treated as revenue earned as a pilot.

This is the same quandry the EAA had with folks writing off Young Eagle flights.

Surefire test

rleffler said:

Their view point was that the tax deduction is treated as revenue earned as a pilot.

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Nahhhh. It can't be considered revenue. If it were, surely the IRS would tax it!

--Stephen

That is also my understanding...

rleffler said:

I thought the FAA required that you had to at least have a commercial rating to write off expenses related to flying for charitable organizations. Their view point was that the tax deduction is treated as revenue earned as a pilot.

This is the same quandry the EAA had with folks writing off Young Eagle flights.

Click to expand...

I think that the rule changed about 5 years ago. I haven't been writing off young eagles for about that long.

Kent

FAA Letter Clarifying Pilots N Paws Flights as Donations

Pilots N Paws was proactive on this question and took necessary steps to obtain clarification from the FAA.

"We had asked for and received clarification in order to best inform pilots on the status of the flights they so generously donate to help animals in need. It is quite clear under part 91 that GA pilots are not permitted to receive any monetary compensation for their rescue flights. However, due to our 501c3 status, it is acceptable for pilots to claim various portions of their flight expenses as charitable donations. We are posting this letter for you to use should you require it for your accounting purposes and specifically to make certain that everyone knows these flights are donated by pilots, there is no fee."

http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6605

Letter is here and was dated October 2009:
http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/forum/download/file.php?id=1402