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On April 28, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02) reintroduced the Volunteer Driver Tax Appreciation Act of 2023 to increase the federal tax deduction mileage rate for volunteer drivers from its current rate, 14 cents per mile, to be equal to the IRS' business rate, currently set at 65.5 cents per mile. Congressman Stauber also introduced this bill last year.

“Volunteer drivers are crucial to our rural Minnesota communities and to our seniors, as they help deliver meals and provide transportation for healthcare services,” said Congressman Stauber. “It’s critical that we support our volunteer drivers while they provide these invaluable services. By increasing the mileage rate for volunteer drivers and thus lessening the burden for them, they’ll have greater peace of mind, and more people will donate their time to help their fellow community members. Volunteering is a selfless act, and our volunteers should not be penalized for their service.”

“Seniors across the Second District, especially in rural areas, depend on volunteer drivers to help them get where they need to go,” said Rep. Angie Craig. “I’m teaming up with Rep. Stauber on this bipartisan effort to give those drivers the support they’ve earned for serving our communities because it’s the right thing to do. I look forward to working with him to move this bill forward and support Minnesota’s volunteer drivers.”

“This legislation seeks to strengthen a lifeline for older adults, particularly in rural areas,” said Dawn Simonson, President & CEO, Trellis, and Co-chair, Volunteer Driver Coalition. “They depend on volunteer drivers for rides to medical appointments and essential shopping trips. Volunteer drivers should not be penalized for helping members of their communities. Thank you, Rep. Stauber, for your leadership to eliminate income tax on charitable mileage reimbursement for volunteer drivers."

A list of supporters for the Volunteer Driver Tax Appreciation Act of 2023 can be found here. Full text of the bill can be found here.

Original source can be found here.