Volunteer Drivers Tax Appreciation Act

BCHA needs your help to promote a bill in Congress that would substantially increase the federal tax deduction for volunteer drivers, from the current (1986) rate of 14 cents per mile, to match the standard business mileage rate recognized by the General Services Administration (currently 65.5 cents/mile).

This is particularly important for those BCHA volunteers who are reimbursed by agencies or partners per mile for use of their vehicles and rigs and who may face a tax liability if the IRS code affecting volunteer drivers is not updated as per the bill language.

Please reach out to your US senators today!

To find contact information for your senators, click here.

BCHA recommends that you call the Washington DC office of both your senators to leave a message with staff regarding this request (or “ask”) of the Senator. When calling, you might choose to use the following script:

1)     “Hello, I’m a resident of (state) and I’d like to leave the Senator a message regarding a bill that’s important to me, Senate Bill 3020.”

2)     “My name is (full name) and I’m a volunteer with Back Country Horsemen of (state).”

3)     “I’m calling to ask the Senator to please cosponsor Senate Bill 3020, the Volunteer Drivers Tax Appreciation Act.”

4)     “I can be reached at (phone number). Thank you.”

That’s it. You might choose your own script and to describe why your senator’s support for this bill is important. That’s up to you.

Sometimes a relatively simply ask such as “Please cosponsor Senate Bill 3020” is all that is needed to get your message across. BCHA would appreciate if you would notify us if, and when, you learn that your senator intends to cosponsor the bill.

Please email michellewade@bcha.org with any such important updates.

Current champions and cosponsors of S.3020 are:

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who introduced the bill.

Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) who are original cosponsors, and

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

If these are your senators, please consider calling in order to thank them for their leadership of S.3020.

Thank you for taking action on behalf of BCHA and its amazing volunteer drivers!