I used to do a voluntary teaching observation at a school in Beckton, East London, England.

It was a dance school where it took me nearly over an hour to get there (all depending on the transport system) i.e. London Underground and Docklands Light Railway and most weekends there are maintenance works being carried out on all lines in to and out of London. I am there for 3 hours 11-2 and then if I get out on time after clearing up and then traveling home it is around 4 to 4.30 when I get home.

My point is that I do think volunteer time should be tax deductible, in that I spent out on train fares to get to my job and usually working over and above my normal work time and traveling.

Okay so I do it because I want to, but on the other hand, I receive no government grants to assist me in my voluntary teaching which in the long term is supposed to back me up when I qualify as a teacher.

Voluntary work is I do realize of a person's own choice to do this type of work, no one is forcing your hand to do it, but I feel if you are trying to gain experience in an environment that you eventually want to work in full time, there should be some incentive.

As regards depending on the charity you work for, it does not always mean that you are working for a charity.

The school I worked for was funded by the parents who send their kids to the school 15.00 for 3 hours and there are around 100 kids at the school so that is a fairly hefty figure to be able to support tax and other outgoings.

I loved working at the school and gained a lot of experience, but as a volunteer, I work as hard as any paid member and in fact have to prove myself so much more, so feel that I should not have to worry about tax issues.

The government gets so much revenue by taxing people this, that and the other. It's about time they stopped being so greedy.

I am planning on working in a charity shop close to my home as it is something I have always wanted to do and as I love cats and dogs its giving back something to the animal charity that gets no government funding and relies on the charity of donations.

It seems the government in this country has got it all wrong about the way it has chosen to tax people.

I think tax should be abolished all together and we just pay a certain amount of tax every time we purchase an item, not as well as being taxed in our pay packets and pay tax on items, as this is the way this country currently adopts.

Learn more about this author, Holly Golightly.
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