Mileage Deduction Calculator

2026 has two rates. The business standard mileage rate started at 72.5 cents per mile on January 1, 2026, then the IRS raised it to 76 cents per mile effective July 1, 2026, citing higher fuel costs. Miles driven in each half of the year use that half's rate — this calculator handles the split automatically.

Driving between work locations, to client meetings, to buy supplies, to the bank or post office for business, and to business events all count. Commuting from your home to a regular workplace never counts — though if your home office is your principal place of business, trips from home to clients generally do.

The standard rate wins for most freelancers with fuel-efficient or paid-off cars and moderate business miles. The actual method (business % of gas, insurance, repairs, depreciation) can win for expensive vehicles driven heavily for business. Note: to keep the option of using the standard rate for a car, you must use it in the first year you place that car in service.

A contemporaneous log: date, destination, business purpose, and miles for each trip, plus your odometer readings at the start and end of the year. An app or a simple spreadsheet updated weekly is fine; a year-end reconstruction is what gets deductions disallowed.

Yes — business-related parking fees and tolls are deductible on top of the standard mileage rate. Parking tickets and the cost of parking at your regular workplace are not.