Mileage Deduction Calculator — Free 2026 Calculator
The IRS lets you deduct business mileage at 72.5 cents per mile for the first half of 2026 and 76 cents per mile from July 1 — or you can deduct actual vehicle expenses. Enter your miles below to see your deduction and compare both methods.
Business Miles Driven in 2026
Business miles only — commuting does not count. The IRS raised the rate part-way through 2026, so miles are entered by period.
Calculation Method
Standard Mileage Rate vs. Actual Expenses
The IRS gives you two ways to deduct vehicle expenses for business. The standard mileage rate is a flat per-mile deduction (72.5 cents for miles driven January 1 through June 30, 2026, and 76 cents from July 1) that covers gas, depreciation, maintenance, insurance, and all operating costs. The actual expense method lets you deduct the business-use percentage of your real vehicle costs.
The standard rate is simpler — you only need to track miles, not expenses. The actual method can save more if your vehicle has high depreciation (luxury or new vehicles) or if you drive relatively few miles but have high fixed costs. Use the calculator above to compare both.
What Qualifies as Business Mileage
- Driving to meet clients or customers at their location
- Travel between work sites (e.g., from one job to another)
- Trips to the bank, post office, or office supply store for business
- Travel to business conferences, seminars, or trade shows
- Airport or train station trips for business travel
Commuting is not deductible. Driving from your home to your regular place of business is personal, not business, mileage. However, if you have a qualifying home office, trips from home to client sites are fully deductible.
Mileage Log Requirements
The IRS requires a written record made at or near the time of each trip. For every business trip, record:
- ☑Date of the trip
- ☑Destination (name and address)
- ☑Business purpose of the trip
- ☑Miles driven
You can use a mileage-tracking app, a spreadsheet, or a physical notebook. The IRS will reject reconstructed logs created after the fact — record each trip when it happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2026 IRS mileage rate?
There are two for 2026. The IRS set the business rate at 72.5 cents per mile from January 1, then raised it to 76 cents per mile for miles driven on or after July 1, 2026. Split your miles between the two periods. Either rate covers gas, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, and all other vehicle operating costs — you cannot claim those expenses separately if you use the standard rate.
Should I use the standard mileage rate or actual expenses?
The standard rate is simpler and works well if you drive a fuel-efficient or older vehicle. The actual expense method may save more if you drive an expensive vehicle with high depreciation, or if your total expenses per mile exceed the standard rate. The calculator above compares both methods for you.
What counts as business mileage?
Business mileage includes trips to meet clients, travel between work sites, trips to the office supply store, bank visits for business, and travel to business conferences. Commuting from home to your regular office does NOT count — but trips from a home office to a client site do.
Do I need a mileage log?
Yes. The IRS requires contemporaneous records of your business mileage. For each trip, record the date, destination, business purpose, and miles driven. A mileage-tracking app, spreadsheet, or physical logbook all work — the key is recording trips when they happen, not reconstructing them at tax time.
Can I switch between standard and actual methods?
If you use the standard mileage rate in the first year you use a vehicle for business, you can switch to actual expenses in later years. However, if you start with actual expenses, you generally cannot switch to the standard rate for that vehicle. The choice in the first year matters.
The Actual Expense Method Is Won or Lost on Receipts
Whichever method the calculator picked for you, keep the mileage log yourself — a notebook or a tracking app, written down as each trip happens. That part is on you, and reconstructing it in April does not hold up.
The other side is the receipts: gas, tires, repairs, insurance, registration. That is what TaxTidy handles. Photograph the receipt at the pump or the shop counter and it reads the vendor, amount and date in about three seconds, then files the expense under Car & Truck — Schedule C, Line 9. It learns the stations and shops you use, so the ones you visit every week stop needing to be sorted at all.
If you go with actual expenses, that captured total is the number the method stands on. Your Audit Readiness Score tells you which vehicle expenses still have no receipt behind them, while you can still go find them.
TaxTidy provides expense organization tools based on the most current US tax law available to it. TaxTidy is not a CPA, Enrolled Agent, or licensed tax professional. All categorizations, deductions, and tax calculations are estimates. Please verify all data for accuracy and consult a certified tax professional before filing.
Stop Losing Gas and Repair Receipts
Photograph them at the pump and TaxTidy files them under Car & Truck with the image kept alongside. Your first 25 scans are on us — free for life, no credit card.
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