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Work hours: You can set work hours to determine MileIQ’s automatic mileage tracking. That’s right, a deductible expense to track even more tax deductions.įull version: $5.99/month, or $59.99/year (paid annually)Īutomatic mileage tracking: Once you flag certain routes, MileIQ will automatically detect them when you drive, classifying them as expenses. To learn how your business trips can save you money on taxes, check out our article on deductible travel expenses.Īs an added bonus, even the cost of a mileage tracker is a deductible business expense. On top of that, food, lodging, and other costs on the road are also deductible business expenses. But once you start tracking work trips like attending conferences, visiting far-flung clients or vendors, the standard mileage rate can take a significant chunk out of your tax obligation-so long as you have a clear mileage log. For the 2021 tax year, it’s 56 cents.įor quick trips around town, this may not add up to much. For the 2020 tax year, the rate was 57.5 cents per mile. You deduct mileage from your taxes using a standard per-mile rate. You can only deduct the 30 miles you traveled for business. If you drive 15 miles to pick up inventory from a vendor and 15 miles back to your place of work, for example, you can deduct 30 miles total.īut if you take a 10-mile detour on the way back so you can visit your favorite bubble tea shop, that extra mileage can’t be deducted. Keep in mind that the mileage has to be “ordinary and necessary” to be a write-off. Meeting with clients, making a sales call, visiting the post office to send shipments to customers-these are all day-to-day examples of when your small business might apply the mileage tax deduction. One condition: The trip has to be for work purposes. If you’re self-employed, you can deduct your mileage any time you leave your business location-even if that business location is your house.