Whenever you drive for business, medical reasons, or in support of a charitable organization, you may be able to get a mileage deduction and save money on your taxes. The IRS has announced the 2024 standard mileage rates to help you write off some of the costs of driving your car for these purposes.
The standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) for 2024 are:
- 67 cents per mile for business miles driven
- 21 cents per mile driven for medical purposes
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
The standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) for 2023 are:
- 65.5 cents per mile for business miles driven
- 22 cents per mile driven for medical purposes
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
The standard mileage rate for a business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile, and the rate for medical purposes is based on the variable costs.
In general, you can only claim the deduction if you use your personal vehicle for your business, medical, or charitable purposes. For example, if you use a vehicle that was purchased by a business, you cannot claim business mileage.
*Under the tax reform, you can no longer deduct mileage for moving unless you are active duty military, so the standard mileage rate for moving is not included.
Business Mileage
With business mileage, your commute to your regular place of business cannot be deducted when you’re an employee. However, if you are self-employed, any driving you do directly related to your business, like meeting with a client or going to a networking event, may be deductible business mileage.
Employees in 2017 who had unreimbursed expenses for driving somewhere for work outside of their regular office were able to take the standard mileage deduction on their 2017 taxes. However, under the tax reform, miscellaneous expenses like unreimbursed mileage are no longer deductible through December 31, 2025.
Medical Mileage
Good news! You can claim medical miles if you drive to receive medical care, which includes you, your spouse, or your children. The amount of this deduction is added to your medical deduction. If you are able to itemize your tax deductions and if your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can potentially receive a tax deduction for those medical miles.
Charitable Mileage
You can also claim charitable mileage for the driving you do in service of a recognized 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Another good reason to volunteer your time!
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