Track business trips and calculate your IRS mileage reimbursement or tax deduction. Log multiple trips, then see your total instantly.
📅 Last updated: April 2026 · 2025 IRS standard mileage rate: 70¢/mile (business)
The IRS sets standard mileage rates each year to simplify the deduction for vehicle use. Instead of tracking every gas receipt, oil change, and car payment, you simply multiply your eligible miles by the applicable rate. The result is your deduction or reimbursement amount.
| Purpose | 2025 Rate | 2024 Rate | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | $0.70/mile | $0.67/mile | Self-employed, employees (unreimbursed, select cases) |
| Medical | $0.21/mile | $0.21/mile | Travel to medical appointments |
| Charitable | $0.14/mile | $0.14/mile | Volunteer driving for qualified charities |
The business rate is by far the most significant for freelancers and small business owners. At $0.70 per mile, every 1,000 miles of business driving equals a $700 deduction — which is meaningful money at tax time if you drive regularly for work.
Not all work-related driving qualifies. The IRS has specific rules about what counts:
One important exception: if your home is your principal place of business (common for freelancers and remote workers), then driving from home to a client site generally does qualify as a business mile, because you are traveling from your place of business to another business location.
When claiming vehicle deductions, you have two options: the standard mileage rate or the actual expense method. The standard mileage rate is what this calculator uses — it's simpler, requires less record-keeping, and often produces a comparable or better deduction for most drivers.
The actual expense method requires tracking every vehicle cost: gas, insurance, registration, depreciation, repairs, tires, and more. You then deduct the percentage of those costs that represent business use. This can be advantageous for expensive vehicles or high-cost driving situations, but the record-keeping burden is significantly higher.
If you choose the standard mileage rate in the first year you use a vehicle for business, you can switch to actual expenses in a later year. However, if you start with actual expenses, you may be restricted from switching. Consult a tax professional if you're unsure which method is better for your situation.
The IRS requires "contemporaneous" records — meaning you should record your mileage at or near the time of each trip, not at the end of the year from memory. A compliant mileage log should include:
This calculator includes all four of those fields when you add a trip. Print or save your log at the end of each month and store it with your other tax records. Digital records are acceptable to the IRS as long as they are accurate and accessible.
If you're an employee who uses your personal vehicle for work and your employer reimburses you, those reimbursements are generally tax-free as long as the rate doesn't exceed the IRS standard rate. If your employer reimburses you at a rate higher than the IRS rate, the excess is treated as taxable income.
If your employer does not reimburse you for business mileage at all, the rules changed significantly after 2017. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, employees can no longer deduct unreimbursed employee business expenses on their federal return for tax years 2018–2025. Self-employed individuals are not affected by this change and can still deduct business mileage on Schedule C.