Mileage deduction calculator

Enter your miles and see your deduction at the IRS standard mileage rate. Works for business, medical, or charitable driving, for any tax year from 2019 through 2026. Free, no sign up.

$5,800.00
8,000 miles times 72.5 cents (2026 business rate)

This calculator multiplies your miles by the IRS standard mileage rate for the year and trip type you pick. The result is the dollar amount you can deduct. For self-employed business driving, that deduction goes on Schedule C, Line 9 (Car and truck expenses) and reduces both your income tax and your self-employment tax.

How the mileage deduction works

The IRS sets a standard mileage rate each year that covers the full cost of driving: fuel, depreciation, insurance, and maintenance. Instead of saving every gas and repair receipt, you track miles and multiply by the rate. For most freelancers and 1099 workers this is simpler than the actual expense method and produces a comparable or larger deduction.

Miles × rate = Deduction
Example: 8,000 business miles × $0.725 (2026) = $5,800 deduction on Schedule C

2026 IRS standard mileage rates

Tax yearBusinessMedical / movingCharitable
202672.5¢20.5¢14¢
202570¢21¢14¢
202467¢21¢14¢
202365.5¢22¢14¢
2022 (Jul-Dec)62.5¢22¢14¢
2022 (Jan-Jun)58.5¢18¢14¢
202156¢16¢14¢
202057.5¢17¢14¢
201958¢20¢14¢

The IRS announces each year's rate in late autumn via an IRS Notice. The 2026 business rate of 72.5 cents per mile applies to every business mile driven between January 1 and December 31, 2026. The charitable rate is fixed by law at 14 cents and does not change with inflation. For the full background on the current rate, see our IRS standard mileage rate 2026 reference page.

Business, medical, and charitable miles

Business miles are the most valuable and the most common. They cover driving that is ordinary and necessary for self-employed work: trips to clients, between job sites, to buy supplies, or to a temporary work location. Commuting from home to a regular workplace does not count. This deduction is for Schedule C filers, not W-2 employees.

Medical and moving miles use a lower rate (20.5 cents in 2026). Medical mileage is deductible as an itemized medical expense for travel to care, subject to the medical expense threshold. The moving rate applies only to active-duty members of the Armed Forces (and certain intelligence community members) moving under orders.

Charitable miles are driving you do in service of a qualified charity, deductible at the statutory 14 cents per mile if you itemize.

What records the IRS requires

To claim a mileage deduction you need a contemporaneous mileage log recording, for each trip: the date, the destination, the business purpose, and the miles driven. "Contemporaneous" means recorded at or near the time of the trip, not reconstructed from memory at tax time. The IRS can disallow the entire deduction if you cannot produce adequate records in an audit. A digital log from a mileage tracking app satisfies this requirement and is far harder to lose than a paper notebook.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my mileage deduction?
Multiply your business miles by the IRS standard rate for the year. For 2026, 8,000 business miles times 0.725 (72.5 cents) equals a $5,800 deduction. Enter the amount on Schedule C, Line 9. You must use your actual logged miles, not an estimate.
What is the 2026 IRS mileage rate?
For 2026 the rates are 72.5 cents per mile for business, 20.5 cents per mile for medical or moving, and 14 cents per mile for charitable driving. The business rate rose 2.5 cents from 70 cents in 2025.
Can W-2 employees deduct mileage?
No. The business mileage deduction is for self-employed people who file Schedule C. W-2 employees cannot deduct commuting or job-related driving under current law. If you have 1099 income alongside a regular job, you can deduct mileage only for the self-employed work.
Do I need a mileage log to claim the deduction?
Yes. The IRS requires a contemporaneous log of the date, destination, purpose, and miles for each trip. A digital log from a mileage tracking app meets the requirement. Keep your records for at least three years after you file.

Stop typing miles into a calculator

Self Employment Toolkit logs each trip, applies the current IRS rate automatically, and exports a complete mileage log and a year-end Schedule C bundle. Free to start.

Try the mileage tracker