Mileage Deduction 2026

The Self-Employed Mileage Deduction: IRS Rate, Rules, and How to Track It

Every business mile you drive is deductible at the IRS standard rate in effect on the day of the trip. Most freelancers never log those miles — and leave hundreds of dollars on the table every year.

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How much is the mileage deduction worth for a typical freelancer?

2026 is unusual: the IRS changed the business standard mileage rate partway through the year, so a single trip is worth whatever rate applied on the date you drove it. Every business mile — to a client meeting, a coworking space, a supply run — reduces your taxable income at that date’s rate.

A freelancer who drives 2,500 business miles — one client visit per week — deducts $1,900.00 at the rate in effect from July 1, 2026. At a 25% effective tax rate that is $475.00 saved from mileage alone. Drive the same miles in the first half of 2026 and the deduction is $1,812.50, because the earlier rate applied. Most freelancers never log the miles at all.

  • ✓2026 has two business rates — the IRS revised it effective July 1
  • ✓2,500 business miles driven from July 1, 2026 deducts $1,900.00
  • ✓At a 25% effective tax rate: $475.00 saved on mileage alone
  • ✓Most freelancers never log those miles — losing the deduction entirely
IRS Mileage Rate 2026
2 rates
The IRS revised the business rate effective July 1, 2026, so 2026 has two. SoloDesq applies the one that matches each trip date — 2,500 miles driven after July 1 deducts $1,900.00, about $475.00 saved at a 25% effective rate.

Which miles qualify for the deduction?

The IRS requires that miles be driven for a bona fide business purpose. Commuting — driving from your home to a regular place of business — does not qualify. But most other client-facing and business-purpose trips do.

  • ✓Client meetings (at their office, a coffee shop, a job site): deductible
  • ✓Driving between work locations on the same day: deductible
  • ✓Business errands (bank, post office, supply store) when primarily for business: deductible
  • ✗Commuting from home to a regular fixed office: not deductible
  • ✓Personal trips mixed with business: only the business portion is deductible

The IRS also requires a contemporaneous log — a record made at the time of the trip, not reconstructed later from memory. That means date, destination, business purpose, and miles. A log reconstructed from credit card statements or calendar entries months after the fact is likely to be rejected in an audit.

IRS requirement
Log it now
The IRS requires a contemporaneous mileage log — recorded at the time of each trip, not reconstructed later. Date, destination, business purpose, and miles. SoloDesq makes this easy: log the trip with one tap as it happens.

One-tap GPS trip logging — plus manual entry when you need it

Tap once when you start driving and SoloDesq logs the trip with GPS while the app is open — your location is only used while you are actively logging a trip, never in the background. Prefer to type it in? Manual mileage entry works too. Either way, the IRS-rate math is done for you and your running deduction total updates with every trip.

  • ✓One-tap GPS trip logging — opt-in, foreground only, no background tracking
  • ✓Manual mileage entry for trips you log after the fact
  • ✓Running mileage deduction total updated after every trip
  • ✓The IRS rate for that trip’s date applied automatically
  • ✓Year-end mileage export — coming soon
Mileage deduction
Date-correct
The IRS revised the business rate mid-2026, so the correct rate depends on when you drove. Log the trip (or enter miles manually) and SoloDesq applies the rate for that date — the math is done for you.

Standard mileage rate is for 2026. Rate may change annually. Verify the current IRS rate before filing. The actual deduction method that maximizes your refund (standard mileage vs. actual vehicle expenses) depends on your specific situation — consult a tax professional.

Start logging your mileage — one tap per trip

Join freelancers who log every business mile with SoloDesq. Contemporaneous records the IRS expects, without the spreadsheet. Just the deduction, tracked all year.