Mileage Tracking: The $5,000 Deduction You're Ignoring

The Standard Mileage Rate

In 2026, the IRS allows $0.67 per business mile. If you drive 10,000 business miles, that’s a $6,700 deduction.

What Counts as Business Mileage?

• Client meetings
• Networking events
• Bank runs for business deposits
• Supply pickups
• Co-working space commute (if it’s not your principal place of business)

What Doesn’t Count

• Home to office (that’s a commute, not business travel)
• Personal errands, even if you discuss business on the phone

The Tracking Problem

Manual mileage logs are a pain. You forget to record trips, lose the log, or fudge the numbers (which invites audit risk).

The Modern Solution

Apps like Seamless automatically track your drives using GPS. At the end of each trip, classify it as “Business” or “Personal” with one tap.

Result: IRS-compliant mileage logs with zero effort.

Actual Expenses vs. Standard Mileage

You can deduct actual vehicle costs (gas, insurance, repairs, depreciation) instead of the standard rate, but:

1. It requires meticulous record-keeping.
2. You must use it from the first year you use the car for business.
3. It’s rarely better than standard mileage unless you drive a very expensive or inefficient vehicle.

Pro Tip: The Home Office Loophole

If your home office is your principal place of business, trips from home to clients count as business miles (not commuting). This one trick can add thousands of deductible miles per year.