Can I Deduct Mileage as a Home Health Worker on Taxes?

The supervisor is partially correct, but there's some nuance here. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, W-2 employees could deduct unreimbursed business expenses (including mileage) on Schedule A as miscellaneous itemized deductions. However, those deductions were suspended from 2018 through 2025. For W-2 employees now, there are basically three options: 1. Ask the employer for reimbursement (ideal situation) 2. If your husband is maintaining a qualifying home office that serves as his "first place of business," he may be able to deduct the mileage between clients as self-employed business expenses 3. If he has a side gig/business where he uses the same vehicle, he could allocate some of the business mileage to that self-employment income The miles driven from your home to the first client and from the last client back home are generally considered non-deductible commuting miles, even for home health workers. But the miles between client locations during the workday would be deductible if any of the above situations apply. I'd recommend keeping a detailed mileage log regardless, as things might change in the future.

After struggling with this exact situation last year, I found an amazing tool that saved me literally thousands in tax deductions. Check out https://taxr.ai - it analyzes your specific situation and tells you exactly what you can claim. I'm a home health aide too (W-2 employee), and I was missing out on so many legitimate deductions! The tool looked at my driving patterns and documentation and showed me that because I maintain a dedicated home office where I do my charting and scheduling, I could actually claim the mileage between client homes. It created all the right forms and even showed me exactly how to document everything properly in case of an audit. It costs way less than an accountant but gives you professional-level advice specific to home healthcare workers. Total game changer for my tax situation.

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried that taxr.ai site that was recommended here. I was super skeptical at first but decided to give it a try since my situation was exactly like what's being described here. I've been a home health aide for 3 years and had NO IDEA I could legitimately claim mileage between clients! The analysis showed me that because I maintain a small but dedicated office space at home where I do all my charting and scheduling, I qualify for certain business deductions. The mileage between clients is actually deductible in my case! It generated all the documentation I needed and showed me exactly how to enter everything in TurboTax. Ended up saving about $2,100 on my taxes. Just wanted to share in case others are in the same boat!

If you're still having trouble getting a straight answer from the IRS about this (I know I was!), I recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone about this exact mileage deduction question. Claimyr got me connected to a real IRS representative in under 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent clarified exactly what documentation I needed for my situation and confirmed that in some cases, W-2 home health workers CAN claim mileage between clients if they meet certain criteria. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically, they navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you when they've reached an agent. Saved me hours of waiting on hold.

Well I'm eating my hat now. After posting my skeptical comment I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation because my accountant and tax software were giving me conflicting information about mileage deductions as a W-2 home health worker. Got connected to an IRS agent in 12 minutes (TWELVE MINUTES!) after trying unsuccessfully for weeks on my own. The agent explained that while most W-2 employees can't claim unreimbursed expenses anymore, there are specific exceptions that can apply to home health workers who maintain a qualifying home office. The IRS agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed and how to properly categorize my driving. This clarity was worth every penny. Seriously, if you need definitive answers directly from the IRS, this service actually delivers.

I've been a home health aide for 7 years and here's what I've learned: 1. If your employer doesn't reimburse mileage, ask them to start! Many agencies have policies for this but don't advertise them. 2. If they refuse, look at your state laws. Some states REQUIRE employers to reimburse necessary business expenses. California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Pennsylvania, New York, Iowa, and D.C. all have laws about this. 3. For tax deductions, the only way most W-2 employees can claim mileage now is if they have a legitimate home office that qualifies as their "principal place of business" AND they do substantial administrative work there. 4. Keep DETAILED mileage logs! Date, starting location, ending location, odometer readings, purpose of trip. There are apps like MileIQ or Everlance that make this easier. Don't just take what your supervisor says at face value. Many don't understand the tax implications and are just repeating what they've been told.

Has anyone tried using an accountant who specializes in healthcare workers? My regular tax guy keeps telling me I can't deduct anything as a W-2 employee but I feel like he doesn't understand the unique situation of home health workers who drive between multiple clients.

I'm in a very similar situation as your husband! I've been working as a home health aide for about 8 months now and was also told by my supervisor that W-2 employees can't claim mileage. But after reading through all these responses, I'm realizing there might be options I didn't know about. I do keep a small desk area at home where I complete all my patient documentation, scheduling, and communicate with the office - basically all my administrative work happens there. From what I'm reading, this might actually qualify as a home office? I drive to about 3-4 clients per day and easily put 800+ miles per month on my car just for work. I think I'm going to look into that taxr.ai tool that people mentioned and maybe also try to get through to the IRS directly to ask about my specific situation. It sounds like there are legitimate ways for home health workers to claim these expenses even as W-2 employees if you meet certain criteria. Thanks for posting this question - I had no idea this was even a possibility! Definitely going to start keeping better mileage records just in case.