Can I deduct my meals and mileage expenses on my 2025 Tax Return?

Yes, you absolutely can deduct both mileage and meals as business expenses when they're related to your freelance work! For mileage, you're already on the right track with your notebook - you need to document the date, miles driven, destination, and business purpose. Your current system captures most of this, just make sure you're also noting the business purpose of each trip. For 2025 tax returns (covering your 2024 expenses), you can choose between the standard mileage rate (which the IRS adjusts annually) or actual vehicle expenses. Most freelancers find the standard rate easier, but calculate both to see which gives you the bigger deduction. For meals, they're 50% deductible when they're ordinary and necessary for your business. Keep those receipts, but also note who you met with and the business purpose of the meeting. You don't need a special app, but digital backup can make things easier at tax time.

I was in the exact same boat as you last year with my photography business! After struggling to figure out all these deductions and keeping paper receipts everywhere, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that totally changed my tax game. The AI analyzes all your documentation and tells you exactly what you can claim and what you need to back it up. For mileage, I found out I needed more details for some of my trips, and for meals, it confirmed the 50% rule but helped me understand which of my client meetups actually qualified. It saved me from making some mistakes that could've been audit flags. The best part was I just uploaded photos of my mileage log and receipts and it organized everything for me.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it after my earlier questions and wow, it was eye-opening! I uploaded my mess of receipts and mileage notes from the past few months and it immediately identified several meals I had incorrectly marked as fully deductible. The system explained that while my coffee meetings with potential clients were 50% deductible, the lunches I was buying just for myself while working remotely from cafes weren't deductible at all. It also showed me how to properly document my mileage with the starting/ending addresses and business purpose. Now I feel confident about what I'm tracking and how I'm doing it. Seriously worth checking out if you're confused about deductions!

If you're frustrated with getting actual answers from the IRS about deductions (I spent 3 hours on hold last month!), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was skeptical but after watching their demo (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c), I gave it a shot because I had specific questions about meal deductions that weren't clear from the IRS publications. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I was expecting. The agent confirmed exactly what documentation I needed for my mileage log and meal receipts to satisfy an audit. They even clarified that meals with clients where you discuss business are still 50% deductible, which contradicted what my friend had told me about the TCJA eliminating meal deductions.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to get an answer about some complex mileage deduction questions for my real estate business. I couldn't believe it, but I actually got a call back with an IRS agent on the line about 20 minutes after starting the process. The agent walked me through exactly how to document my mileage between multiple properties and confirmed that I can deduct drives from my home office to showing locations. She even explained that I needed to keep a contemporaneous mileage log (meaning recorded at the time of travel, not recreated later) to satisfy audit requirements. Now I know exactly what I need to do for my 2025 filing. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind and saved time!

Don't forget that if you're a sole proprietor filing Schedule C, you'll need to use Form 2106 for your mileage deduction. I learned the hard way last year that just putting the number on Schedule C isn't enough - you need the supporting documentation and form.

Has anyone used MileIQ app for tracking? I've been using it for about 6 months and it automatically tracks my drives and lets me swipe left for personal or right for business. Wondering if the logs it generates are sufficient for tax purposes?