Can I legally deduct gas expenses AND claim the standard mileage deduction for my work vehicle?

This is definitely not correct advice from your tax preparer. The standard mileage deduction and actual expenses method (which includes gas) are two separate methods, and you must choose one or the other for a given tax year. The standard mileage deduction (65.5 cents per mile for 2025) is designed to account for ALL vehicle costs including gas, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, etc. If you take the standard mileage rate, you cannot also deduct actual gas expenses - that would indeed be double-dipping. Your only options are: 1) Take the standard mileage deduction (multiply business miles by the IRS rate) OR 2) Use the actual expenses method where you track ALL car expenses (gas, repairs, insurance, depreciation) and deduct the business percentage of those costs I'd recommend speaking with your tax preparer again for clarification. There might have been a misunderstanding somewhere.

After struggling with this exact issue last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed how I handle my business expenses. I was confused about vehicle deductions because I have a truck I use 70% for business and I couldn't figure out if I should track actual expenses or use the standard mileage rate. The tool analyzed my situation and showed me that for my specific driving patterns, the standard mileage deduction was actually better than tracking all my receipts! It also clarified that I can't double-dip by claiming gas AND mileage like your preparer suggested. The best part was I could upload my receipts and the system automatically categorized everything, showing me which expenses were already covered by the standard mileage rate.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but after trying it for my landscaping business, I'm honestly impressed. My situation was exactly like yours - I was tracking gas receipts separately AND claiming mileage until I uploaded everything to their system. It flagged the potential double-dipping immediately and showed me I was actually risking an audit. The tool ran calculations both ways (standard mileage vs. actual expenses) and showed me I was actually losing money by trying to track actual expenses for my truck. For my business, the standard mileage rate gave a bigger deduction with way less paperwork. It also helped me identify which gas receipts were for my equipment (mowers, blowers, etc.) versus my truck, so I could correctly deduct the equipment gas while taking standard mileage for the vehicle.

If you're dealing with confusing IRS rules like this, you might want to talk directly with the IRS to get a definitive answer. I tried calling them for months about a similar vehicle deduction question and could never get through. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it was a game-changer. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes who confirmed that you absolutely cannot deduct both gas expenses and take the standard mileage rate for the same vehicle. The agent explained that it's one method or the other for each vehicle, and mixing methods could definitely trigger an audit.

I owe everyone an apology. After calling Claimyr a scam, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a penalty notice for weeks. I'm honestly shocked - the service actually worked exactly as promised. I got a call back in about 20 minutes and was connected to an IRS agent who resolved my issue in one conversation. While I was talking to the agent, I asked about this exact question of deducting gas and taking standard mileage. The agent was very clear: it's either/or, never both. He said claiming both is a common audit trigger because the system can easily flag taxpayers claiming expenses that are already built into the standard mileage rate. He recommended documenting which method gives you the better deduction and sticking with it for the tax year.

Just to add another perspective - I'm a delivery driver using my personal car and I've tried both methods. For me, the actual expense method (tracking gas, maintenance, etc.) was better when I had an older, less fuel-efficient car with lots of repairs. Now with my newer hybrid, the standard mileage deduction gives me a much better write-off because I spend way less on gas. The key is doing the math both ways at the beginning of the year to see which method will likely benefit you more. Remember that if you use the actual expense method the first year you use the car for business, you're stuck with that method for the life of that vehicle. If you use standard mileage the first year, you can switch between methods in later years.

Your tax preparer is either confused or giving you really bad advice. I made this exact mistake a few years ago and got audited! The IRS agent told me the standard mileage rate (65.5 cents per mile for 2025) already includes gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and repairs. When I tried to deduct gas separately while also taking standard mileage, it flagged their system. It ended up costing me way more in penalties and interest than I would have saved. Not to mention the stress of going through an audit. Don't risk it!

I wonder if your preparer was mixing up two completely different situations? If you have employees who use their personal vehicles for business and you reimburse them for gas rather than paying the standard mileage rate, that's a different tax scenario entirely. But for your own business vehicle on Schedule C, it's definitely one method or the other, not both.