Can I write off mileage if my self-employed business is a service and my commute is 20 miles each way?

Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out the whole tax write-off situation for my small business. Someone recently told me I might be able to deduct mileage for driving to and from my service jobs, and I'm not sure if that's actually legit. My situation is that I run a service-based business from my home. I do all my scheduling, client calls, and paperwork from my home office, but then I drive about 20 miles each way to my clients' homes to perform the actual service. When I'm at the client's location, I use their equipment, not mine. I currently don't have any business deductions because I don't really have any expenses - I don't buy or bring equipment since I use whatever the homeowner has. But driving 40 miles round trip adds up, and I'm wondering if those miles are actually deductible since my home is technically my business headquarters? I'm not using my car AT the job sites, just TO get there. Does this actually qualify for the mileage deduction or was this person giving me sketchy tax advice? I don't want to claim something I'm not entitled to, but also don't want to miss out on legitimate deductions.

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19 comments

Dmitry Ivanov

•8M

Yes, you can definitely deduct your mileage in this situation! Since your home is your principal place of business (where you do scheduling, paperwork, etc.), the trips from your home to your clients' locations are considered business trips, not commuting miles. The IRS views this as traveling from one workplace (your home office) to another workplace (client locations). This means those miles are business miles and fully deductible at the standard mileage rate, which is 67 cents per mile for 2024 (check for the updated 2025 rate when you file next year). Make sure you keep a good mileage log though. You need to track the date, business purpose, starting location, ending location, and miles driven. There are apps that can help with this, or you can use a paper log or spreadsheet. The IRS can be picky about documentation if you ever get audited.

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Dmitry Ivanov

•8M

For the home office to qualify, it needs to be used regularly and exclusively for business. It doesn't necessarily need to be an entire room - it could be a clearly defined part of a room, but you need to use that specific space exclusively for business purposes. So if you're using your kitchen table for meals and other activities, then doing business work there sometimes, it probably wouldn't qualify as a dedicated home office in the eyes of the IRS. If you don't have a qualifying home office, then your first business location of the day would likely be considered your commute (not deductible), but travel between client locations during the day would still be deductible business mileage.

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Miguel Silva

•8M

I was in exactly the same situation as you last year! I'm a mobile dog groomer and was driving 25-30 miles each way to clients without claiming any mileage. Then I discovered https://taxr.ai which literally saved me thousands on my taxes by analyzing my situation. Their system asked me some questions about my business setup and confirmed that because my home is my official business address where I do all my admin work, those miles to client locations ARE 100% deductible! They even helped me reconstruct my mileage for the prior year using my appointment calendar and Google Maps history. I was skeptical at first but it's completely legit according to IRS rules.

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Miguel Silva

•8M

Yes, taxr.ai helps with all types of business deductions! They have specific sections for different business types including service-based businesses like notaries. They definitely confirmed that printers, supplies, notary stamps, and even a percentage of your phone bill can be deductible if used for business. They helped me recreate my mileage by using my appointment calendar and Google location history to establish patterns. They advised me that while contemporaneous logs are preferred, the IRS does accept reconstructed logs if they're based on reliable records like appointment books, calendars, and mapping apps. They showed me how to document everything properly with notes about business purpose to strengthen my position if ever questioned.

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Connor O'Neill

•8M

I wanted to follow up on my skeptical question about the mileage tracking. I decided to try taxr.ai after posting here and WOW - they actually walked me through everything! I uploaded my Google Timeline data (didn't even know I could export that) and they matched it with my appointment calendar to create a proper mileage log that satisfied IRS requirements. The system even flagged some potential audit triggers I wouldn't have known about and showed me exactly what documentation I need to keep. I've now set up a proper tracking system for this year but knowing I can claim last year's miles too is such a relief! They said I was leaving almost $4,500 in deductions on the table from mileage alone!

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QuantumQuester

•8M

Hey, I went through this exact situation with the IRS last year! They initially rejected my mileage deduction and I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone to explain my case. After trying for WEEKS, I found https://claimyr.com and their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that since my home is my business headquarters (where I do scheduling, bookkeeping, etc.), my drives to client locations are 100% deductible business miles - not commuting. I got my $3,200 deduction approved! Might be worth having this conversation directly with the IRS to get official confirmation for your situation.

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QuantumQuester

•8M

It doesn't just call for you - it navigates the entire IRS phone tree and waits on hold in your place. When they finally get a human agent, you get a call back to connect with that actual IRS person. You could technically do it yourself, but you'd be the one sitting on hold for hours. I tried calling myself four times and never got through - kept getting disconnected after 2+ hours of waiting. There's no BS or catch - I was skeptical too! The system uses a combination of automation and live operators to navigate the complex IRS phone system, which is why they can get through when individuals can't. They have dedicated lines and know exactly which options to select. I couldn't believe it worked either but after waiting for 3 months like you, I was desperate enough to try. This was literally the only way I got an actual person at the IRS to review my case.

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Keisha Williams

•8M

I need to eat my words and apologize to the person who recommended Claimyr. After dismissing it as BS, I was still desperate enough to try it yesterday. I ACTUALLY got through to a real IRS agent in about 35 minutes. The agent confirmed that as a self-employed person with a legitimate home office, my mileage to client sites IS deductible business mileage, not commuting. She explained that the key is having a qualifying home office that serves as your principal place of business. She even emailed me the relevant tax code sections to keep for my records. After 3 months of frustration, I got my audit issue resolved in one phone call. Cannot believe this service actually works. Sorry for being so negative before!

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Paolo Ricci

•8M

Just to add some clarity - the rule is that if your home is your PRINCIPAL place of business, then yes, all travel to other work locations is deductible. But be careful about claiming a home office if you don't truly have one. For the home office to count, you need: 1. Regular and exclusive business use of that space 2. It must be your principal place of business (admin work counts) If you don't have a qualifying home office, your first trip of the day to a client and last trip home are considered non-deductible commuting. Only trips BETWEEN client sites during the day would be deductible.

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Paolo Ricci

•8M

Yes, in your situation the miles would definitely be deductible! Since you have a dedicated office space in your spare bedroom that's used exclusively for business activities like scheduling, client communications, invoicing and bookkeeping, that qualifies as a legitimate home office under IRS rules. With a qualifying home office that serves as your principal place of business, those 20-mile trips each way to client locations are considered business travel, not commuting. Make sure to keep detailed mileage logs with dates, starting/ending locations, business purpose, and miles driven. This is exactly the type of legitimate deduction that many self-employed people miss out on.

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Kaylee Cook

•1M

Just want to add another perspective here - I'm a tax preparer and see this situation all the time. The key thing that trips people up is understanding what constitutes a "principal place of business." The IRS looks at two main factors: (1) where you spend the most time conducting business activities, and (2) the relative importance of the activities performed at each location. Even if you spend more time at client sites doing the actual service work, if your home office is where you do the administrative and management activities that are essential to your business (scheduling, bookkeeping, client communications), that can still qualify as your principal place of business. StarSailor, based on what you've described - doing all your scheduling, client calls, and paperwork from a dedicated home office - you should be good to go for the mileage deduction. Just make sure you're consistent about using that spare bedroom exclusively for business and keep good records of both your mileage and your home office use. One more tip: consider also claiming the home office deduction itself! If you're using that spare bedroom exclusively for business, you can deduct either actual expenses (percentage of utilities, rent/mortgage interest, etc.) or use the simplified method ($5 per square foot up to 300 sq ft). Many people miss this additional deduction.

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