Confused about self employed mileage deduction rules - what counts as commuting?

So if I have a home office that I use regularly for my self-employed work, does that mean I can deduct mileage when I drive from my house to meet clients or go to job sites? How do you prove the home office is your "principal place of business"?

Yes, if you have a qualifying home office that serves as your principal place of business, then trips from your home to client meetings, job sites, or other business locations can be deductible because you're traveling from one business location to another. To qualify as a "principal place of business," your home office must be used regularly and exclusively for business, and it should be the place where you conduct substantial administrative or management activities for your business. You don't need to spend the most time there, but it should be where you handle things like bookkeeping, scheduling, ordering supplies, etc.

Does it really tell you specifically which trips count? Like if I drive from home to different client locations each day, can it tell me which ones are deductible vs. commuting?

That sounds too good to be true. How does it actually know your specific situation vs just applying general rules anyone could Google? I've been burned by "tax helpers" before.

Yes, it actually does analyze specific trips. You can upload your mileage log or travel records, and it will categorize each trip based on starting point, destination, and purpose. If you drive from home to different client locations, it evaluates whether your home qualifies as a principal place of business and then applies the appropriate rules. The difference from generic Google advice is that it asks specific questions about your business setup and travel patterns. It's not just giving the same answer to everyone - it analyzes your specific situation including your business structure, where you perform different types of work, and the nature of your travel. This is exactly what helped me understand my construction contracting travel deductions.

Wait how does this work? They somehow get you through the IRS phone system faster? Doesn't sound possible with how backed up the IRS phone lines are.

Yeah right. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. Sounds like a scam to get people desperate for tax help to pay for nothing. I'll stick with waiting on hold like everyone else.

It's not about "skipping the line" - they use an automated system that does the waiting for you. When you sign up, they use technology to continually call the IRS using their automated system. When they finally get through to a real person, their system calls you and connects you directly to that IRS agent. I was skeptical too, which is why I included the video link. They don't have any special access to the IRS - they just handle the frustrating wait time part for you. The IRS doesn't know or care who's waiting on hold, whether it's you or an automated system. When I got connected, I spoke directly with a regular IRS agent who had no idea I'd used a service to get through.

What about depreciation? I bought a new car last year mainly for my business trips. Can I deduct both the standard mileage and depreciation?

No, you cannot deduct both standard mileage and depreciation. The standard mileage rate already includes depreciation. You have to choose one method: With the standard mileage rate (62.5 cents/mile for 2025), depreciation is already built into that rate along with gas, insurance, repairs, etc. You only add business parking and tolls separately. If you choose the actual expenses method instead, you would calculate all your actual costs including depreciation, gas, insurance, maintenance, etc., and then multiply by your business-use percentage. This might be better if you have a very expensive vehicle, but requires much more record-keeping.

Is a paper log ok? I've been writing everything in a notebook I keep in my car. Starting address, ending address, odometer readings, and what the business purpose was.

A paper log is acceptable if it includes all the required information. Make sure you record the date, starting location, destination, business purpose, and miles driven for each trip. Odometer readings are excellent to include as well. The key is consistency. The IRS gets suspicious when they see gaps or if it looks like you filled it all in at once right before filing taxes. I still recommend taking photos of your paper log regularly as backup, and maybe transfer the info to a spreadsheet monthly for extra protection in case you lose the notebook.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I think I've been overthinking this whole thing. I'm a freelance graphic designer and I do all my administrative work, client communications, and project planning from my home office. But I was still treating my drives to client meetings as "commuting" because I thought any drive from home automatically counted as commuting. Based on what you're saying about the home office safe harbor, it sounds like since my home is where I conduct the substantial administrative activities of my business, those client meeting drives should actually be deductible as business travel between locations. This could save me a lot of money! Do you know if there are any specific documentation requirements to prove your home office qualifies as your principal place of business? I want to make sure I'm covered if the IRS ever questions it.

You're absolutely right about the home office qualification making a huge difference! For documentation, the IRS generally wants to see that you use the space regularly and exclusively for business. Keep records showing: 1) Photos of your dedicated home office space, 2) Records of business activities conducted there (client calls, admin work, bookkeeping), 3) Any business mail sent to your home address, 4) Documentation that you meet clients primarily at their locations rather than having a separate business office. The "exclusive use" test is key - that space can't double as a guest room or family computer area. Even a corner of a room can qualify if it's used only for business. I'd also recommend keeping a simple log of your typical work-from-home activities to show the administrative nature of what you do there. This helps establish that substantial management activities happen at your home office, which is the IRS standard for "principal place of business.

This thread has been a game-changer for me too! I'm just starting out as a freelance marketing consultant and was completely overwhelmed by the mileage deduction rules. Reading everyone's experiences has helped me realize I need to get my home office documentation sorted out from the beginning. I'm setting up a dedicated office space in my spare bedroom and will be doing all my client outreach, project management, and invoicing from there. Based on what I'm learning here, this should qualify as my principal place of business, making my drives to client meetings fully deductible. One question though - for those of you who've been through audits or dealt with IRS questions about this, how detailed do your mileage logs need to be? Should I be recording every single business trip, or is there some threshold where shorter trips don't matter as much? I don't want to get overwhelmed with record-keeping but also want to make sure I'm protected.