Where do I enter my mileage deduction for 1099-MISC income in H&R Block?

I'm using H&R Block again this tax season and I'm totally confused about where to enter my mileage for a deduction. Last year I swear the software specifically asked me about my car and mileage when I was inputting my 1099-MISC income. But this time around, it's letting me enter the 1099-MISC just fine but hasn't prompted anything about mileage deductions at all. I drove quite a bit more this year for this gig (about 3,800 miles) compared to last year, so the deduction would be significant. My car isn't exclusively for business use - I use it for personal stuff too. But I've been tracking my business miles carefully. Am I missing something obvious in the software? I feel like I'm going in circles looking for where to input this. I checked their support line but the wait is over 2 hours (not that I have anything better to do on a Saturday night, but still). Any help would be appreciated!

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20 comments

Yara Campbell

•8M

The mileage deduction for 1099-MISC income isn't automatically prompted in H&R Block - you need to navigate to the self-employment/business section. After entering your 1099-MISC information, look for a section called "Business Expenses" or "Schedule C Deductions." There should be a category specifically for car/vehicle expenses where you can choose between actual expenses or the standard mileage rate. Since you're using your car for both business and personal use, you'll want to select the standard mileage rate option (which is 67.5 cents per mile for 2023 tax year). Make sure you have good records of your business mileage in case of an audit. The software might have changed its flow this year, which is why you're not seeing the same prompts as last year.

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Yara Campbell

•8M

After entering your 1099-MISC info, look for a button or link that says "Continue" or "Next" which should take you to the business expenses section. If you don't see that, try looking under "Self-Employment" in the main menu, then find "Business Expenses" or "Deductions." For the standard mileage rate method, you don't need to calculate the business/personal percentage. You simply report the actual number of miles driven for business purposes. That's why it's important to keep a mileage log noting the date, destination, purpose, and miles for each business trip. The IRS is particular about mileage documentation, so make sure your records are in order.

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Maya Diaz

•8M

Yes, it works with all the major tax software including TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, and TaxAct. It's not limited to just H&R Block, so it's helpful regardless of which platform you're using. It doesn't directly integrate with the tax software, but it provides clear step-by-step guidance that's specific to your situation. You upload your mileage records and it gives you personalized instructions for entering everything correctly in your tax software. It also helps identify which miles qualify as deductible business expenses based on your specific situation, which saved me from missing out on legitimate deductions.

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Haley Bennett

•8M

If you're still having trouble finding where to enter your mileage in H&R Block, you might want to try calling their support line using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was on hold forever trying to get help with a similar issue, but Claimyr got me connected to an H&R Block rep in about 10 minutes. They have this cool system where they wait on hold for you and call when a representative is available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The H&R Block rep walked me through exactly where to find the mileage section which was buried in the interface.

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Haley Bennett

•8M

It doesn't jump ahead in the queue. They basically have a system that handles the waiting for you. You provide the number you want to call, and their system sits on hold so you don't have to. When an agent finally answers, their system calls your phone and connects you directly to the agent. You skip the hold time but not the actual queue. Their service works with a ton of different company support lines, not just H&R Block. It's especially helpful during tax season when wait times are ridiculous. I was skeptical too until I tried it - no way I was going to sit on hold for 2+ hours on a weekend.

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Rami Samuels

•8M

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to give it a try since I was desperate to finish my taxes this weekend. It actually worked exactly as described! Got connected to H&R Block support in about 15 minutes when the estimated wait was over 2 hours. The rep helped me find the mileage section - it's under Business Expenses > Car and Truck Expenses > Standard Mileage Rate. Would have taken me forever to find this on my own. Definitely using this service again next year.

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Nina Chan

•8M

H&R Block's interface is SO frustrating sometimes! For mileage under 1099-MISC income, you need to go to: 1) Business Income/Self-Employment section 2) After entering 1099-MISC info, look for "Business Expenses" 3) Then "Car and Truck Expenses" 4) Choose between actual expenses or standard mileage rate Don't forget you can only claim miles that were SPECIFICALLY for business purposes, not your regular commute or personal driving. I switched to a different tax software this year because H&R Block kept hiding deductions in weird places!

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Nina Chan

•8M

I switched to FreeTaxUSA and it's been much better for my self-employment stuff. The interface is cleaner and more straightforward for finding deductions. The questions about mileage and other business expenses come up naturally in the flow. It's also significantly cheaper than H&R Block if you're doing self-employment taxes. The only downside is that it doesn't import W-2s and 1099s automatically like some of the premium services, but the trade-off in simplicity and cost was worth it for me. Their explanations of tax concepts are also really clear and helpful.

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GalaxyGlider

•3M

Just wanted to share another tip for anyone still struggling with this - make sure you're keeping a detailed mileage log throughout the year, not just tracking total miles. The IRS wants to see date, destination, business purpose, and miles for each trip. I learned this the hard way during an audit a few years back. For H&R Block specifically, once you find that Car and Truck Expenses section (which everyone has helpfully pointed out the path to), you'll need to have your total business miles ready. The software will ask for your total miles driven during the year and your business miles - don't accidentally put the same number in both fields like I almost did! Also, if you're doing gig work like rideshare or delivery, those miles from picking up passengers/orders to drop-off definitely count as business miles. A lot of people miss those.

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Emma Garcia

•2M

This is such helpful advice about the mileage log! I'm just starting out with gig work and had no idea I needed to track each individual trip with that level of detail. I've been using a simple mileage tracking app on my phone but it only records total miles, not the business purpose for each trip. Do you have any recommendations for apps that make it easier to log all those details? Also, when you say "picking up passengers/orders to drop-off" - does that include the drive TO the pickup location if I'm not at home when I get the request?

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