Which Free Tax Filing Services Support 2106-EZ for Claiming Business Mileage Deductions?
I've been using online services like FileTaxes for years, but this time I'm in a bit of a situation. In 2024, I drove almost 15,000 miles using my personal car for some contract work (got a 1099-NEC for it). Now I need to file Form 2106-EZ to claim those miles, but my usual free tax service doesn't offer this form! I've got a few questions: 1) Can anyone recommend free online tax filing services that actually include the 2106-EZ form? 2) Is it possible to file just this 2106-EZ form by mail while doing everything else online? Would that cause problems or confusion with my return? 3) Are there other ways to claim mileage expenses besides using Form 2106-EZ that might be available on more free filing platforms? Really appreciate any help! This mileage deduction would make a huge difference on my return.
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Oliver Zimmermann
The first thing you should know is that Form 2106-EZ was actually eliminated after the 2017 tax reforms. For contract work reported on a 1099-NEC, you don't need Form 2106 at all! Since you're self-employed, your mileage and other business expenses go directly on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business). Most free filing services should support Schedule C, though some have income limits or other restrictions. FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) both support Schedule C at no cost regardless of income level. For claiming mileage, you'll use the standard mileage rate (65.5 cents per mile for 2023, 67 cents for 2024) and report it on Part IV of Schedule C. Make sure you have good records of your mileage (dates, destinations, business purpose).
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Natasha Volkova
•I thought form 2106 was still needed even for self employed? My tax guy last year had me fill one out. Now Im confused...are you saying I can just enter the mileage directly into schedule C without needing a separate form?
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Form 2106 is now only used by Armed Forces reservists, qualified performing artists, fee-basis state/local government officials, and employees with impairment-related work expenses. For self-employed contractors (1099-NEC recipients), you report business expenses directly on Schedule C. Your tax preparer might have been mistaken or your situation might have been different last year. Schedule C has specific lines for car/truck expenses where you can either claim the standard mileage rate or actual expenses (gas, maintenance, depreciation, etc.). No separate form needed for 1099 income.
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Javier Torres
After struggling with this exact issue last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it literally saved me hundreds of dollars on my mileage deduction! I was also confused about where to enter my business miles from my 1099 work. Their system automatically identified that I needed Schedule C for my contract work, not Form 2106-EZ. It walked me through exactly how to document my mileage properly to maximize the deduction. They even have a special tool that helps calculate your mileage deduction and makes sure you're getting every dollar you're entitled to.
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Emma Davis
•Does taxr.ai handle all the regular tax stuff too? Like W2 income and regular deductions? Or is it just for self-employment and business expenses?
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CosmicCaptain
•Sounds interesting but I'm always skeptical about these specialized tax services. How much does it cost? Is it actually free or do they hit you with fees at the end?
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Javier Torres
•It handles all regular tax situations including W2s, standard deductions, itemized deductions, and pretty much everything else you'd need. It's especially good if you have both W2 and self-employment income like I did. I found the pricing to be really reasonable for what you get. They have different plans based on your needs, but they're upfront about everything - no surprise fees at the end. You can actually see exactly what you'll pay before you commit to filing. The peace of mind I got knowing everything was done right was totally worth it.
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CosmicCaptain
Following up on my skepticism about taxr.ai - I went ahead and tried it for my taxes this year since I have a similar situation with contract work and business mileage. I have to say I'm actually really impressed! The system automatically guided me to Schedule C for my mileage deduction instead of hunting for Form 2106-EZ. It even flagged that I was eligible for the qualified business income deduction, which I had no idea about. The interface was super straightforward, and it explained tax concepts in plain English. I ended up with a much larger refund than I expected!
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Malik Johnson
If you're still having issues getting your business mileage sorted out, you might want to call the IRS directly to get clarity. Sounds simple, right? Except I spent HOURS on hold trying to reach someone. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed exactly what the first commenter said - as a 1099 contractor, you use Schedule C, not Form 2106-EZ anymore. They also explained that mixing paper and electronic filing can delay your refund by weeks or even months, so it's best to do everything electronically if possible.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Wait, how does this Claimyr thing work? The IRS phone lines are always jammed. Are you saying this service somehow gets you through the phone queue faster?
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Ravi Sharma
•Yeah right. There's no way something like this actually works. The IRS phone system is completely broken. No service can magically get you to the front of the line. Sounds like a scam to take money from desperate people.
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Malik Johnson
•It's not magic - they use a call technology that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through, then it calls you to connect the call. It saves you from having to do all that yourself and possibly waiting for hours. It's definitely not a scam. The service just handles the tedious part of getting through the IRS phone system. Once you're connected, you're talking directly with an actual IRS agent, just like if you had called and waited yourself. It just saves you from the frustration of being on hold forever or getting disconnected.
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Ravi Sharma
I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my contractor mileage situation, so I gave it a shot. Honestly, I was shocked when I got a call back and was connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent walked me through exactly how to claim my mileage on Schedule C and confirmed I didn't need the 2106-EZ form. They even helped me understand which expenses I could deduct beyond just mileage. Would have taken me days to get this info otherwise. Definitely worth it for the time saved.
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Freya Thomsen
Don't forget that if you're claiming mileage for contract work, you need solid documentation! The IRS is pretty strict about this. I use a mileage tracking app that logs all my trips automatically. Makes it super easy come tax time. Also, remember you can deduct either the standard mileage rate OR actual expenses (gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation), but not both. For most people with newer cars, the standard rate (67 cents per mile for 2024) is usually better.
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Omar Zaki
•Which mileage tracking app do you use? I've tried a couple but they drain my battery like crazy.
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Freya Thomsen
•I use MileIQ, which has worked really well for me. It runs in the background and doesn't seem to drain my battery too badly. There are others like Everlance and Stride that people recommend too. I also keep a small notebook in my car as backup just in case the app fails. The IRS just wants to see that you have some sort of consistent system for tracking. The key info they look for is date, starting/ending locations, purpose of trip, and total miles. As long as you've got that documented, you should be good.
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AstroAce
I was in the same boat last year with tons of mileage from gig work. FreeTaxUSA let me add all my mileage expenses on Schedule C for free. Just make sure you have your total miles driven for business, your total overall miles for the year, and the dates you started and stopped using your car for business. The standard mileage rate is usually the best option unless you have a really expensive car with high maintenance costs.
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Chloe Martin
•FreeTaxUSA worked great for me too! $0 federal filing with Schedule C. They do charge like $15 for state filing though.
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Yara Campbell
Just wanted to add that TurboTax Free Edition also supports Schedule C for reporting your 1099-NEC mileage, though they do try to upsell you to their paid version pretty aggressively. I used it last year for my contractor work and it walked me through the mileage deduction step by step. One tip that saved me - when you're entering your vehicle information, make sure you select "started using for business" as the date you actually began doing contract work, not when you bought the car. This affects how much depreciation you can claim if you go the actual expense route instead of standard mileage. Also keep in mind that if you use your car for both personal and business, you can only deduct the business portion. So if you drove 15,000 business miles out of 25,000 total miles, you can only deduct 60% of your car expenses.
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