Tips to Maximize Your Mileage Deduction
Each year standard mileage rates for business travel, medical driving, moving mileage and mileage rates for charitable driving are set by the IRS.
Too often this deduction is overlooked because proper documentation was not followed. Here are a few tips to ensure you receive the full benefit of this tax deduction.
Tip 1: Track your applicable mileage in an auto log. This log is required to ensure your deduction is not disallowed during the course of an audit. Please make sure the business/charitable/medical purpose, date and distance is clearly noted.
Tip 2: Also keep track of parking, tolls and other miscellaneous travel expenses. These can often be deducted in addition to the standard mileage rate.
Tip 3: Submit expense reports if your mileage can be reimbursed. Most employers will reimburse you for business mileage at the approved rate, but many employees fail to ask for reimbursement. Remember, your employer can deduct this reimbursed expense on their tax return as well.
Tip 4: Keep track of medical miles. Even though you need to surpass a percent of your income prior to taking medical expenses as an itemized deduction, still keep track of qualified medical miles. It often only takes one major medical bill to make all your other excess medical expenses deductible.
Tip 5: Plan your business trips to ensure your miles are deductible. Commuting miles to and from work is not deductible. However, if you stop off at a supplier first, then the mileage from the supplier to your workplace is a deductible expense.
Tip 6: Do not forget charitable miles. This deduction is one of the most often overlooked deductions. Do you drive for Meals on Wheels or for a school function? Do you volunteer as a coach for a non-profit sporting group? These miles add up over time and are often not properly documented.
Gilliland & Associates, PC is a full-service CPA firm specializing in tax planning for individuals and businesses in the Northern Virginia area. We are based in Falls Church, VA and also service clients in McLean and Tysons Corner, VA. Gilliland & Associates is known for our superior knowledge and aggressive interpretation and application of tax laws. We help you keep more of your earnings by finding you the lowest possible tax on your business or personal tax return. You can connect with us on Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
