top of page

Vehicle/ Auto/ fuel/ mileage expense in USA


The current IRS mileage rate

The IRS establishes a mileage rate each year. The rate is used to calculate reimbursement or mileage deductions for personal vehicle business miles travelled.


Because of rising fuel costs, the IRS has announced a change in mileage rates that will take effect in the middle of 2022. As of July 1, 2022, the following mileage rates will be in effect:


a) For commercial reasons, the price per mile is 62.5 cents, up 4 cents from the first half of the year.


b) The charge for relocation and medical requirements is 22 cents per mile, an increase of 4 cents from the first half of 2022.


c) The per-mile cost for charitable driving remains at 14 cents.


The IRS mileage rates in effect in January are as follows:


14 cents per mile travelled in Favour of charity organizations; the amount is mandated by law and will not change after 2021. 58.5 cents per mile driven for commercial purposes, up 2.5 cents from 2021; 18 cents per mile driven for medical or relocation purposes, up 2 cents from 2021; and 14 cents per mile driven for eligible active-duty military members.


When should you utilize the current mileage reimbursement rate?


a) When people talk about mileage rates, they usually mean business rates, such as when you drive your own car to work and get reimbursed for the expenditures. The rate may even differ based on whether you are an employee or self-employed.


b) Each year, the IRS determines the standard mileage rate, which serves as the maximum limit for tax-deductible miles.


Regarding personnel


Businesses labour usually choose to reimburse employees using the standard mileage rate approach since it is the least difficult in terms of administrative labor. If this applies to you, you may use the current mileage rate to calculate how much your firm should refund you each month.


Vehicles that are currently eligible for mileage reimbursement

You can deduct business miles if you drive a car, van, panel truck, pickup, or other vehicles for work.


Is there a better choice than utilizing the IRS mileage rate right now?


If you are self-employed or the owner of a business, you can use the actual expenses approach to establish the true costs of owning and operating your automobile for business reasons. More information on the real expenditures technique may be found in our self-employed mileage guide.


IRS mileage rates for moving charitable, and medical purposes


a) Active-duty personnel of the armed services who satisfy the criteria may be eligible for 18 cents per mile travelled for medical or relocation purposes.


b) 14 cents per mile travelled for charitable causes; the amount is set by law and will not change starting in 2021.


Car payments that are fixed


A flat vehicle allowance, which is a defined sum paid to workers over a certain period to cover the costs of using their own automobile for work reasons, is another option for companies to compensate employees for business-related driving expenditures. A basic automobile stipend of $400 per month would cover the cost of petrol, wear and tear, Tyres, and other charges. Employers might choose to pay expenses at various locations at varying rates.

A car allowance is very straightforward to administer; nevertheless, payments provided to employees are taxable unless done as part of an "accountable plan" that requires verification in the form of accurate records and prompt payback of any surplus.

bottom of page