Standard Mileage Rates Are Increasing: Find Out How Your Home Office Can Help You Deduct Even More

With gas prices on the rise, the IRS has announced an increase in standard mileage rates effective July 1st. For business miles, the rate is increasing from 50.5 cents per mile to 58.5 cents per mile.

Who is impacted by this increase?

– If you reimburse your employees or are an employee that gets reimbursed for mileage, be sure the rate is the increased rate as of July 1st (assuming your employer uses the same rate).

– The increase also applies to medical and moving miles, which are increasing from 19 cents per mile to 27 cents per mile.

– If you use the standard mileage rate to deduct your business vehicle expense, this means an increase in the amount you can deduct.

**TIP** In your mileage log, be sure you can total your mileage before July 1st and after July 1st so your mileage after July 1st gets the new increased rate.

How Your Home Office Can Help You Deduct Even More Business Miles:

With the increase in gas prices, I have found that several of my most recent conversations with clients have been focused on the home office. With the rise in gas prices, more and more people are telecommuting, which means more and more home offices.

One of the great tax perks of a home office is being able to deduct travel to and from your home office. Sometimes travel to and from a home office is not deductible because it is considered commuting, but in certain circumstances, it can be a deductible business expense. If you use the standard mileage rate to calculate your business vehicle expense, deducting the travel to and from your home office, on top of the increase in standard mileage rates, can add up to big tax savings!

Here’s how to make sure your travel to and 선릉오피 from your home office is deductible so you can really take advantage of the increase in the standard mileage rates:

There are two requirements that must be met in order to deduct the travel to and from your home office.

First: Make sure your home office is used exclusively for business

The room or specific area in your home that you use as your home office must be used exclusively for business. So, for example, your home office doesn’t qualify if it is a room that your family also uses as a den or a guest room that is used by overnight visitors.

Second: Make sure your home office qualifies as your principal place of business

The key to being able to deduct travel between your home office and other business offices or locations is making your home office your principal place of business.