Can I Claim Miles From Home to an Office Where I Am Self-Contracted to Work?
- After you arrive at your work site, you can deduct any mileage the rest of the day, except for the commute home. For example, if you travel to an office that is run by the person that has contracted your services, that mileage cannot be deducted. If you travel from that office to see clients, that mileage can be deducted. However, your commute home after your last client cannot be deducted. This would apply to a business-development person who's contracted to visit clients and promote a business. The first drive to the business in the morning would not be tax deductible, but visits to clients' locations would.
- If you have a home office and work at another office that is also yours, you have a way to deduct your commuting mileage. Travel between your offices is tax deductible. The fact that one of those offices is at home does not change the fact that you're using inter-office travel. The home office must be real -- a place where you actually do work for your business. If you wake up and do work in your home office, then go to your second office to meet a client, then go back to your home office, all your travel is tax deductible.
- Though the IRS allows 51 cents per mile as a deduction (as of August 19, 2011), there are other travel-related expenses you can claim. You can depreciate your vehicle if it's owned by your business. You can also claim parking fees. Deduct all costs associated with business trips, including air fare, lodging, dry cleaning and laundry.
- Whenever you make a trip to purchase office supplies or other necessary supplies, you can write off the mileage as a business expense. Document the trip in a journal or log, in case the IRS questions your mileage. For example, if you need paper and ink for your printer, the entire trip to and from the office-supply store is deductible.
- In addition to keeping a travel log for mileage, ensure you enter all your professional appointments in an online calendar or paper journal. Write the mileage you claim next to the appointment entry. If the Internal Revenue Service questions your travel expenses, you can present evidence that your travel was for legitimate business purposes. Try not to combine business trips with personal errands, but if you have to on occasion, write down only the actual mileage used for travel.