IRS Announces 2019 Standard Mileage Rates
The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2019 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2019, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
- 58 cents per mile for business miles driven, up 3.5 cents from the 2018 rate
- 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, up 2 cents from the 2018 rate
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
The business mileage rate increased 3.5 cents per mile and the medical and moving expense rate increased 2 cents compared with the previous year. The charitable rate is set by statute and remains unchanged.
It is important to note that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers can no longer claim a miscellaneous itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee travel expenses. Taxpayers also cannot claim a deduction for moving expenses, except members of the Armed Forces on active duty moving under orders to a permanent change of station. For more details see Internal Revenue Service Notice-2019-02.
The standard mileage rate for business use is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs.
Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.
A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for more than four vehicles used simultaneously. These and other limitations are described in section 4.05 of Internal Revenue Service Rev. Proc. 2010-51.
Notice 2019-02, posted today on IRS.gov, contains the standard mileage rates, the amount a taxpayer must use in calculating reductions to basis for depreciation taken under the business standard mileage rate, and the maximum standard automobile cost that a taxpayer may use in computing the allowance under a fixed and variable rate plan.
As always, if you have any questions regarding the above information or any other tax or accounting related issue, please either contact Shurek Accounting & Tax via our website or feel free to leave a comment in the space provided below.