# Mileage deduction



## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Which can you deduct?

The miles while you have a passenger?

or

Miles from trip acceptance to drop off.

or

All miles.. like spent cruising for trips?


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## flashgordonnc (Oct 24, 2014)

StephenJBlue said:


> Which can you deduct?
> 
> The miles while you have a passenger?
> 
> ...


All


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

That's what i was thinking. Thank you @flashgordonnc for replying. I am planning on using a CPA though just to be careful. I've a new are (2014.5) and want to make sure I get all the deductions i can (standard vs. itemized).

Thank again!


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## Bob Reynolds (Dec 20, 2014)

You can deduct all of the miles you drive while the application is on.


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## BlkGeep (Dec 7, 2014)

And! Miles used for business needs like going to the car wash, oil change shop, brake shop, etc.


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## ontheroad (Aug 31, 2014)

Wait a while!!! Businesses miles are clearly defined by the irs. You guys better make sure. Uber only keeps an accurate log on trip miles, found on your end of the year statement, but being able to write all miles from the time the app is on might be a stretch. Would love to hear more!


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## Tristan Zier (Nov 25, 2014)

StephenJBlue said:


> Which can you deduct?
> 
> The miles while you have a passenger?
> 
> ...


Generally you can write off all three of those.

You can learn more in the 'Car Expenses' section in our guide to ridesharing at *******************/guides/ridesharing


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Tristan Zier said:


> Generally you can write off all three of those.
> 
> You can learn more in the 'Car Expenses' section in our guide to ridesharing at *******************/guides/ridesharing


I'm reading that now.

Confused about:

WhenI keep a mileage log: Do i need to do it by day (like if I log in at 0900 and out at 1100) can i just use my starting and ending mileage?

Or do i need to keep track of miles per trip, etc. This would be very difficult. Since all miles aren't trip miles. Lots of driving around miles, etc.


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## Tristan Zier (Nov 25, 2014)

StephenJBlue said:


> I'm reading that now.
> 
> Confused about:
> 
> ...


You need to keep a daily log. You can just use starting/ending mileage from that day if all of the driving was business related. If you drove 200mi business and 30mi personal, for example, you would record the 200mi from that day.


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Tristan Zier said:


> You need to keep a daily log. You can just use starting/ending mileage from that day if all of the driving was business related. If you drove 200mi business and 30mi personal, for example, you would record the 200mi from that day.


And when I have days where the miles are broken up (like driving from 0900 to 1100, then stopping, and driving from 1400 to 1700) I can just used start and end miles from those time frames.

Sadly, I don't have pictures of my odometer. Only start-work, end-work mileage on a piece of paper.

Love Zen.. cute play on words with the name..


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## Tristan Zier (Nov 25, 2014)

StephenJBlue said:


> And when I have days where the miles are broken up (like driving from 0900 to 1100, then stopping, and driving from 1400 to 1700) I can just used start and end miles from those time frames.
> 
> Sadly, I don't have pictures of my odometer. Only start-work, end-work mileage on a piece of paper.
> 
> Love Zen.. cute play on words with the name..


Yes, just use start/end miles from when you are driving for business. Technically the IRS requires you to track your starting and ending odometer each business trip you make. We use a photo for your ending odometer so you can at least show that it was increasing by the total number of business miles over time.

Glad you got the Zen99/1099 reference!


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Tristan Zier said:


> Yes, just use start/end miles from when you are driving for business. Technically the IRS requires you to track your starting and ending odometer each business trip you make. We use a photo for your ending odometer so you can at least show that it was increasing by the total number of business miles over time.
> 
> Glad you got the Zen99/1099 reference!


I hope the IRS is cool with my Start of day and end of day mileage instead of per trip. I hope they consider me logging in the "start of my all day long business trip"


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## ontheroad (Aug 31, 2014)

Your trip home is never considered tax deductible. For that matter not even the trip to the office. That is a commute. Now, with Uber, you may get away with start and end day of odometer, but what about the trip home? That has to be subtracted


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

ontheroad said:


> Your trip home is never considered tax deductible. For that matter not even the trip to the office. That is a commute. Now, with Uber, you may get away with start and end day of odometer, but what about the trip home? That has to be subtracted


I don't include that. My mileage log is start of work, then end of work. Once I log out, I'm done and on the way home.

Sample day:
Go outside, get in car and login and write down odometer reading.
drive around, get trips, wait for trips,, etc.
Get down with my day, log out, and write down my odometer reading.

I assume thats good enough.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

ontheroad said:


> Your trip home is never considered tax deductible. For that matter not even the trip to the office. That is a commute. Now, with Uber, you may get away with start and end day of odometer, but what about the trip home? That has to be subtracted


If I am ONLY ubering I go online when I leave my house. If I get a call great I will take it (great if I do actually I live 20 miles from town). If I get into houston without a ping that's too bad but the miles are deductible since I'm available to take a call and will if I get one. Same heading home. Usually when I get so close to home I don't want any calls I turn off.

On my way into town for my regular job I don't go online. I couldn't take a call then. On the way home I generally go online and again if I get a ping great. Basically if I'm online I deduct the miles. But I don't go online and not accept pings (Unless they're ridiculous of course and I wouldn't take them anyway).


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## gman (Jul 28, 2014)

ontheroad said:


> Your trip home is never considered tax deductible. For that matter not even the trip to the office. That is a commute. Now, with Uber, you may get away with start and end day of odometer, but what about the trip home? That has to be subtracted


I can't imagine this is true. If I get my first ping from home, uber all day and then return home, I'm pretty sure all those miles are deductible. Even if you went offline for your ride back home. Why wouldn't they be? All the miles you drove were because of Uber.

My question is what if your uber ride basically takes you to your regular job? In my case, most mornings I get a rider to go to the airport, which is basically where my office is located. Can I deduct those miles? Tristan?


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

ontheroad said:


> Your trip home is never considered tax deductible. For that matter not even the trip to the office. That is a commute. Now, with Uber, you may get away with start and end day of odometer, but what about the trip home? That has to be subtracted


I start the app in my driveway, so work begins at my initial odometer entry. I turn off the app when I get back home, the end of work odometer entry.

All work miles. I am looking for work until the moment I quit when I am back home.


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