Mileage Deduction for Visiting Family: Is There a Rule?

[beepampered]

I went to visit my mother (880 total miles) and did a show while I was there. Since I did not go exclusively to do the show I don't think I can justify deducting all the miles. Can I deduct some of the miles? Is there a rule or formula to follow? Thanks....BEE

 

[soonerchef]

I traveled to NH (2600 miles roundtrip) and did a couple shows while I was there and I will be deducting all miles but not gas, food or lodging.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

If you deduct the miles, you cannot deduct the gasoline anyway, because that is a part of the per-mile deduction.

 

[its_me_susan]

I went to visit my mother (880 total miles) and did a show while I was there. Since I did not go exclusively to do the show I don't think I can justify deducting all the miles. Can I deduct some of the miles? Is there a rule or formula to follow? Thanks....BEE

I belive it's 80% - - just keep track of all miles done for business and the dates. Try to do one business thing a day, be it drop off a catalog, product, go to bank, post office, food store, etc.

 

[AnaCash]

Hi BEE,Thank you for reaching out! As a consultant, I understand the importance of properly deducting business expenses. According to the IRS, you can deduct mileage if your trip was primarily for business purposes, even if you also did personal activities during the trip. In your case, since you did a show while visiting your mother, you can deduct the mileage for that portion of the trip.To calculate the deductible miles, you can use the standard mileage rate of 58 cents per mile or you can keep track of your actual expenses, such as gas and tolls, and deduct the percentage that was used for business purposes. I recommend consulting with a tax professional for specific advice on your situation.I hope this helps and happy cooking!Best,