Quick answer: the IRS business mileage rate for July 1 through December 31, 2026 is 76¢ per mile (up from 72.5¢ in the first half of the year). Reimbursement = miles × rate, so 1,200 business miles at the current rate pays $912. Medical and moving miles run 23.5¢, and charitable stays at the statutory 14¢.

Trip & Rate

Reimbursement
Rate Applied
Miles Counted
Every 100 Miles Adds
vs 2025 Rate (70¢)
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IRS Standard Mileage Rates, 2019-2026

PeriodBusinessMedical / MovingCharitableReimbursement per 1,000 Business Miles
2026 (Jul 1 – Dec 31)76.0¢23.5¢14¢$760
2026 (Jan 1 – Jun 30)72.5¢20.5¢14¢$725
202570.0¢21¢14¢$700
202467.0¢21¢14¢$670
202365.5¢22¢14¢$655
2022 (Jul 1 – Dec 31)62.5¢22¢14¢$625
2022 (Jan 1 – Jun 30)58.5¢18¢14¢$585
202156.0¢16¢14¢$560
202057.5¢17¢14¢$575
201958.0¢20¢14¢$580

Rates are set annually by the IRS in Notice, most recently raised mid-year in 2026 (IR-2026-29) and 2022 (IR-2022-124), both times after fuel prices jumped. The charitable rate isn't set by the IRS at all — it's written into statute at 14¢ and only Congress can change it. Moving mileage is deductible only for active-duty military on orders.

How the Mileage Reimbursement Calculator Works

The standard mileage method replaces a shoebox of gas receipts with one multiplication: your qualifying miles times the IRS rate for the period you drove them. This calculator keeps every rate from 2019 through 2026 so you can price this year's trips or reconstruct last year's log.

The formula

Reimbursement = miles × rate. For a trip spanning the 2026 rate change, split it: miles through June 30 at 72.5¢, miles from July 1 at 76¢. The round-trip option doubles your entry, since the IRS counts both directions; the "vs 2025" card shows what the same miles would have paid at 70¢ so you can see the raise.

How to use it

Pick the purpose, the period, and enter miles from your log. The rates are built in — 2026 second half is the default since it's current. If your employer reimburses at a company rate instead of the federal one, choose "Custom rate" and type it in; the math is identical.

A worked example

A consultant logs 1,200 business miles in September 2026. At 76¢ a mile: 1,200 × $0.76 = $912. The same miles at the 2025 rate would have paid 1,200 × $0.70 = $840, so the rate bump is worth $72 on this one month. Run the full year and a 10,000-mile driver claims 10,000 × $0.76 = $7,600 — real money that also reduces self-employment income (subject to the percentage of miles that were genuinely business).

One more with the medical rate: 300 miles of round trips to a hospital from July 2026 onward reimburses 300 × $0.235 = $70.50, deductible only if you itemize and your total medical costs clear 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IRS mileage rate for 2026?

The IRS set the business rate at 72.5 cents per mile for January 1 through June 30, 2026, then raised it to 76 cents per mile effective July 1, 2026 (IR-2026-29), a rare mid-year increase. The medical and moving rate is 20.5 cents through June, then 23.5 cents; the charitable rate stays at the statutory 14 cents.

How do I calculate mileage reimbursement?

Multiply deductible miles by the standard rate for the period you drove them. 1,200 business miles at the second-half 2026 rate of 76 cents is 1,200 × $0.76 = $912. Keep a mileage log (date, destination, purpose, odometer start and end); the IRS requires contemporaneous records, not end-of-year estimates.

What does the standard mileage rate cover?

The business rate bundles the variable costs of operating a car: fuel, oil, tires, maintenance and repairs, insurance, license and registration, and depreciation. You can't also deduct those individually. Parking and tolls are separate, so they're deductible on top of the mileage rate.

Is commuting mileage deductible?

No. Trips between home and your regular workplace are commuting and are never deductible, no matter how far. What counts is driving between work locations, to temporary work sites, or for errands like bank deposits and supply runs once you're at a work site.

Can my employer pay less than the IRS rate?

Yes. The IRS rate is a maximum for tax purposes, not a legal floor. Many employers reimburse at a lower rate or pay a flat car allowance. Anything your employer pays below the federal rate can be claimed as an unreimbursed employee expense, but only for reservists, performing artists, and a few other categories since 2018.

Standard mileage or actual expenses - which is better?

For most people driving a mainstream car, the standard rate wins on simplicity and often on total dollars. Actual expenses (depreciation, gas, insurance, repairs, tracked by business-use percentage) can beat it for expensive vehicles or heavy business use. You must use the standard method the first year you claim a car; after that you can switch.

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Not tax advice. Rates shown are published IRS standard mileage rates; this calculator does the multiplication but doesn't know your tax situation. Deductibility rules (business use, itemizing, recordkeeping) sit on top of the arithmetic. For anything beyond simple reimbursement, check the current IRS notice or talk to a tax professional.