The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2021 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck are:
- 56 cents per mile driven for business use (down 1.5 cents from 2020)
- 16 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes (down 1 cent from 2020)
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations (no change)
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.
