Self-employed
Choosing a vehicle to maximize your 1099 mileage deduction
Standard mileage vs actual expenses, EV credits, Section 179, and the surprisingly good math on cheap reliable cars for 1099 work.
By MileTracker · April 5, 2026 · 8 min read
If you drive a lot for 1099 work, the vehicle you choose has a real impact on your tax bill. Here's the framework.
Cheap reliable car + standard mileage
If you can buy a 5-year-old Corolla for $14,000 and put 25,000 business miles on it a year, you'll deduct $16,750 on $14,000 of vehicle. Standard mileage frequently exceeds your actual cost on cars like this.
Expensive vehicle + actual expenses
If you drive a $70,000 truck for work, the actual expense method plus depreciation usually beats standard mileage. Talk to a CPA.
EVs
EVs have low fuel costs, which makes the standard mileage rate even more attractive — and there are still federal and state credits for purchase.
MileTracker detects every drive in the background, lets you classify business or personal in one tap, and exports an IRS-ready PDF and CSV at tax time. Download MileTracker free on the App Store.