Do I really need a mileage log?

Yes; mileage is a favorite audit target precisely because people guess. A tracking app or a dated note per trip satisfies it. Reconstructed estimates at audit time routinely get zeroed.

Standard rate or actual car expenses?

Standard wins for most: cheaper cars, mixed use, no receipt burden. Actual wins for expensive vehicles used heavily for business. Picking standard in year one of a car keeps both options open later.

Is my drive to a coworking space deductible?

If your home qualifies as your principal place of business, trips from home to client sites and work locations are business miles. A regular commute to your only office is not. The home office status is what flips it.

Calculators

Mileage deduction calculator

Every business mile is seventy cents of deduction in 2025, and the freelancers who track it casually lose thousands. Client visits, supply runs, coworking commutes from a home office: it adds up faster than intuition says.

Your numbers

Business miles this year

Client meetings, job sites, supply runs, business errands. Not commuting to a regular external office.

Your marginal tax rate

Combined federal + state + SE effect. 25-40% covers most freelancers; the set-aside calculator estimates yours.

What the ledger says

Mileage deduction$4,200

Estimated tax actually saved: $1,260
Per 100 miles tracked: $70

Estimate, not advice

The formula

Deduction = business miles × $0.70 (IRS 2025 standard rate). Tax saved = deduction × your marginal rate. The rate already bundles gas, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation.

What this ignores

The actual-expense alternative (real car costs × business-use share, better for expensive cars driven mostly for work), commuting rules (a qualifying home office makes client trips from home deductible), and the log requirement: date, miles, purpose.

Field notes

Do I really need a mileage log?: Yes; mileage is a favorite audit target precisely because people guess. A tracking app or a dated note per trip satisfies it. Reconstructed estimates at audit time routinely get zeroed.
Standard rate or actual car expenses?: Standard wins for most: cheaper cars, mixed use, no receipt burden. Actual wins for expensive vehicles used heavily for business. Picking standard in year one of a car keeps both options open later.
Is my drive to a coworking space deductible?: If your home qualifies as your principal place of business, trips from home to client sites and work locations are business miles. A regular commute to your only office is not. The home office status is what flips it.