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Vehicle Tax Deductions: How to Write Off a Car for Business

Depending on the type of business you choose to claim, you will generally find that the use of your vehicle for business or personal reasons will differ. While some business owners purchase a company car, others use their personal vehicle for travel during work. Here are a few examples of how writing off your car payment as a business expense will vary:

Sole proprietor

As a sole proprietor, there is no legal distinction between you and your business. As a result, the decision to finance or buy a car does not make you eligible to deduct monthly car payment expenses on your federal taxes.

Self-Employed

If you’re self-employed and purchase a vehicle strictly for business purposes, there are a few ways to calculate and write off some of the costs you have paid. Keep in mind, it’s crucial to keep track of and account for certain financial expenses, such as mileage, to remain eligible for a tax deduction in this case. Nowadays, the best way to keep track of mileage expenses is with a top-rated mileage tracking application.

No matter which type of business entity you uphold, the IRS will scrutinize your the drives you report through accounting. If you use the car for both business and personal reasons, you may deduct only the costs related to business use. With the help of MileIQ,  business owners can automatically track mileage and classify each drive as Personal or Business with one simple swipe.

Standard mileage and actual expenses explained

Now that you know how sole proprietorships and self employment effect writing off a car for business, let’s examine how the standard mileage rate compares to the actual expenses method. 

The standard mileage rate is set by the IRS at 58 cents per mile for use in tax calculations. You can deduct business-related expenses related to operating your vehicle if you use the standard mileage rate. (Note: The standard mileage rates don't include depreciation on your business's car. To figure that out, you'll need to know the amount of mileage for each year. Then: multiply the depreciation amount for each year by the number of miles driven that year, and keep track of all expenses for regular maintenance, such as oil changes, etc., vehicle costs for those operating expenses.)

The standard mileage rate is used in calculating deductions for car expenses. However, actual expenses are used for writing off a car for business.

That's because business-related driving involves ordinary and necessary costs of operating the vehicle. Actual expenses are used because you must use the actual rates for what your vehicle is actually used. If you use the Actual Expense Method, you'll need to track all of your business-related driving expenses, including purchase price and sales tax on vehicle; insurance costs; maintenance and repairs; license plate fees; parking fees (not tolls); gas (including gas purchased for a company vehicle under your personal name); oil, filters, etc.; tires; tune-ups. You can't deduct other car expenses like depreciation or general maintenance.

How to write off a car for business

First, the obvious information. If you're going to take advantage of this car write-off for business, you should know that you will need a car for your business. That's where most people make their mistake. They buy a car for the business which is an extra expense and they do not take advantage of the write-off because they don't need it for their daily routine. 

The second thing you need to know is that writing off a car for business isn't something you can do on your own. You will need to talk to an accountant in regards to what you have been doing with your business and how it ties in with this type of income tax write-off. An accountant may be able to help you if you are unsure of what the write-off entails. This is a good thing to know, especially if this is the first time you have ever considered writing off a car for business. 

Third, you will want to figure out how much you need the car for your business. It's not like you can just get a brand new Mercedes, Lamborghini, or Ferrari after a few months and expect to be able to claim it as a write-off. If you already own a car, you can figure out how much it costs you to run that car each year. 

After figuring out the true cost of owning the car, then you can write off the appropriate amount for your business activities. If your tax bracket is less than 25%, then there is a good chance that writing off a car vehicle for your business won't be worth it. However, if you are in a higher bracket, there might be a good reason to write off your car.

If you claim the car on your taxes, it is important to make sure that your business activities don't seem too over-the-top for what you would normally use the car for if you want to get a business car write-off. You wouldn't want someone from the IRS knocking on your door because they thought you were trying to inflate your expense report when writing off a car for business.

Ways to write off your car expenses

The IRS allows you to write off many different types of expenses on your taxes, and a car is no exception. As a matter of fact, there are many ways that you can write off your car expenses over the course of the year. By following just a few simple steps, you will be able to report these amounts on your taxes as business expenses! If you own or lease a car for work purposes, then follow along as we teach you how to make the most out of this magical tax deduction.

The first step in knowing how to write off a vehicle for business understanding the  different ways you can handle this transaction. 

1. The first and most common way to deduct car expenses is by taking a standard deduction. The tax code allows you to take a standard deduction each year, regardless of the type of income that you have coming in. 

The standard deduction lets you deduct the expenses that are more common in the business world. 

2. A second way to take the car expense deduction on your taxes is to write a car off as a business expense. This way of doing things is much more common among the self-employed, but it can be used by anyone. This method allows you to report all of your business-relevant car expenses and even those that are less relevant.

This method breaks your expenses down into two main categories: those that relate to the use of your personal vehicle for business purposes and those that do not. We will go over these types in a minute, but the first step is learning how to claim deductions for each one.

Once you have done this, you can claim a standard deduction for your business-related car expenses or report them individually. You are also allowed to deduct the mileage that you drive on behalf of your business. 

3. A third way to write off a car expenses on your taxes allows you to deduct the expenses over an extended period of time. The IRS allows you to deduct these costs over seven years, regardless of the length of time that you have owned or leased the vehicle for business purposes.

4. The most significant way for businesses to take advantage of this tax break is by taking the deduction in a manner similar to first-year depreciation. If your vehicle is worth less than this amount, then you can deduct the full amount up to the limit of the difference.

For example: if you make $100,000 per year and your vehicle is worth $20,000; you would take a deduction for $1,000 (the lesser of the two values). This deduction would be taken as a part of your standard depreciation plan with the IRS every year.

If you drive your car for both personal and business purposes, then you must report the percentage of miles driven for business purposes on your taxes. After taking advantage of the mileage deduction, you can then deduct any leftover expenses under one of the other tax write-off options stated above. You can also report any parking fees that you pay for work-related purposes in the same manner.

Where to Report Your Car Expenses

The next step in knowing how to write off a car for business expenses on your taxes is by understanding where to report the deductions. 

If you are self-employed or have a Schedule C, then you must report these expenses on your Schedule C form at the bottom of page one. You can take these deductions after all of your other regular business-related expenses have been reported.

If you have a Schedule C and are employed by a business, then this deduction will go under your miscellaneous expenses. This is typically on page one or two of your Form 1040.

If you are employed by a company that does not have Form 1040, then you must report these expenses under the miscellaneous deductions section of that particular form. If you do not have access to all of the blank forms, then an IRS tax professional can help with this process for you.

Finally, if you are not in these situations, then you can take advantage of the same deduction that applies to everyone on your taxes. This is by taking the standard deduction for your business-related car expenses.