A rare midyear bump means your mileage log needs a split, not a rewrite.
If you drive for your business — client meetings, supply runs, job sites — you probably already know the IRS lets you deduct that driving using a standard per-mile rate instead of tracking gas receipts and oil changes separately. What you might not know yet is that the rate just changed, and it changed mid-year, which almost never happens.
On July 15, the IRS raised the standard business mileage rate from 72.5 cents to 76 cents per mile, effective July 1, 2026. It's only the second midyear adjustment to this rate in recent memory — the last one was back in 2022 — and it came in response to a real jump in gas prices, which climbed roughly 38% between January and July of this year.
The new rate applies to miles driven starting July 1. Anything you drove for business between January 1 and June 30 still gets deducted at the original 2026 rate of 72.5 cents a mile. Miles driven July 1 through December 31 get the new 76-cent rate. Medical and moving mileage moved too, from 20.5 cents to 23.5 cents. The charitable mileage rate, which is set by law rather than adjusted for costs, stays at 14 cents.
If this is your first year keeping a mileage log, this change is actually a useful nudge. It means your 2026 log needs a split at July 1, not just one running total for the whole year. Whether you're using a mileage app, a spreadsheet, or a plain notebook, that's the moment to make sure your records show which miles fall before July 1 and which fall after, so the right rate gets applied to each.
Open whatever you're using to track mileage right now and check that it's actually separating business drives before and after July 1. If it isn't, add a note or a new column today. It's a five-minute fix now, versus a guessing game when you're trying to reconstruct it come tax season.
The standard mileage rate is optional — you can use it, or you can track actual vehicle expenses (gas, insurance, repairs, depreciation) instead. If you choose the standard rate for a vehicle you own, you're expected to use it starting the first year that vehicle is in business use; you can switch to actual expenses in a later year, but not back and forth as it suits you. If you lease your vehicle, you're required to stick with the standard rate for the entire lease term. Which method makes the most sense depends on your vehicle, your mileage, and your other expenses — it's worth a real look at your own situation rather than a guess.
None of this is complicated once your log is set up to track the split — it's just one more thing worth checking now, mid-year, rather than discovering it in April. If you'd like a simple, steady way to keep records like this all year instead of reconstructing them later, the Calm & Confident Tax Prep Kit walks you through exactly that. Or start smaller with the free Mid-Year Tax Reset and get a clear picture of where you stand right now.
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