IRS increases 2026 business mileage rate by 2.5 cents

The IRS announced Monday that beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rate for a qualifying vehicle will be 72.5 cents per mile, up 2.5 cents from 2025.
The rate will be 20.5 cents per mile driven for medical purposes, down a half cent from 2025 and will be 20.5 cents per mile driven for moving purposes for certain active-duty members of the Armed Forces and certain members of the intelligence community, which is reduced by a half cent from last year.
The change, meant to reflect updated cost data and annual inflation adjustments, applies to fully-electric and hybrid automobiles, and gas and diesel-powered vehicles.
Use of the standard mileage rates is optional. People who use a their car for work may instead choose to calculate the actual costs of using their vehicle.