Big Changes for Vehicle Tax Deductions
Article Highlights:
- Standard Mileage Rates
- Actual Expense Method
- Vehicle Depreciation
- Vehicle Interest Expenses
- Sale or Trade-in of a Business Vehicle
- Employees
Standard Mileage Rates – The standard mileage rates for the business use of a car (or a van, pickup, or panel truck) are:
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STANDARD MILEAGE RATES FOR BUSINESS
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2017
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2018
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53.5 Cents Per Mile
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54.5 Cents Per Mile
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However, the standard mileage rates cannot be used if you have used the actual expense method (using Sec. 179, bonus depreciation and/or MACRS depreciation) in previous years. This rule is applied on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. In addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for any vehicle used for hire or for more than four vehicles simultaneously.
Actual Expense Method - Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle for business rather than using the standard mileage rates. In addition to the potential for higher fuel prices, the extension and expansion of the bonus depreciation, as well as increased depreciation limitations for passenger autos in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, may make using the actual expense method worthwhile during the first year a vehicle is placed in business service. Actual expenses include:
- Gasoline
- Oil
- Lubrication
- Repairs
- Vehicle registration fees
- Insurance
- Depreciation (or lease payments).
Vehicle Depreciation - The so-called “luxury auto” rules limit the annual deduction for depreciation. Tax reform substantially increased these limits providing much larger first and second-year deductions for more expensive vehicles. The table below displays the limits that apply to vehicles placed in service in 2017 and 2018 and shows the substantial increase for 2018. These rates are inflation adjusted in subsequent years.
Tax reform also included 100% bonus depreciation, which, at the election of the taxpayer, can be added to the first-year luxury auto rates (see the amounts for “First Year with Bonus” in the table below). However, instead of an $8,000 increase, if the vehicle was purchased before September 28, 2017, but not put into service until 2018 or 2019, the increase to the first year depreciation cap is only $6,400 or $4,800, respectively, rather than $8,000.
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LUXURY AUTO DEPRECIATION LIMITS
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Trucks & Vans
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Automobiles
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2017
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2018
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2017
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2018
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| First Year |
3,560
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10,000
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3,160
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10,000
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| First Year with Bonus |
11,560
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18,000
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11,160
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18,000
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| Second Year |
5,700
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16,000
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5,100
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16,000
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| Third Year |
3,450
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9,600
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3,050
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9,600
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| Thereafter |
2,075
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5,760
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1,875
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5,760
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Vehicle Interest Expenses - Regardless of whether the standard mileage rate or actual expense method is used, a self-employed taxpayer may also deduct the business use portion of interest paid on an auto loan on their Schedule C. However, employees may not deduct interest paid on a consumer car loan.
Sale or Trade-in of a Business Vehicle – Under prior law, it was good tax strategy to trade-in a vehicle that would result in a gain, thus deferring the gain into the replacement vehicle and avoiding the tax on the gain. On the other hand, it was good practice to sell a vehicle for a loss and take advantage of the tax loss. Unfortunately tax reform no longer allows tax-deferred exchanges for anything but real estate. This does away with the aforementioned strategies, and now all sales and trade-ins are treated as sales, with any gain being taxable and any loss being deductible. However, a loss on the sale of a vehicle used solely for personal purposes is not deductible, and if the vehicle was used both for business and personal reasons, only the business portion of the loss is deductible.
Employees – Tax reform also eliminates the itemized deduction for employee business expenses; this is the place on the tax return where employees could deduct the business use of their vehicle for their employer. Thus, business vehicle expenses are no longer deductible by employees.
Please call if you have questions related to the business use of your vehicle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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You can prepare your taxes yourself, especially if your business is simple.
But once you have contractors, employees, business loans, equipment purchases, mileage, mixed expenses, or growing revenue, things get more complex. At that point, tax preparation becomes a way to make sure your business is reported correctly, your deductions are handled properly, and your records can support what you file.
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Send anything that shows what your business earned, spent, bought, paid, borrowed, or changed during the year.
That usually means your income records, bank statements, credit card statements, payroll reports, contractor payments, loan documents, mileage records, and prior-year tax return. Also tell me about anything unusual, such as buying a vehicle, hiring someone, opening a new location, or taking out a business loan.
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Messy books can slow things down. If expenses are in the wrong categories, transactions are missing, or personal and business spending are mixed together, your tax return may not show the right profit. We may need to clean things up before filing, so your return is accurate and easier to support.
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Possibly, if it was truly for your business and you have proof.
Still, it is much better to avoid this when you can. A separate business bank account and business credit card make everything cleaner. They save time, reduce confusion, and make your records much easier to defend if anyone ever asks questions.
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Most small business owners can deduct ordinary business expenses like software, advertising, supplies, insurance, rent, payroll, contractor payments, professional fees, travel, and some vehicle costs.
The question I usually ask is simple. Was this expense clearly for the business? If yes, we can look at how it should be handled. Personal expenses should stay personal.
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