IR-2022-124, June 9, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain other purposes.

For the final 6 months of 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of the year. The new rate for deductible medical or moving expenses (available for active-duty members of the military) will be 22 cents for the remainder of 2022, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of 2022. These new rates become effective July 1, 2022. The IRS provided legal guidance on the new rates in Announcement 2022-13, issued today.

In recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special adjustment for the final months of 2022. The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year. For travel from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022, taxpayers should use the rates set forth in Notice 2022-03.

“The IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the recent increase in fuel prices,”

said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We are aware a number of unusual factors have come into play involving fuel costs, and we are taking this special step to help taxpayers, businesses and others who use this rate.”

While fuel costs are a significant factor in the mileage figure, other items enter into the calculation of mileage rates, such as depreciation and insurance and other fixed and variable costs.

The optional business standard mileage rate is used to compute the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use in lieu of tracking actual costs. This rate is also used as a benchmark by the federal government and many businesses to reimburse their employees for mileage.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

The 14 cents per mile rate for charitable organizations remains unchanged as it is set by statute.

Midyear increases in the optional mileage rates are rare, the last time the IRS made such an increase was in 2011.

                                                            Mileage Rate Changes

Purpose	Rates 1/1 through 6/30/22	Rates 7/1 through 12/31/22
Business	58.5	62.5
Medical/Moving	18	22
Charitable	14	14

Announcement 2022-13

This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2022-3, 2022-2 I.R.B. 308, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated.  This modification results from recent increases in the price of fuel.

The revised standard mileage rates are:

• Business                                    62.5 cents per mile
• Medical and moving                 22 cents per mile

The mileage rate that applies to the deduction for charitable contributions is fixed under § 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) at 14 cents per mile.

The revised standard mileage rates set forth in this announcement apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes on or after July 1, 2022, and to mileage allowances that are paid both (1) to an employee on or after July 1, 2022, and (2) for transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee on or after July 1, 2022.

The standard mileage rates set forth in Notice 2022-3 continue to apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes before July 1, 2022, and to mileage allowances paid (1) to an employee before July 1, 2022, or (2) with respect to transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee before July 1, 2022.  All other provisions of Notice 2022-3 remain in effect.

Note that § 11045 of Public Law 115- 97, 131. Stat. 2054 (December 22, 2017), commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), suspends all miscellaneous itemized deductions that are subject to the two-percent of adjusted gross income floor under § 67 of the Code, including unreimbursed employee travel expenses, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.  Thus, the revised business standard mileage rate provided in this announcement cannot be used to claim an itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee travel expenses during the suspension.  Notwithstanding the foregoing suspension of miscellaneous itemized deductions, deductions for expenses that are deductible in determining adjusted gross income are not suspended.  For example, members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States (Armed Forces), state or local government officials paid on a fee basis, and certain performing artists are entitled to deduct unreimbursed employee travel expenses as an adjustment to total income on line 12 of Schedule 1 of Form 1040 (2021), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, not as an itemized deduction on Schedule A of Form 1040 (2021), and therefore may use the revised business standard mileage rate provided in this announcement.

Further, § 11049 of the TCJA suspends the deduction for moving expenses for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.  However, the suspension does not apply to members of the Armed Forces on active duty who move pursuant to a military order and incident to a permanent change of station.  Thus, except for taxpayers to whom § 217(g) of the Code applies, the revised standard mileage rate provided in this announcement is not applicable for the use of an automobile as part of a move occurring during the suspension.

EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS

Notice 2022-3 is modified.

DRAFTING INFORMATION

            The principal author of this announcement is Christian Lagorio of the Office of Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting).  For further information regarding this announcement contact Mr. Lagorio at (202) 317-7005 (not a toll-free number).