Dog walker mileage reimbursement with several trips a day from home

[emress]

I am working as a dog walker, and often have days where I drive to a client's home for a walk, then return to my house for an hour or two, then go to another client's home for a walk, then back to my home again, etc. I know the mileage to the first client of the day and from the last client's home back to my house are commuting mileage; what about the mileage from my house to a client's home and back that are middle of the day trips? Can I count the mileage for any of those trips as business mileage? I do not count my home as a home office since my work is all occurring at people's houses.

Thanks!

[Critter-3]

Sorry ... all of what you mentioned is commuting which is non deductible since you do not have a valid office in your home. 

[emress]

Thank you for your response. This seems very motivating for me to set up a home office. If I set up a dedicated office space for this job and respond to all my dog walk requests in that space and do my expense tracking there, is that enough work to be considered a home office? Since most of my work is actually out walking dogs?

Thanks.

[Critter-3]

Home Office Expenses … Business Use of the Home

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/home-office-deduction

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p587.pdf

[Opus 17]

You need to read publication 463, especially chapter 4, and publication 587.

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-463

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-587

Most of your mileage could be work mileage if your home was your "principle place of business".   Your home can be your principle place of business if that is where you do your administrative work (making appointments, calling client, keeping records, and so on).   You don't have to actually take the home office deduction to call your home your principle place of business.