Q. Can I deduct the rental expense and mileage from my federal and state taxes?
A. No. Starting in 2018, employees (W-2 recipients) are no longer able to deduct any job expenses.
Even in the "old days", the rent and travel your describe would not have been deductible. That's a personal decision and not a job requirement.
Even if you are a contract employee or independent contractor (you get a 1099 instead of a W-2), your expenses would probably not be deductible (it would depend on more details).
