Deduct mileage for travel to and from client office

[TheRoge]

I keep reading about "temporary work locations" and how it needs to be for less than one year, etc., but it's confusing. Is a client location a "temporary work location"? I work for an IT services company (it has a regular location, but I'm there maybe twice a month for part of a day) and I deploy from my home to various client locations every day, some close, some as far as 70 miles away. If I go to one of these locations from my home, as I almost always do, can I deduct the mileage to and from the client's location? Or am I limited to the mileage between client locations and/or work locations? Is this where I would be required to have a home office to qualify? Note that my employer compensates me for these miles, so I wouldn't be claiming them on my own taxes, I just want to make sure I'm submitting the right number of miles for the compensation. Thanks for any help sorting this out. 

[DianeC958]

Under the new tax law if you are a W-2 employee mileage is not deductible.  For your employer's reimbursement plan you need to clarify with them what mileage they will reimburse you for.

[TheRoge]

Hi Diane,

Thanks for the response. I know that I can't deduct it as a W2 employee, but my employer is reimbursing me and other employees for the miles driven for work and I still want to make sure that I'm only reporting miles that qualify. For example, I know that driving from my house to my company's offices is just considered "commuting" and therefore does not qualify. But I want to know if mileage from my home directly to a client location is something that would count. I keep seeing references to "temporary work location" and it needing to be for less than one year, but what does that actually mean? If I have a client, I am expecting to keep them for more than one year. Or is it per "job/project"? When does the timer stop ticking? I just want to make sure that I do this according to the law, but I'm confused about what it means. Thanks again for any help.

[LeonardS · Accepted solution]

No, the mileage from your home directly to a clients location is not deductible if you are an employee.  However, your employer can reimburse you for this mileage.  This reimbursenent would not be taxable income so long as the mileage reinbursement is at or below the IRS allowance.