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Level 3
posted Feb 15, 2020 5:35:31 PM

For mileage deductions, it asks me if I took the standard deduction or actual expenses for 2018. I worked in 2018 but did not deduct miles that year. What do I answer?

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1 Best answer
Employee Tax Expert
Feb 16, 2020 6:29:07 AM

If you have never claimed any vehicle expenses on your tax returns in the past, then in they eyes of the IRS, 2019 is the first time you started using the vehicle for business purposes.  

 

You only need to consider past years of use when it has been claimed on a tax return.  

3 Replies
Intuit Alumni
Feb 15, 2020 5:54:29 PM

If you took mileage the year before that (2017) use that answer.  

 

The reason TurboTax is asking this question is because if you took actual expenses then you need to use actual expenses for as long as you use that vehicle for business.

 

Here is a TurboTax Help Topic that covers this in more detail:  Using Mileage and Actual Expenses

Level 3
Feb 15, 2020 8:58:31 PM

What if 2019 was my first time ever deducting miles but I started using the vehicle for the job in 2018? @KarenM90 

Employee Tax Expert
Feb 16, 2020 6:29:07 AM

If you have never claimed any vehicle expenses on your tax returns in the past, then in they eyes of the IRS, 2019 is the first time you started using the vehicle for business purposes.  

 

You only need to consider past years of use when it has been claimed on a tax return.