driving expenses

[sky19642100]

I am an independent contractor for a healthcare agency and received a 1099 NEC.  I use my home computer to gather information on patients and review imaging.  If needed I drive my vehicle to the hospital to treat patients. I believe this is a commute and not a business expense but several responses I have read make me unsure. Can I claim driving to a from the hospital as a business expense?

[AnnetteB6]

It depends.  If your home qualifies as your principal place of business, then the mileage from home to the self-employed work locations and back is deductible on Schedule C.  Otherwise, it is considered to be commuting miles and is not deductible.  

If you traveled between locations for the self-employed work, then those miles would be deductible on your Schedule C.  

To learn more about what it means to have your home qualify as your principal place of business, see the following TurboTax help article:

What qualifies as "Principal Place of Business" for the home office deduction?