Are commuting expenses tax deductible?

Are commuting expenses tax deductible? When are work travel expenses tax deductible? When can I deduct work travel costs? Listen as Attorney Tom Olsen and CPA Dave McCarron answer these questions and more! 

Fred: I’ve got a question about taxes. If I commute about 90 miles a day to and from work, I travel to Orlando toll roads, 429 via Tran pipe. Is it a portion of my expenses to commute to work deductible?

Attorney Tom Olsen: Okay, so let’s ask Dave McCarron, CPA, that question.

Dave McCarron: So, Joe, you drive a lot of miles, and you use a key term called ‘commuting’, so commuting miles in general, Joe, are not tax deductible against your income. So it depends on what kind of job you do. If you are commuting -- let’s say you’re in sales and you’re out on the road all day long then that commuting miles would likely be deductible from location to location. If you’re out doing sales calls, for example. But if you’re just going to a location and you’re staying there, unfortunately, that’s just commuting miles and there’s no tax deduction for that.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Alright. Great question, we appreciate that, Fred.