Expenses
The standard mileage rate covers the cost of operating the car. It does not cover parking fees and tolls, which Publication 463 lets you deduct in addition. And if you use actual expenses instead of the rate, every cost of the car counts, prorated by business use. Miles records both kinds.
This page is general information, not tax advice.
Parking and tolls
Add parking or a toll to the drive it belongs to. Amount, a note, and a receipt photo if you have one. Business parking and tolls are deductible with either method. Parking at your regular place of work is a commuting expense and is not, and Miles treats parking on a commute drive that way.
Publication 463 does not require a receipt for a transportation expense when one is not readily available, and it does not require one for any expense under $75 other than lodging. Miles records the amount either way.
Actual car expenses
Per vehicle, Miles records the categories Publication 463 lists.
- Fuel and oil
- Maintenance, repairs, and tires
- Insurance
- Registration and licence fees
- Lease payments
- Loan interest (deductible in proportion to business use if you are self-employed)
- Personal property tax on the vehicle
- Garage rent
Each entry has a date, an amount, a category, and an optional receipt scanned with the camera. Recurring costs such as insurance can be entered once with a period, and Miles spreads them over the year.
The deduction, both ways
Publication 463 suggests figuring the deduction both ways when you qualify for both. Miles does, on the vehicle's year card.
- Standard mileage rate. Business miles in each rate period times the rate for that period, plus parking and tolls. For 2026, drives from January 1 to June 30 use 72.5 cents and drives from July 1 to December 31 use 76 cents.
- Actual expenses. Total car expenses times the business-use percentage, plus depreciation up to the limit for the year the car was placed in service, plus business parking and tolls.
The card shows both totals and which is larger. It also shows the rule that limits your choice. If you used actual expenses with accelerated depreciation in the first year, the standard rate is not available for that car in later years. See standard mileage rate vs. actual expenses.
Review note. The depreciation figure on the actual-expense side needs a product decision on how much of Form 4562 the app computes versus hands to the accountant. The plan is the straight-line and 200% declining balance percentages from Table 4-1 with the yearly limits applied.
Canada
For a vehicle in Canada, there is no standard rate for the self-employed. The actual expenses are the deduction, prorated by business kilometres over total kilometres, and business parking is fully deductible without proration. Miles produces the T2125 Chart A figures from the same entries. See T2125 motor vehicle expenses.
Receipts
Scan a receipt with the camera. The image is stored with the expense in your iCloud and included in the accountant package export. Miles does not read the amount from the receipt for you.
Review note. Receipt amount recognition with the Vision framework is a candidate for a later release.
Video
This page's video shows expenses and the Both methods card. The steps it records are written up in the expenses video script.