The Mileage Deduction Most Resellers Throw Away (2026 Rates)

General info, not tax advice.

Every trip to the bins, every estate-sale loop, every Facebook Marketplace meetup — if you resell for profit, those miles are business miles, and in 2026 they're worth real money.

The 2026 rates (with a gotcha)

The IRS set 2026's business rate at 72.5¢/mile, then raised it to 76¢/mile effective July 1. Split-year rates mean your log needs dates, not just totals — a trip on June 30 and the same trip on July 1 deduct differently.

What it's worth

A modest sourcing habit — say 60 miles a week between thrift loops and meetups — is roughly 3,100 miles a year ≈ $2,300 of deductions. At a 22% effective tax rate, that's ~$500 of real money, thrown away by anyone who doesn't log drives.

What counts

• Driving to source: thrift stores, bins, estate/yard sales, auctions
• Meetup drives for local sales
• Post office and supply runs
• NOT your regular commute to a day job, and not personal errands you tacked a thrift stop onto (the detour portion counts)

The painless log

Date, purpose, miles — that's the whole record the IRS wants. Our trackers (Reseller HQ and the Flip Log) have the split-year rates built in: enter the date and miles, the deduction calculates itself, and your January self says thank you.