The IRS has published the reference amounts for mileage rates for 2021. The rates:
Beginning on January 1, 2021, the standard mileage rates for the use of a vehicle will be:
- 56.0 cents per mile driven for business use, down 1.5 cents from the rate for 2020,
- 16 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down 1 cent from the rate for 2020, and
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.
The business mileage rate decreased one and a half cents for business travel driven and one cent for medical and certain moving expense from the rates for 2020. The charitable rate is set by statute and remains unchanged.
The business rate is down from 57.5 cents in 2020 and 58.0 cents in 2019, which in turn was up from 54.5 in 2018.
The standard rate for business is based on their analysis of the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle. The medical & moving rate is based on variable costs of operation.
Rates were published in Notice 2021-02: 2021 Standard Mileage Rates.