Guide to employee mileage reimbursement in 2024

If your employees use their personal vehicles for business or to carry out work-related duties, it’s important to have a way to compensate them. Having a clear mileage reimbursement policy in place as part of your broader expense reimbursement policy is critical for modern businesses.

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Below, we’ll take a closer look at mileage reimbursement and why it’s important. We’ll also discuss when reimbursement makes sense and when it doesn’t, review the standard mileage rate, and answer other common questions about employee mileage reimbursement.

What is mileage reimbursement?

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For jobs that require a lot of driving, mileage reimbursement is an alternative to providing an employee with a company vehicle or stipend to act as a car allowance. It typically takes the form of a flat, per-mile rate that often—but not always—matches the standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year.

What does mileage reimbursement include?

Mileage reimbursement does more than simply cover the cost of the gasoline your employee used while driving their vehicle. Other employee expenses that are typically reflected in mileage reimbursement rates include:

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• Alternative fuels (ethanol, electricity, etc.) 
• Maintenance
• Washing and cleaning
• Wear and tear
• Depreciation
• Car insurance
• Registration fees
• Licensing fees

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It’s important to note that mileage reimbursement doesn’t cover all costs associated with driving. If your employee pays a toll while driving, for example, that won’t be reflected in their mileage reimbursement. Instead, it would need to be reimbursed separately as a travel expense. Employees should be encouraged to collect and submit receipts along with any reimbursement requests.

Other vehicle expenses and driving costs not covered by mileage reimbursement include parking fees, concierge services, and others.

What counts as reimbursable mileage?

Any time an employee uses their personal vehicle for business purposes, you should consider reimbursing them for mileage. Some common examples of business travel that may trigger mileage reimbursement include using a personal vehicle to:

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• Attend an off-site business meeting
• Drive to the airport or train station to then go on a business trip
• Pick up a business partner or coworker from the airport to attend a business meeting
• Visit customers, clients, or prospects for sales meetings
• Transport materials, equipment, or supplies to or from the office, worksite, or other location

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That being said, not all mileage is reimbursable. Mileage related to regular commuting, for example, is usually not reimbursable—it’s also non-deductible.

Understanding the IRS standard mileage rate

Every year, the IRS sets the standard mileage rate for the business use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck. This is the dollar amount that a business owner or self-employed individual can deduct from their income tax return for each business mile driven, effectively lowering their taxable income for the year.

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The mileage rate varies based on the purpose of the travel, with unique rates for standard business use, medical or moving purposes for active-duty military, and miles driven in service of a charitable organization. Most businesses use the standard mileage rate as a benchmark for setting their own mileage reimbursement policies.

The standard mileage reimbursement rate fluctuates from year to year based on a number of factors, including inflation, the average cost of fuel, and other variables. Midyear adjustments occasionally occur, as in 2022. The table below shows the standard mileage rate for regular business purposes in each of the past several years:

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Your business doesn’t necessarily have to follow the IRS mileage rates. You’re free to set your company’s reimbursement rate however you see fit—whether that’s more or less than the standard rate. You can also choose to forego mileage reimbursements altogether and instead reimburse the actual expenses that your employees incur during business travel.

That being said, if you reimburse at a higher rate, the difference is considered taxable income for your employee. If you pay under the standard rate, you risk dropping your employee’s pay below the federal minimum wage. Whatever your company’s mileage reimbursement rate, you should include it in your travel expenses (T&E) policy.

What is the current mileage reimbursement rate for 2024?

The standard mileage rate for 2024 is currently 67 cents per mile, which is up from 65.5 cents per mile in 2023. The current medical or moving rate for 2024 is 21 cents per mile, a decrease of 1 cent over last year. The mileage rate in service of a charitable organization is 14 cents, which is set by statute and remains the same since 2023.

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Looking ahead, the IRS is likely to announce the standard rate for the 2025 tax year in December. This rate is used to calculate mileage reimbursement by multiplying it by the number of business miles driven.

Is mileage reimbursement legally required?

Mileage reimbursement is sometimes, but not always, required by law. Below is an overview of some of the laws that may require you to reimburse your employees for company mileage.

Federal laws

As of 2024, there is no federal requirement or regulation that requires employers to reimburse mileage in every instance. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), however, employers are legally required to reimburse employees for company miles driven in their personal vehicle if failure to do so would drop the employee’s salary below the federal minimum wage.

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For businesses where the average employee earns well above the minimum wage, this may not be much of a concern. But for businesses where the average worker earns at or near the federal minimum wage, you should be certain that your mileage reimbursement policy (or lack thereof) complies with FLSA requirements.

State laws

Despite the lack of a formal federal law, some states—specifically California, Illinois, and Massachusetts—currently have laws on the books requiring mileage reimbursement. While these laws do not specify a required rate of reimbursement, most tend to follow the IRS standard mileage rate as a benchmark.

Benefits of employee mileage reimbursement

Even when it’s not required, reimbursing mileage can benefit your business.

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First, consider that employees will be more willing to drive their personal vehicle on the job when they know that they’ll be reimbursed for the costs. This empowers your employees and your business to act nimbly to jump on opportunities as they pop up—putting in the extra effort to visit a client in person, for example, or touring the facility that manufactures your product.

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Mileage reimbursement can even help with employee attraction and retention, especially for positions where driving is a big part of the job. In this way, reimbursements can serve as a more cost-effective alternative to providing an employee with a company car or car allowance.

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Finally, as noted above, mileage reimbursement comes with some tax benefits. Specifically, it can provide your business with a tax deduction because mileage reimbursements count as a deductible business expense.

Tracking and managing mileage reimbursement

There are several mileage-tracking apps that make it easy to record miles driven for personal vs. business purposes. If you prefer to keep things low-tech, you might require your employees to keep a manual mileage log for any business travel.

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This logbook should include the trip’s date, business purpose, and the total miles driven. Odometer readings before and after the drive offer the most accurate estimate for miles driven, especially compared to map estimates or other methods.

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When it comes to creating and managing your mileage reimbursement policy, you’ll want to consider a few factors:

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1. Determine your rate: You can use the standard mileage rate as a baseline, but you’ll want to account for local and regional variables like gas prices and overall cost of living.
2. Outline the reimbursement process: As part of your overall expense reimbursement policy, set guidelines for how employees should report mileage, the documentation they must submit as proof, and when and how they’ll be reimbursed. The easiest way to manage this process is with an automated expense management system.
3. Keep accurate records: If you plan to write off mileage reimbursements on your tax returns, you need to keep organized and accurate records of the submitted expenses and the reimbursements you paid. The IRS has specific guidelines around recordkeeping requirements for car expenses.

Ramp: Mileage reimbursement made easy

Ramp’s modern expense management software makes it easy to manage your mileage reimbursement policy. Run mileage reports, review and approve reimbursement requests, and manage receipts all in one platform.

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Beyond the essentials, Ramp also offers:

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• On-the-go reimbursement requests: With Ramp’s mobile app, employees can log their mileage expenses and request reimbursement even when they’re out on the road
• Precise mileage calculations: Integrate directly with Google Maps to ensure automatic mileage calculations
• International mileage reimbursements: Working internationally? International mileage reimbursements are currently available in Canada, Spain, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom