For all of the CPAs, is there anyway I can claim mileage for driving to work for 2004? I drive 225 miles to and from work a day.

 

Commuting mileage is not deductible.

As I recall work related travel (visiting customers, etc) that is not reimbursed by your employer is.

 

If you have a main office that you stop at each day before working at a satellite office, you can deduct the mileage between offices, but the caveat is that you have to stop in at the main office each morning.

Your accountant can also deduct for depreciation your car if you use it for work. This may or may not be worth very much though. I don't recall the acutal calculations but they have to do with wear and tear, maintenance, and mileage. IIFC, it only is worthwhile to do during the first year of car ownership (or something like that -- there's a lot of caveats with this deduction).

 

I have a company car that is entirely paid for. However, since I am allowed to use the vehicle for personal use, I have to track business vs. personal miles.

So, what is said is correct. If I'm driving from home to the office, it is considered commuting and thus personal miles. However, if I stopped off at a customer, or FedEx tro drop off a business package, the miles from the business to my office are then "work related" and can be deducted.

Another trick is when you travel in different states. For instance, everytime I travel for a whole day in Washington state, I do not have to pay Oregon income tax, but can elect to pay Washington (9% vs. 0%) for just that day.

 

Heh, if you could do that, everyone would be driving $100k cars.