What is Line 9 on Schedule C?
Line 9 — Car and truck expenses
Line 9 on Schedule C is car and truck expenses. Most self-employed people use the standard mileage rate: multiply your business miles for the year by the IRS rate for that year and enter the result here. The alternative is the actual-expense method, where you deduct the business share of fuel, insurance, repairs, and depreciation. Either way you complete the vehicle questions in Part IV, and either way you need a mileage log with the date, destination, business purpose, and miles for each trip.
Examples
- 4,000 logged business miles at the year's standard rate, entered as a single figure.
- Tolls and parking for business trips, added on top of the standard rate.
- The business-use percentage of actual costs for a vehicle used for both work and personal driving.
Watch out for
- The standard rate already covers fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation — do not deduct them twice.
- Commuting from home to a regular workplace is personal mileage.
- Using the standard rate in the first year a vehicle is used for business keeps both methods open later.
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General information, not tax advice. Amounts, limits, and percentages change between tax years — check the current IRS Schedule C instructions or ask a tax professional about your situation.
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