IRS Mileage Deduction for Notaries in 2026: $0.67/Mile

February 28, 2026

The IRS standard mileage rate for 2026 is $0.67 per mile for business use. For loan signing agents who drive to signings, this is one of the largest tax deductions available.

What Qualifies

Business mileage for LSAs includes:

Driving to and from signing locations

Driving to the UPS/FedEx store to ship docs

Driving to pick up or drop off documents

Driving to notary-related business meetings

Commuting from your home to a regular office does not qualify — but if your home is your principal place of business (which it is for most LSAs), driving from home to any signing location counts.

The Calculation

At $0.67/mile:

| Miles | Deduction |

|-------|-----------|

| 10 miles | $6.70 |

| 30 miles | $20.10 |

| 50 miles | $33.50 |

| 100 miles | $67.00 |

| 1,000 miles/month | $670.00/month |

An LSA doing 40 signings/month at 20 miles average round trip = 800 miles = $536/month in deductions = $6,432/year.

What Records the IRS Expects

The IRS requires a contemporaneous mileage log — recorded at or near the time of each trip — including:

Date of the trip

Business purpose (e.g., "signing at 123 Main St, borrower J. Smith")

Starting location and destination

Miles driven

SigningOS logs the signing address per order. You add the mileage manually — the deduction is calculated automatically.

Standard Mileage vs. Actual Expenses

You can deduct either:

1. **Standard mileage rate** ($0.67/mile) — simpler, no receipts for gas/maintenance needed

2. **Actual expenses** — gas, insurance, depreciation, maintenance, prorated for business use

Most LSAs benefit from the standard mileage rate. If you drive a very expensive vehicle or have unusually high vehicle costs, run both calculations with your accountant.

Note: If you use actual expenses in year one for a vehicle, you generally must continue with actual expenses for that vehicle. Standard mileage is more flexible.

Self-Employment Tax Context

As a self-employed LSA, mileage deductions reduce your net self-employment income — which reduces both income tax and self-employment tax (15.3%). Every $1,000 in deductions saves you roughly $150-350 depending on your tax bracket.

SigningOS YTD Summary

In SigningOS Settings, the YTD Tax Summary shows your total mileage logged, calculated deduction at $0.67/mile, total income from paid orders, and total expenses — a snapshot for your accountant at tax time.