Yet another simple idea to save the American taxpayer money which Democrats are NOT talking about...
For 2026, the IRS raised the optional standard mileage rate for business use of automobiles to 72.5 cents per mile driven for business use. WTF does this mean to a tax neophyte, you ask?
The standard mileage rate is a simplified means of calculating the cost of using a vehicle for business purposes. Instead of tracking every vehicle expense (i.e., fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance and depreciation) you can multiply your total business miles by the IRS optional standard mileage rate. For example, if you drive 10,000 miles for business during the year, the deduction using the standard mileage method would be $7,250.
The problem is that the optional standard mileage rate was set PRIOR to Trump's "excursion" into Iran, which in turn means that - unless this number is adjusted upwards to reflect the current price of gas - American taxpayers are going to be totally shafted when it comes time to file their 2026 income tax returns.
Something your Democratic Senator or House Representative might want to DO or SAY SOMETHING about.