In July the IRS just dropped a mid-year patch. Here's what changed.
Effective July 1st:
- Business mileage: 72.5¢ → 76¢ per mile
- Medical/moving mileage: 20.5¢ → 23.5¢ per mile
- Charitable mileage: 14¢ per mile (unchanged, locked by law)
This is the first mid-year adjustment since 2022. So what does that mean for you?
If you drove for business this year, you can't just apply one rate to your total miles. You're splitting your mileage at the July 1st boundary. January through June uses 72.5¢. July through December uses 76¢. Two rates, one year.
🎮 Who Does This Affect?
Streamers driving to events, conventions, or collaboration meetups. Indie game devs driving to publisher meetings, contractor check-ins, or hardware runs. If you're logging business miles, this changes your calculation.
❓ The Real Question
Are you tracking your business miles as they happen, or are you estimating at year end and hoping it's close?
Guessing at year end means you're leaving money on the table or overstating your deduction. Neither is a good look. A mileage log that updates in real time means you capture every eligible mile at the correct rate, no reconstruction needed.
✅ What To Do Now
- Split your log at July 1st. Anything before uses 72.5¢, anything after uses 76¢
- Update your tracking method. If you're using a mileage app, check that it supports mid-year rate changes. Most do, but some need manual adjustment
- Talk to your accountant. This affects your estimated tax payments if you're making quarterly filings
🚗💨 The Bottom Line
Mid-year changes are super rare. The IRS usually waits until January to adjust rates. When they do patch mid-year, it means they're responding to fuel cost increases significant enough to warrant immediate correction. Ignore this change and you'll miscalculate your deductions.
Need help figuring out how this affects your adventure? Drop Roo a DM on Discord.
