House Bills Propose Increased Mileage Rates

A plethora of bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives designed to use the standard mileage deductions to offset the high cost of fuel. While the I.R.S. has increased the rate by administrative action beginning on July 1, the increase to 58.5 cents does not reflect the actual cost of increased gasoline prices on businesses.

We continue to urge passage of U.S. Senate Bill s.3032 which would raise the rate to 70 cents per mile. Following are some of the bills being considered in the House:

H.R.6165, introduced by Rep. Edward Whitfield, would allow commuters to deduct mileage based on the current standard mileage rate. The idea is to give all Americans a tax break due to rising fuel costs.

Meanwhile, H.R.2020, Introduced by Rep. Todd Platts, would permanently raise the rate for mileage incurred for charity purposes. The current rate of 14 cents per mile has not changed for several years.

Also in the works is H.R.6263, introduced by Rep. John Lewis, which comprehensively looks at all of the mileage rates that have been traditionally deducted. This bill seems to more closely mirror the Senate version which we support.

Contact your Senators and Representative to urge passage of a significantly increased standard mileage rate.