Mileage Tracking for Mobile Pet Groomers
Many mobile pet groomers drive 8,000 to 20,000 business miles a year. At the 2026 IRS standard rate of 72.5 cents per mile, that is a deduction range of $5,800 to $14,500 for the workers who can claim it.
Who can deduct
Mobile pet groomers and grooming-van owner-operators are 1099 self-employed. They deduct mileage on Schedule C at 72.5 cents per mile. The grooming van itself often qualifies for accelerated depreciation under Section 179 if heavy enough.
How mobile pet groomers actually drive
Full-time mobile pet groomers commonly drive 12,000 to 18,000 business miles a year. Part-time mobile groomers 6,000 to 10,000. The grooming van is a high-cost asset; many owners use the actual expenses method to capture depreciation.
Typical deductible trips
The trips below are the ones mobile pet groomers most commonly forget to log, plus the obvious ones. Auto-tracking catches all of them, including the small ones that add up.
- Driving to client homes for scheduled grooming appointments
- Driving between back-to-back appointments in the same day
- Driving to suppliers for shampoo, blades, equipment
- Driving to a vet supply store or pharmacy for prescription products
- Driving for advertising and lead-generation (door hangers, neighborhood drives)
How TruMile helps
TruMile auto-detects every drive using motion plus location, so the trips above get logged whether you remember them or not. Smart classification learns your repeat routes (between regular client homes, between job sites, to your supply store) and starts tagging them automatically after a few trips.
At year-end, one tap turns your trip log into an IRS-compliant CSV or PDF you can hand to your accountant or paste into Schedule C. The math is already done.
Free for 40 auto trips a month, every month. If you are anywhere near the high end of the typical mileage range, the unlimited Pro tier at $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year usually pays for itself in the first week of tax season.
FAQ for mobile pet groomers
Standard mileage or actual expenses for a grooming van?
Run both. Grooming vans are often heavy enough (over 6,000 lbs gross weight) to qualify for accelerated depreciation under Section 179, which can produce a much larger deduction than the standard rate in year one. After the depreciation runs out, standard mileage may win in later years - but you are locked into actual expenses for that vehicle if you started with it.
Is the grooming equipment in the van depreciable?
Yes. The grooming station, hydraulic table, dryers, generator, water system are all business assets that depreciate separately from the van itself.
What about the cost of utilities (water, propane) used in the van?
Yes, deductible as business expenses. If you fill the van's water tank at home, the marginal water cost is deductible (most groomers estimate; the dollar amount is small).
Can I deduct mileage for picking up a pet at a client's home for off-site grooming?
Yes. Drives for the business of caring for the pet are business miles, whether the grooming happens at the client's home, your van, or a rented salon space.
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