Mileage Tracking for Travel Nurses
Many travel nurses drive 8,000 to 25,000 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 $18,125 for the workers who can claim it.
Who can deduct
Travel nurses are paid through staffing agencies that may classify them as W-2 employees or 1099 contractors. The classification depends on the agency and the assignment. W-2 travel nurses cannot deduct unreimbursed mileage federally (OBBBA, 2025); 1099 travel nurses deduct on Schedule C at 72.5 cents per mile. Most travel nurses receive a tax-free housing/travel stipend regardless of classification.
How travel nurses actually drive
Travel nurses on cross-country assignments commonly drive 15,000 to 25,000 business miles a year, between assignments and within local markets during contracts. Local-only travel nurses log 5,000 to 12,000.
Typical deductible trips
The trips below are the ones travel nurses most commonly forget to log, plus the obvious ones. Auto-tracking catches all of them, including the small ones that add up.
- Driving between assignments (one-way relocation drives)
- Driving from temporary housing to the assigned hospital each shift (in some structures, deductible; in others, commuting)
- Driving for required licensure renewals across states
- Driving to staffing agency offices for paperwork, badging, drug testing
- Driving to continuing-education events required for state licenses
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 travel nurses
Are drives to and from the assigned hospital deductible?
Generally no, those are commuting drives even when the hospital is far from your tax home. The exception is if you have a tax home elsewhere and the assignment is genuinely temporary (under 12 months expected) - some inter-assignment drives may then be deductible. This is a common audit area; document carefully.
What about the move drives between assignments?
If you are 1099 self-employed and the move is for the business, the drives between assignments are deductible business miles. If you are W-2, federal moving expense deduction was largely eliminated by TCJA (with a narrow military exception) and OBBBA did not restore it.
Are stipends taxable?
Tax-free if structured under an accountable plan with substantiation (you must maintain a tax home, the assignment must be temporary, you must provide receipts where applicable). Without proper structure, stipends become taxable wages. Most reputable travel staffing agencies handle this correctly but verify your specific contract.
Can I deduct license renewal mileage in multiple states?
Yes, business miles for self-employed travel nurses. For W-2 travel nurses, employer reimbursement is the path (most agencies cover this).
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