About This Site
Why this exists
Members of the National Guard and Reserve who travel more than 100 miles to drill can deduct their unreimbursed travel costs — and a surprising number never claim it. The most common reason is a misunderstanding: many assume that because they take the standard deduction, work-related travel is off the table. For this particular deduction, that is not true. It sits above the line on Schedule 1, and you get it either way.
The existing tools we found were either generic mileage calculators or military travel-pay calculators. None of them answered the question a reservist actually has in April: what is this worth on my return? So we built one.
What the calculator does
You enter your annual mileage, lodging nights, meal days, the applicable per diem rates, and your marginal tax rate. It applies the correct standard mileage rate for the tax year, caps lodging and meals at per diem, applies the 50 percent meal limit, and shows both your total deduction and an estimate of what it saves you.
It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or stored anywhere.
How it stays current
Standard mileage rates and per diem rates change regularly, and 2026 is a split year because the IRS raised the business mileage rate effective July 1. We track those changes and update the calculator and the guides accordingly. Each page carries the date it was last reviewed.
How this is funded
The tool is free and always will be. There is no paywall, no account, and no upsell. The site is supported by display advertising and by affiliate commissions from tax-filing services — if you follow one of those links and file, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Those relationships never change the figures the calculator produces, and affiliate links are labeled as sponsored.
What this site is not
It is not a substitute for a tax professional, and it is not affiliated with the IRS or the Department of Defense. It produces an estimate to help you understand roughly what you are owed and have an informed conversation — or to make sure you do not skip a deduction you are entitled to.