SECTION 4. DEFINITIONS

.01 Standard mileage rate . The term “standard mileage rate” means the applicable amount provided by the Service for optional use by employees or self-employed individuals in computing the deductible costs of operating automobiles (including vans, pickups, or panel trucks) they own or lease for business purposes, or by taxpayers in computing the deductible costs of operating automobiles for charitable, medical, or moving expense purposes.

.02 Transportation expenses . The term “transportation expenses” means the expenses of operating an automobile for local travel or transportation away from home.

.03 Mileage allowance . The term “mileage allowance” means a payment under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement that is:

(1) paid with respect to the ordinary and necessary business expenses incurred, or that the payor reasonably anticipates will be incurred, by an employee for transportation expenses in connection with the performance of services as an employee of the employer,

(2) reasonably calculated not to exceed the amount of the expenses or the anticipated expenses, and

(3) paid at the applicable standard mileage rate, a flat rate or stated schedule, or in accordance with any other Service-specified rate or schedule.

.04 Flat rate or stated schedule . A mileage allowance is paid at a flat rate or stated schedule if it is provided on a uniform and objective basis with respect to the expenses described in section 4.03 of this revenue procedure. The allowance may be paid periodically at a fixed rate, at a cents-per-mile rate, at a variable rate based on a stated schedule, at a rate that combines any of these rates, or on any other basis that is consistently applied and in accordance with reasonable business practice. Thus, for example, a periodic payment at a fixed rate to cover the fixed costs (including depreciation (or lease payments), insurance, registration and license fees, and personal property taxes) of driving an automobile in connection with the performance of services as an employee of the employer, coupled with a periodic pay

under which the allowances, if in accordance with reasonable business practice, will be regarded as (1) equivalent to substantiation, by adequate records or other sufficient evidence, of the amount of the travel and transportation expenses for purposes of § 1.274–5(c), and (2) satisfying the requirements of an adequate accounting to the employer of the amount of the expenses for purposes of § 1.274–5(f).

.05 Section 62(a)(2)(A) allows an employee, in determining adjusted gross income, a deduction for the expenses allowed by Part VI (§ 161 and following), subchapter B, chapter 1 of the Code, paid or incurred by the employee in connection with the performance of services as an employee under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement with a payor.

.06 Section 62(c) provides that an arrangement will not be treated as a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement for purposes of § 62(a)(2)(A) if it—

(1) does not require the employee to substantiate the expenses covered by the arrangement to the payor, or

(2) provides the employee with the right to retain any amount in excess of the substantiated expenses covered under the arrangement. Section 62(c) further provides that the substantiation requirements described therein do not apply to any expense to the extent that, under the grant of regulatory authority in § 274(d), the Commissioner has provided that substantiation is not required for the expense.

.07 Under § 1.62–2(c), a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement satisfies the requirements of § 62(c) if it meets the requirements of business connection, substantiation, and returning amounts in excess of expenses as specified in the regulations. If an arrangement meets these requirements, all amounts paid under the arrangement are treated as paid under an accountable plan and are excluded from income and wages. If an arrangement does not meet these requirements, all amounts paid under the arrangement are treated as paid under a nonaccountable plan and are included in the employee’s gross income, must be reported as wages or compensation on the employee’s Form W–2, and are subject to the withholding and payment of employment taxes. Sec

tion 1.62–2(e)(2) specifically provides that substantiation of certain business expenses in accordance with rules prescribed under the authority of § 1.274–5(g) will be treated as substantiation of the amount of the expenses for purposes of § 1.62–2. Under § 1.62–2(f)(2), the Commissioner may prescribe rules under which an arrangement providing mileage allowances is treated as satisfying the requirement of returning amounts in excess of expenses, even though the arrangement does not require the employee to return the portion of the allowance that relates to miles of travel substantiated and that exceeds the amount of the employee’s expenses deemed substantiated pursuant to rules prescribed under § 274(d), provided the allowance is reasonably calculated not to exceed the amount of the employee’s expenses or anticipated expenses and the employee is required to return any portion of the allowance that relates to miles of travel not substantiated.

.08 Section 1.62–2(h)(2)(i)(B) provides that if a payor pays a mileage allowance under an arrangement that meets the requirements of § 1.62–2(c)(1), the portion, if any, of the allowance that relates to miles of travel substantiated in accordance with § 1.62–2(e), that exceeds the amount of the employee’s expenses deemed substantiated for the travel pursuant to rules prescribed under § 274(d) and § 1.274–5(g), and that the employee is not required to return, is subject to withholding and payment of employment taxes. See §§ 31.3121(a)–3, 31.3231(e)–1(a)(5), 31.3306(b)–2, and 31.3401(a)–4 of the Employment Tax Regulations. Because the employee is not required to return this excess portion, the reasonable period of time provisions of § 1.62–2(g) (relating to the return of excess amounts) do not apply to this excess portion.

.09 Under § 1.62–2(h)(2)(i)(B)(4), the Commissioner may provide special rules regarding the timing of withholding and payment of employment taxes on mileage allowances.

.10 Under §1.62–2(k), if a payor’s reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement, such as a mileage allowance, evidences a pattern of abuse of the rules of § 62(c) and §1.62–2, all payments under the arrangement will be treated as made under a nonaccountable plan. See Rev. Rul. 2006–56, 2006–2 C.B. 874, for an ex

2008–50 I.R.B. 1287 December 15, 2008

deduction, (c) claimed the special depreciation allowance under § 168(k), or (d) used the Accelerated Cost Recovery System (ACRS) under former § 168 or the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) under current § 168. By using the business standard mileage rate, the taxpayer has elected to exclude the automobile (if owned) from MACRS pursuant to § 168(f)(1). If, after using the business standard mileage rate, the taxpayer uses actual costs, the taxpayer must use straight-line depreciation for the automobile’s remaining estimated useful life (subject to the applicable depreciation deduction limitations under § 280F).

(4) The business standard mileage rate and this revenue procedure may not be used to compute the amount of the deductible automobile expenses of an employee of the United States Postal Service incurred in performing services involving the collection and delivery of mail on a rural route if the employee receives qualified reimbursements (as defined in § 162(o)) for the expenses. See § 162(o) for the rules that apply to these qualified reimbursements.