I am a small business owner that works out of my home office. My car trips are rarely as simple as driving from my home office to a business destination, then back to the home office. I am confused about how to safely calculate business mileage for a car trip that involves some business and some personal stops. As a theoretical example, image a single trip with the following segments:
- Home office to Staples for some office supplies (2 miles)
- Staples to grocery store for family groceries (4 miles)
- Grocery Store to a customer's office to conduct business (8 miles)
- Customer's office back to Home office. (6 miles)
Total mileage for trip = 20 miles
What is the maximum number of audit proof business miles I can claim for this trip and how to you calculate it?