Why mileage matters
For interpreters who work on site, driving is often the largest deductible cost of the year. Hospital appointments, court dates, school meetings, and conference venues add up quickly. If you are paid on a 1099, those business miles can reduce your self-employment income, but only if you can show a record of them.
Most interpreters lose this deduction for one reason. They mean to log trips later, and later never comes. By tax season, the calendar shows where you went but not how far you drove or why.
What counts as a business mile
Driving from one assignment to another during the day generally counts. So does driving to a client site from a home office that is your principal place of business. Trips to pick up equipment, attend required training, or meet with an agency can count too.
Commuting to a regular, fixed workplace usually does not. If you have a W2 position where you report to the same office every day, that drive is typically personal. When in doubt, write the trip down with a clear purpose and ask your tax professional which ones qualify.
What a good mileage log includes
The IRS expects a record made at or near the time of the trip. Each entry should show the date, where you started, where you went, the business purpose, and the miles driven. A note such as 'Medical appointment, Regions Hospital, agency job' is enough.
You can use the standard mileage rate the IRS publishes each year, or track actual vehicle costs. Most freelancers find the standard rate simpler. Check the current rate on the IRS website each January, since it changes.
A routine that actually holds up
Log trips the same day you work them. Tie each trip to the job it served, so your mileage and your income tell the same story. Save your usual starting point so you are not retyping your address. At the end of each month, scan your jobs for any on-site work without a trip and fill the gaps while you still remember.
Schedulog links trips to your jobs, flags on-site jobs that are missing mileage, and totals your miles for tax prep. This guide is general information, not tax advice.