Is driving from home to my regular workplace deductible?
Commuting or Work Travel: Which Is It?. Understand the Canadian tax rules, records to gather and practical next steps before preparing your return.
Request a quote →Arsen Accounting Services · Prepared October 29, 2026
Employees and commission earners: 10 tax questions · Browse the 100-article collection
The direct answer
Ordinary travel between home and a regular workplace is generally personal commuting. Driving to a customer, temporary location or other point of call can require a different analysis. Having a long commute, carrying a phone or being on call does not automatically turn the journey into business travel. Review the actual locations and purpose of each trip.
Describe the trip before calculating it
Record where the trip began, where it ended and why it was required. Travel between ordinary home and work locations is not automatically business travel. Multiple workplaces, temporary assignments and a home work area can introduce additional facts. Give the preparer the actual route and working arrangement instead of labelling every weekday kilometre as deductible.
Do not let an app decide eligibility
A mileage app can record distance accurately while still classifying a trip incorrectly. Review its categories and retain a note of the business purpose. Separate trips for personal errands, mixed journeys and travel reimbursed by an employer. The value of the log is the explanation it supports, not merely a large annual kilometre total.
What to gather before the review
- Work locations and employment conditions
- Trip log with destinations and purposes
- Reimbursement records and notes on mixed-purpose journeys
Does carrying tools make my usual commute deductible?
Carrying work items does not by itself settle the treatment of the journey. The trip and working arrangement need to meet the applicable travel-expense rules; explain the facts before claiming it.
Your next step
Mark regular commuting separately from customer visits in your mileage records.
Related reading
Official sources
Employers' Guide – Taxable Benefits and Allowances
Sources checked for this collection on October 28–29, 2026. Annual forms may refer to a specific tax year. Use the rules and limits for the year being filed. General information; eligibility, elections and deadlines depend on the facts. No deduction or tax saving is guaranteed.
Let's discuss your tax needs.
Tell us the tax years, province and filing needs. Prepare a short quote inquiry or contact us directly to discuss availability and scope.
Email: elena@arsenaccounting.com
Phone: (647) 297-4126
Before you send
Please provide a brief description of the assistance you need. Do not email SINs, passwords, banking details or sensitive tax documents in your initial inquiry. We'll discuss an appropriate secure method of sharing documents if we proceed.
Information on this website is general and is not individualized tax advice. Engagements are subject to acceptance, agreed scope and applicable terms.