Last updated: October 9, 2025
Accurate mileage logs are the foundation of maximizing your tax deductions. That starts with understanding the IRS Mileage Rate Arizona and how it applies to your daily driving. In Arizona, vast distances between cities, high-speed interstates, desert heat, and seasonal monsoon storms can make consistent tracking harder than it sounds. Miss a few trips and you’re leaving money on the table. Add in multi-stop days across the Phoenix metro or long-service routes in Northern Arizona, and manual logging quickly falls apart.
This article shows you what Arizona-specific reimbursement rules look like, and how to capture every mile in a way that stands up to an audit. You’ll also see how MileageWise solves the heavy lifting with tools built for real-world driving across Arizona.
Table of Contents
Summary
- 2025 IRS mileage rates: business mileage rate: 70 cents per mile, medical/moving: 21 cents and charitable:14 cents.
- Your deduction potential can be substantial in Arizona due to long distances and multi-stop days.
- Arizona reimburses state employees at 67¢/mile (effective Jan 27, 2025), while many private employers reference the 70¢/mile IRS business rate but are not legally required to match it.
- MileageWise’s Google Maps Timeline Import converts your phone’s Timeline export into an IRS-proof mileage log in minutes.
Arizona’s Deduction Opportunities
Phoenix → Tempe (9 mi)
Tempe → Scottsdale (6 mi)
Scottsdale → Phoenix (12 mi)
Total miles: 27 miles
Deduction: 27 × $0.70 = $18.90
Tucson → Nogales (70 mi)
Nogales → Sierra Vista (62 mi)
Sierra Vista → Tucson (75 mi)
Total miles: 207 miles
Deduction: 207 × $0.70 = $144.90
Reimbursement Rules You Should Know
In Arizona, the state government reimburses its employees at a rate of 67 cents per mile for business use, effective January 27, 2025. Private employers are not legally required to follow state or federal mileage rates, but many use the IRS rate of 70 cents per mile for business travel as a reference.
State employees must follow guidelines set by the Arizona Department of Administration, with the rate published annually in the State of Arizona Accounting Manual. Mileage reimbursement is mandatory for state employees when traveling for official state business. Arizona law also ensures that both private and state employees are reimbursed for travel expenses related to medical care (Workers’ Compensation Law), protecting them from bearing the cost of workers’ compensation-related travel.
Tolls and parking are separate from the standard rate, and reimbursement rules can also apply to medical travel under Arizona Workers’ Compensation; electric vehicles qualify for mileage reimbursement as well.
This page is for information only and not legal or tax advice—consult a tax professional for your situation; see more general guidance on our IRS Mileage Rates page.
2025 Mileage Rate
- Business mileage rate: The IRS business rate is $0.70 per mile in 2025—used to calculate deductible value for qualifying business drives when you keep an IRS-compliant log.
- Medical/Moving mileage rate: The medical and moving rate is $0.21 per mile—moving applies only for active-duty military under current rules; medical mileage covers travel for eligible medical purposes.
- Charitable mileage rate: The charitable rate is $0.14 per mile—set by statute for miles driven in service of qualified charitable organizations.
How to Maximize Business Mileage Deductions in Arizona
| Route (one-way) | Approx. miles | 2025 value |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix → Tucson | 116 mi | $81.20 (RT $162.40) |
| Phoenix → Scottsdale | 12 mi | $8.40 (RT $16.80) |
| Phoenix → Mesa | 19 mi | $13.30 (RT $26.60) |
| Tucson → Sierra Vista | 75 mi | $52.50 (RT $105.00) |
| Flagstaff → Sedona | 30 mi | $21.00 (RT $42.00) |
| Phoenix → Glendale | 9 mi | $6.30 (RT $12.60) |
| Chandler → Gilbert | 7 mi | $4.90 (RT $9.80) |
| Tempe → Queen Creek | 30 mi | $21.00 (RT $42.00) |
| Prescott → Jerome | 41 mi | $28.70 (RT $57.40) |
| Yuma → Dome | 20 mi | $14.00 (RT $28.00) |
Calculations use the 2025 business rate of $0.70/mi.
The Regional Realities: How Location Affects Reimbursement
- Phoenix Metro (Maricopa County): High-density corridors like I-10, I-17, and Loop 101 can clog during rush hours, turning short trips into longer, stop-and-go drives. Summer heat stresses vehicles and drivers alike, and forgetting to log a short detour is common. Multi-stop service routes across Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, and Glendale add complexity to categorizing business versus personal legs.
- Northern Arizona (Flagstaff, Prescott, Page): Elevation changes and winter snow create very different conditions than the Valley, with icy roads and closures that can extend routes. Tourist traffic near the Grand Canyon and Sedona can cause unexpected delays, complicating appointment timing and record-keeping. Longer intercity stretches also mean a single missed entry can cost you more in lost deductions.
- Southern and Border Regions (Tucson, Nogales, Yuma): Monsoon storms bring heavy rain, dust storms, and low visibility, forcing reroutes and late arrivals. Agricultural and cross-border commerce add peak flows on certain highways, and distances between towns are significant. Planning and accurate logging are essential when your day spans multiple counties.
Who Needs Mileage Reimbursement the Most
- Real estate agents and brokers
- Home health nurses and traveling medical staff
- Field service technicians (HVAC, plumbing, electrical)
- Solar and roofing sales/installation teams
- Construction project managers and estimators
- University and extension program staff visiting multiple campuses
- Insurance adjusters and property appraisers
- Delivery drivers and local couriers
- Nonprofit coordinators and volunteer organizers
- Mobile auto glass and windshield repair services
- Outside sales representatives and account managers
- Home inspectors
MileageWise solutions: How the IRS Mileage Rate Arizona meets real driving needs
Arizona’s mix of urban sprawl and wide-open highways makes precise logging feel daunting, especially when your day includes four or five client stops across the Valley. Heat, dust, and seasonal storms can throw off carefully planned itineraries, leading to route changes you might forget to record. Northern mountain towns add winter conditions to the mix, while southern border regions often involve long single-purpose drives.
That’s exactly when accurate logs matter most, because you only get the deduction if the documentation is audit-ready. A missed trip here or there adds up quickly in Arizona’s mileage-heavy workdays. The good news: keeping an IRS-compliant log doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. With the right tools, you can turn your existing location history into a bulletproof record—or reconstruct it even if data is missing. The result is peace of mind during tax season and a predictable way to maximize what the IRS Mileage Rate Arizona allows.
MileageWise offers three solution paths depending on your situation.
1. Google Maps Timeline Import: Work from Timeline Data
Use Google Maps Timeline Import to export Timeline from your phone and convert it inside MileageWise into a structured, IRS-proof mileage log in minutes. The software organizes trips, helps you classify business vs. personal, and prepares clean reports for taxes or reimbursements.
2. AI Wizard: Save Time and Effort
If your Timeline is incomplete—or gone—use the AI Wizard (AI Mileage Log Generator). It can intelligently reconstruct past trips, auto-suggest missing drives, and even fit your log to a target deduction amount based on prior locations and driving patterns. You review, approve, and your log is validated by our Built-in IRS Auditor that checks up to 70 potential issues before you finalize.
3. MileageWise mobile app: Accurate Mileage Tracking
Looking ahead, the MileageWise mobile app gives you ad-free, battery-friendly tracking with multiple modes designed for real drivers. It’s simple to use during fast-moving Arizona workdays, from freeway hops to neighborhood calls. Together, these tools ensure every qualifying mile is captured, categorized, and ready to claim under the IRS Mileage Rate Arizona—without the stress.
How an Arizona University Lecturer Solved Their Mileage Logging Problem
An Arizona university lecturer split weekly time between the main campus in Tempe, a research site in downtown Phoenix, and a satellite program in Mesa. During a busy semester, he forgot to log several weeks of drives and panicked when preparing for reimbursement. With Google Maps Timeline Import in MileageWise, he exported Timeline from his phone and converted it into a structured, IRS-compliant log in minutes. After a quick review and categorization, the Built-in IRS Auditor flagged a few gaps, which the user completed with suggested trips.
The lecturer submitted his clean report on time and recovered the full value of those missed miles—no late-night spreadsheet scramble required.
Conclusion
Arizona rewards diligent mileage tracking because the distances are real and the deduction is meaningful. Between Phoenix-area multi-stop days, winter driving up north, and long cross-county routes down south, documentation is the difference between maximizing value and leaving money unclaimed. With the right system, turning your drives into compliant deductions is straightforward. The IRS Mileage Rate Arizona gives you the rate; MileageWise gives you the solutions. You bring your routes—we bring the structure, audit checks, and time savings.
- Google Maps Timeline Import: Export Timeline from your phone and transform it into an IRS-proof mileage log—organized, categorized, and ready for taxes or reimbursements.
- AI Wizard (AI Mileage Log Generator): If your Timeline is missing or incomplete, rebuild your trips by auto-suggesting drives and filling in gaps based on your historical driving patterns and client locations.
- MileageWise mobile app: Track going forward with an ad-free, battery-friendly app designed for precise, hassle-free logging in Arizona’s varied driving conditions.
If you’ve ever thought “I’ll log it later,” you know how easy it is to lose deductible miles. Start capturing every qualifying trip—past and future—so your records match your real work. With MileageWise, you’ll stay compliant, maximize deductions, and always be ready for tax season.
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FAQ
Are Arizona private employers required to reimburse mileage at the IRS rate?
No. Private employers in Arizona are not legally required to use the IRS rate, though many references it as a fair benchmark; actual policies vary by employer.
What rate do Arizona state employees receive for business travel?
Effective January 27, 2025, Arizona reimburses state employees at $0.67 per mile for official state business, as published annually by the state.
Does the IRS rate apply to electric vehicles in Arizona?
Yes. The standard mileage rate applies regardless of vehicle type, including EVs, as long as the trip qualifies and you keep an IRS-compliant log.
Are tolls and parking included in the IRS mileage rate?
No. Tolls and parking are separate and can generally be deducted in addition to the standard mileage rate when attributable to business travel.
What documentation do I need to prove my miles to the IRS?
Keep an IRS-compliant mileage log with date, purpose, start/end locations, and miles; MileageWise also checks 70 potential red flags before you export your report.
I don’t have Google Timeline—can I still create a compliant log?
Yes. MileageWise’s AI Wizard can reconstruct past trips using your prior locations and patterns, then validate your log with the Built-in IRS Auditor.
