Skip to content
TruckerListo

Trucker tax deductions calculator

Every receipt you keep lowers the profit you pay tax on. Add up your truck expenses for the year and see your total deductions and a rough estimate of the tax they save you.

Truck expenses for the year

Use your own records and receipts. Leave a line at 0 if it does not apply to you.

Per diem

The special IRS rate for truckers is $80 a day in the continental U.S. for travel from October 1, 2026. Only the nights you sleep away from home count. The deduction here uses the 80% limit for drivers under Department of Transportation hours-of-service rules; confirm with a tax professional how it applies to you.

Your taxes

The rate you pay on your last dollar of profit. If you do not know it, the quarterly tax calculator gives you an idea.

Look up your state's rate. Some states, like Texas and Florida, have no income tax.

Total deductions

—

— estimated tax savings

Truck expenses
—
Per diem you can deduct (80%)
—
Self-employment tax saved
—
Federal income tax saved
—
State income tax saved
—

A rough estimate: it multiplies your deductions by the self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of profit) plus your federal and state rates, and assumes you have enough profit to use them. Your real savings depend on your whole tax situation, and truck depreciation is not included. It is not tax advice; talk to a tax professional.

How to use it

  1. Enter your yearly expenses. Use your receipts, fuel card statements and bank records. Leave a line at 0 if it does not apply.
  2. Add your per diem. Count the nights you slept away from home and enter the daily rate. The calculator applies the 80% limit and shows the amount you can deduct.
  3. Pick your tax bracket. If you are not sure, the quarterly tax calculator gives you an idea.

With the starting values ($97,300 in truck expenses and 200 nights at $80 a day), the deductions add up to $110,100, and the rough tax saving is about $28,769 with a 12% federal bracket and no state tax. They are example numbers, not an average for truckers.

What this calculator does not include

Truck depreciation and other large deductions depend on how you bought the truck and on your whole tax return, so they are left out. Ask a tax professional how to enter them. Read our per diem and deductions guide for the IRS rules behind the numbers.

Frequently asked questions

Is the tax saving exact?

No. It multiplies your deductions by the self-employment tax and your federal and state rates, and assumes you have enough profit to use them all. Your real savings can be lower.

Do I need receipts if I use the per diem?

The special rate replaces keeping every meal receipt, but you still need records of the dates and places of your trips. Ask a tax professional what to keep.

Does this tool save my numbers?

Only in your own browser, so they are there next time. Nothing is sent to our servers.

More free tools