U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

2012

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Instructions for Form 2106
Employee Business Expenses
Section references are to the Internal
Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.

Future Developments

For the latest developments related to
Form 2106 and its instructions, such
as legislation enacted after they were
published, go to www.irs.gov/
form2106.

What's New
Standard mileage rate. The 2012
rate for business use of your vehicle is
551 2 cents a mile.
Depreciation limits on vehicles.
For 2012, the first-year limit on
depreciation, special depreciation
allowance, and section 179 deduction
for most vehicles is $11,160 ($3,160 if
you elect not to claim the special
depreciation allowance). For trucks

and vans, the first-year limit is
$11,360 ($3,360 if you elect not to
claim the special depreciation
allowance). For more details, see the
discussion under Section D –
Depreciation of Vehicles, later.

General Instructions
Purpose of Form

Use Form 2106 if you were an
employee deducting ordinary and
necessary expenses for your job. See
the flowchart below to find out if you
must file this form.
An ordinary expense is one that is
common and accepted in your field of
trade, business, or profession. A
necessary expense is one that is
helpful and appropriate for your

business. An expense does not have
to be required to be considered
necessary.
Form 2106-EZ. You can file Form
2106-EZ, Unreimbursed Employee
Business Expenses, provided you
were an employee deducting ordinary
and necessary expenses for your job
and you:
Use the standard mileage rate (if
claiming vehicle expense), and
Were not reimbursed by your
employer for any expense (amounts
your employer included in box 1 of
your Form W-2 are not considered
reimbursements for this purpose).

Recordkeeping

You cannot deduct expenses for
travel (including meals unless you
used the standard meal allowance),

Who Must File Form 2106
No

A Were you an employee during the year?

Do not file Form 2106.
See the instructions for Schedule C, C-EZ, E, or F.

Yes
No

B Did you have job-related business expenses?

Do not file Form 2106.

Yes
C Were you reimbursed for any of your business
expenses (count only reimbursements your employer
did not include in box 1 of your Form W-2)?
Yes
F Did you use a vehicle in your job in 2012 that
you also used for business in a prior year?

Yes

D Are you claiming job-related vehicle,
travel, transportation, meals, or
entertainment expenses?

No

Yes
File Form 2106 (but
see Notes below).

No
E Are you a reservist, a qualified performing artist, a fee-basis
state or local government official, or an individual with a
disability claiming impairment-related work expenses? See
the line 10 instructions for definitions.

No

H Are your deductible expenses more than your
reimbursements (count only reimbursements your
employer did not include in box 1 of your Form W-2)?
For rules covering employer reporting of reimbursed
expenses, see the instructions for line 7.

No
No

Yes

Do not file Form 2106. Enter expenses on Schedule A
(Form 1040), line 21 or Schedule A (Form 1040NR), line
7. These expenses include business gifts, education
(tuition and books), home office, trade publications, etc.

Do not file Form 2106.

G Is either (1) or (2) true?
1 You owned this vehicle and used the actual
expense method in the first year you used the
vehicle for business.
2 You used a depreciation method other than
straight line for this vehicle in a prior year.

No

Yes
File Form 2106 (but
see Notes).

Yes
File Form 2106.

Jan 08, 2013

Cat. No. 64188V

Notes
• Generally, employee expenses are deductible only on

line 21 of Schedule A (Form 1040) or line 7 of Schedule A
(Form 1040NR). But reservists, qualified performing artists,
fee-basis state or local government officials, and
individuals with disabilities should see the instructions for
line 10 to find out where to deduct employee expenses.
● Do not file Form 2106 if none of your expenses are
deductible because of the 2% limit on miscellaneous
itemized deductions.

entertainment, gifts, or use of a car or
other listed property unless you keep
records to prove the time, place,
business purpose, business
relationship (for entertainment and
gifts), and amounts of these
expenses. Generally, you must also
have receipts for all lodging expenses
(regardless of the amount) and any
other expense of $75 or more.

Additional Information

For more details about employee
business expenses, see:
Pub. 463, Travel, Entertainment,
Gift, and Car Expenses.
Pub. 529, Miscellaneous
Deductions.
Pub. 587, Business Use of Your
Home (Including Use by Daycare
Providers).
Pub. 946, How To Depreciate
Property.

1991 collective bargaining agreement
(adjusted for changes in the
Consumer Price Index since 1991).
If you were a rural mail carrier and
your vehicle expenses were:
Less than or equal to your qualified
reimbursements, do not file Form
2106 unless you have deductible
expenses other than vehicle
expenses. If you have deductible
expenses other than vehicle
expenses, skip line 1 and do not
include any qualified reimbursements
in column A on line 7.
More than your qualified
reimbursements, first complete Part II
of Form 2106. Enter your total vehicle
expenses from line 29 on line 1 and
the amount of your qualified
reimbursements in column A on
line 7.

Specific Instructions

If you are a rural mail carrier
and received a qualified
CAUTION
reimbursement, you cannot
use the standard mileage rate.

Part I—Employee
Business Expenses and
Reimbursements

Line 2. The expenses of commuting
to and from work are not deductible.
See the line 15 instructions for the
definition of commuting.

Fill in all of Part I if you were
reimbursed for employee business
expenses. If you were not reimbursed
for your expenses, complete steps 1
and 3 only.

Step 1—Enter Your Expenses
Line 1. If you were a rural mail
carrier, you can treat the amount of
qualified reimbursement you received
as the amount of your allowable
expense. Because the qualified
reimbursement is treated as paid
under an accountable plan, your
employer should not include the
amount of reimbursement in your
income.
You were a rural mail carrier if you
were an employee of the United
States Postal Service (USPS) who
performed services involving the
collection and delivery of mail on a
rural route.
Qualified reimbursements.
These are the amounts paid by the
USPS as an equipment maintenance
allowance under a collective
bargaining agreement between the
USPS and the National Rural Letter
Carriers' Association, but only if such
amounts do not exceed the amount
that would have been paid under the

!

Line 3. Enter lodging and
transportation expenses connected
with overnight travel away from your
tax home (defined next). Do not
include expenses for meals and
entertainment. For more details,
including limits, see Pub. 463.
Tax home. Generally, your tax
home is your regular or main place of
business or post of duty regardless of
where you maintain your family home.
If you do not have a regular or main
place of business because of the
nature of your work, then your tax
home may be the place where you
regularly live. If you do not have a
regular or a main place of business or
post of duty and there is no place
where you regularly live, you are
considered an itinerant (a transient)
and your tax home is wherever you
work. As an itinerant, you are never
away from home and cannot claim a
travel expense deduction. For more
details on the definition of a tax home,
see Pub. 463.
Generally, you cannot deduct any
expenses for travel away from your
tax home for any period of temporary
employment of more than 1 year.
However, this 1-year rule does not
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apply for a temporary period in which
you were a federal employee certified
by the Attorney General (or his or her
designee) as traveling in temporary
duty status for the U.S. government to
investigate or prosecute a federal
crime (or to provide support services
for the investigation or prosecution of
a federal crime).
Incidental expenses. The term
“incidental expenses” means fees and
tips given to porters, baggage
carriers, hotel staff, and staff on ships.
Incidental expenses do not include
expenses for laundry, cleaning and
pressing of clothing, lodging taxes,
costs of telegrams or telephone calls,
transportation between places of
lodging or business and places where
meals are taken, or the mailing cost of
filing travel vouchers and paying
employer-sponsored charge card
billings.
You can use an optional method
(instead of actual cost) for deducting
incidental expenses only. The amount
of the deduction is $5 a day. You can
use this method only if you did not pay
or incur any meal expenses. You
cannot use this method on any day
you use the standard meal allowance
(defined in the instructions for line 5).
Line 4. Enter other job-related
expenses not listed on any other line
of this form. Include expenses for
business gifts, education (tuition, fees,
and books), home office, trade
publications, etc. For details, including
limits, see Pub. 463 and Pub. 529.
If you are deducting home office
expenses, see Pub. 587 for special
instructions on how to report these
expenses.
If you are deducting depreciation or
claiming a section 179 deduction, see
Form 4562, Depreciation and
Amortization, to figure the
depreciation and section 179
deduction to enter on Form 2106,
line 4.
Do not include on line 4 any (a)
educator expenses you deducted on
Form 1040, line 23, or Form 1040NR,
line 24, or (b) tuition and fees you
deducted on Form 1040, line 34.
You may be able to take a
credit for your educational
expenses instead of a
deduction. See Form 8863, Education
Credits, for details.

TIP

Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

Do not include expenses for meals
and entertainment, taxes, or interest
on line 4. Deductible taxes are
entered on Schedule A (Form 1040),
lines 5 through 9; or Schedule A
(Form 1040NR), line 1. Employees
cannot deduct car loan interest.
Note. If line 4 is your only entry, do
not complete Form 2106 unless you
are claiming:
Performing-arts-related business
expenses as a qualified performing
artist,
Expenses for performing your job
as a fee-basis state or local
government official, or
Impairment-related work expenses
as an individual with a disability.
See the line 10 instructions. If you
are not required to file Form 2106,
enter your expenses directly on
Schedule A (Form 1040), line 21 (or
Schedule A (Form 1040NR), line 7).
Line 5. Enter your allowable meals
and entertainment expense. Include
meals while away from your tax home
overnight and other business meals
and entertainment.
Standard meal allowance.
Instead of actual cost, you may be
able to claim the standard meal
allowance for your daily meals and
incidental expenses (M&IE) while
away from your tax home overnight.
Under this method, instead of keeping
records of your actual meal expenses,
you deduct a specified amount,
depending on where you travel.
However, you must still keep records
to prove the time, place, and business
purpose of your travel.
The standard meal allowance is the
federal M&IE rate. For most small
localities in the United States, this rate
is $46 a day. Most major cities and
many other localities in the United
States qualify for higher rates. You
can find the rates that applied during
2012 on the Internet at www.gsa.gov/
perdiem. At the Per Diem Overview
page select “2012” for the rates in
effect for the period January 1, 2012–
September 30, 2012. Select “Fiscal
Year 2013” for the period October 1,
2012–December 31, 2012. However,
you can apply the rates in effect
before October 1, 2012, for expenses
of all travel within the United States for
2012 instead of the updated rates. For
the period October 1, 2012–
December 31, 2012, you must
Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

consistently use either the rates for
the first 9 months of 2012 or the
updated rates.
For locations outside the
continental United States, the
applicable rates are published each
month. You can find these rates on
the Internet at www.state.gov/travel
and select the option for “Foreign Per
Diem Rates.”
See Pub. 463 for details on how to
figure your deduction using the
standard meal allowance, including
special rules for partial days of travel
and transportation workers.

Step 2—Enter Reimbursements
Received From Your Employer
for Expenses Listed in Step 1
Line 7. Enter reimbursements
received from your employer (or third
party) for expenses shown in Step 1
that were not reported to you in box 1
of your Form W-2. This includes
reimbursements reported under code
“L” in box 12 of Form W-2. Amounts
reported under code “L” are
reimbursements you received for
business expenses that were not
included as wages on Form W-2
because the expenses met specific
IRS substantiation requirements.
Generally, when your employer
pays for your expenses, the payments
should not be included in box 1 of
your Form W-2 if, within a reasonable
period of time, you:
Accounted to your employer for the
expenses, and
Were required to return, and did
return, any payment not spent (or
considered not spent) for business
expenses.
If these payments were incorrectly
included in box 1, ask your employer
for a corrected Form W-2.
Accounting to your employer.
This means that you gave your
employer documentary evidence and
an account book, diary, log, statement
of expenses, trip sheets, or similar
statement to verify the amount, time,
place, and business purpose of each
expense. You are also treated as
having accounted for your expenses if
either of the following applies.
Your employer gave you a fixed
travel allowance that is similar in form
to the per diem allowance specified by
the Federal Government and you

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verified the time, place, and business
purpose of the travel for that day.
Your employer reimbursed you for
vehicle expenses at the standard
mileage rate or according to a flat rate
or stated schedule, and you verified
the date of each trip, mileage, and
business purpose of the vehicle use.
See Pub. 463 for more details.
Allocating your reimbursement.
If your employer paid you a single
amount that covers meals and
entertainment as well as other
business expenses, you must allocate
the reimbursement so that you know
how much to enter in Column A and
Column B of line 7. Use the following
worksheet to figure this allocation.
Reimbursement Allocation
Worksheet
(keep for your records)
1. Enter the total amount of
reimbursements your
employer gave you that
were not reported to you
in box 1 of Form W-2 . .

.

2. Enter the total amount of
your expenses for the
periods covered by this
reimbursement . . . . . . .
3. Enter the part of the
amount on line 2 that was
your total expense for
meals and
entertainment
. . . . . .

.

4. Divide line 3 by line 2.
Enter the result as a
decimal (rounded to three
places) . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Multiply line 1 by line 4.
Enter the result here and
in Column B, line 7 . . .

.

.

6. Subtract line 5 from line 1.
Enter the result here and
in Column A, line 7 . . . .

Step 3—Figure Expenses
To Deduct on Schedule A
(Form 1040 or Form 1040NR)
Line 9. Generally, you can deduct
only 50% of your business meal and
entertainment expenses, including
meals incurred while away from home
on business. However, if you were an
employee subject to the DOT hours of
service limits, that percentage is
increased to 80% for business meals
consumed during, or incident to, any

period of duty for which those limits
are in effect.
Employees subject to the DOT
hours of service limits include certain
air transportation employees, such as
pilots, crew, dispatchers, mechanics,
and control tower operators; interstate
truck operators and interstate bus
drivers; certain railroad employees,
such as engineers, conductors, train
crews, dispatchers, and control
operations personnel; and certain
merchant mariners.

employed by a state or political
subdivision of a state and are
compensated, in whole or in part, on a
fee basis.
If you qualify, include the part of the
line 10 amount attributable to the
expenses you incurred for services
performed in that job in the total on
Form 1040, line 24, and attach Form
2106 to your return. These employee
business expenses are deductible
whether or not you itemize
deductions.

Line 10. If you are one of the
individuals discussed below, special
rules apply to deducting your
employee business expenses. Any
part of the line 10 total that is not
deducted according to the special
rules should be entered on
Schedule A (Form 1040), line 21 (or
Schedule A (Form 1040NR), line 7).

Qualified performing artist. You
are a qualified performing artist if you:
1. Performed services in the
performing arts as an employee for at
least two employers during the tax
year,
2. Received from at least two of
those employers wages of $200 or
more per employer,
3. Had allowable business
expenses attributable to the
performing arts of more than 10% of
gross income from the performing
arts, and
4. Had adjusted gross income of
$16,000 or less before deducting
expenses as a performing artist.

Ministers. Before entering your
total expenses on line 10, you must
reduce them by the amount allocable
to your tax-free allowance(s). See
Pub. 517 for more information.
Armed Forces reservist
(member of a reserve component).
You are a member of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces of
the United States if you are in the
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
or Coast Guard Reserve; the Army
National Guard of the United States;
the Air National Guard of the United
States; or the Reserve Corps of the
Public Health Service.
If you qualify, complete Form 2106
and include the part of the line 10
amount attributable to the expenses
for travel more than 100 miles away
from home in connection with your
performance of services as a member
of the reserves on Form 1040, line 24,
and attach Form 2106 to your return.
The amount of expenses you can
deduct on Form 1040, line 24, is
limited to the regular federal per diem
rate (for lodging, meals, and incidental
expenses) and the standard mileage
rate (for car expenses), plus any
parking fees, ferry fees, and tolls.
These reserve-related travel
expenses are deductible whether or
not you itemize deductions. See Pub.
463 for additional details on how to
report these expenses.
Fee-basis state or local
government official. You are a
qualifying fee-basis official if you are

In addition, if you are married, you
must file a joint return unless you lived
apart from your spouse for all of 2012.
If you file a joint return, you must
figure requirements (1), (2), and (3)
separately for both you and your
spouse. However, requirement (4)
applies to the combined adjusted
gross income of both you and your
spouse.
If you meet all the requirements for
a qualified performing artist, include
the part of the line 10 amount
attributable to performing-arts-related
expenses in the total on Form 1040,
line 24 (or Form 1040NR, line 35), and
attach Form 2106 to your return. Your
performing-arts-related business
expenses are deductible whether or
not you itemize deductions.
Disabled employee with
impairment-related work
expenses. Impairment-related work
expenses are the allowable expenses
of an individual with physical or
mental disabilities for attendant care
at his or her place of employment.
They also include other expenses in
connection with the place of
employment that enable the employee
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to work. See Pub. 463 for more
details.
If you qualify, enter the part of the
line 10 amount attributable to
impairment-related work expenses on
Schedule A (Form 1040), line 28 (or
Schedule A (Form 1040NR), line 14).
These expenses are not subject to the
2% limit that applies to most other
employee business expenses.

Part II—Vehicle Expenses

There are two methods for computing
vehicle expenses—the standard
mileage rate and the actual expense
method. You can use the standard
mileage rate for 2012 only if:
You owned the vehicle and used
the standard mileage rate for the first
year you placed the vehicle in service,
or
You leased the vehicle and are
using the standard mileage rate for
the entire lease period (except the
period, if any, before 1998).
You cannot use actual expenses
for a leased vehicle if you previously
used the standard mileage rate for
that vehicle.
If you have the option of using
either the standard mileage rate or
actual expense method, you should
figure your expenses both ways to
find the method most beneficial to
you. But when completing Form 2106,
fill in only the sections that apply to
the method you choose.
If you were a rural mail carrier and
received an equipment maintenance
allowance, see the line 1 instructions.
For more information on the
standard mileage rate and actual
expenses, see Pub. 463.

Section A—General Information

If you used two vehicles for business
during the year, use a separate
column in Sections A, C, and D for
each vehicle. If you used more than
two vehicles, complete and attach a
second Form 2106, page 2.

Line 11. Date placed in service is
generally the date you first start using
your vehicle. However, if you first start
using your vehicle for personal use
and later convert it to business use,
the vehicle is treated as placed in
service on the date you started using
it for business.
Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

Line 12. Enter the total number of
miles you drove each vehicle during
2012.
Change from personal to
business use. If you converted your
vehicle during the year from personal
to business use (or vice versa) and
you do not have mileage records for
the time before the change to
business use, enter the total number
of miles driven after the change to
business use.
Line 13. Do not include commuting
miles on this line; commuting miles
are not considered business miles.
See the line 15 instructions below for
the definition of commuting.
Line 14. Divide line 13 by line 12 to
figure your business use percentage.
Change from personal to
business use. If you entered on
line 12 the total number of miles
driven after the change to business
use, multiply the percentage you
figured by the number of months you
drove the vehicle for business and
divide the result by 12.
Line 15. Enter your average daily
round trip commuting distance. If you
went to more than one work location,
figure the average.
Commuting. Generally,
commuting is travel between your
home and a work location. However,
travel that meets any of the following
conditions is not commuting.
You have at least one regular work
location away from your home and the
travel is to a temporary work location
in the same trade or business,
regardless of the distance. Generally,
a temporary work location is one
where your employment is expected
to last 1 year or less. See Pub. 463 for
more details.
The travel is to a temporary work
location outside the metropolitan area
where you live and normally work.
Your home is your principal place of
business under section 280A(c)(1)(A)
(for purposes of deducting expenses
for business use of your home) and
the travel is to another work location in
the same trade or business,
regardless of whether that location is
regular or temporary and regardless
of distance.
Line 16. If you do not know the total
actual miles you used your vehicle for
Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

commuting during the year, figure the
amount to enter on line 16 by
multiplying the number of days during
the year that you used each vehicle
for commuting by the average daily
round trip commuting distance in
miles. However, if you converted your
vehicle during the year from personal
to business use (or vice versa), enter
your commuting miles only for the
period you drove your vehicle for
business.

Section B—Standard Mileage
Rate

You may be able to use the standard
mileage rate instead of actual
expenses to figure the deductible
costs of operating a passenger
vehicle, including a van, sport utility
vehicle (SUV), pickup, or panel truck.
If you want to use the standard
mileage rate for a vehicle you own,
you must do so in the first year you
place your vehicle in service. In later
years, you can deduct actual
expenses instead, but you must use
straight line depreciation.
If you lease your vehicle, you can
use the standard mileage rate, but
only if you use the rate for the entire
lease period (except for the period, if
any, before January 1, 1998).
If you use more than two vehicles,
complete and attach a second Form
2106, page 2, providing the
information requested in lines 11
through 22. Be sure to include the
amount from line 22 of both pages in
the total on Form 2106, line 1.
You can also deduct state and local
personal property taxes. Enter these
taxes on Schedule A (Form 1040),
line 7. (Personal property taxes are
not deductible on Form 1040NR.)
If you are claiming the standard
mileage rate for mileage driven in
more than one business activity, you
must figure the deduction for each
business on a separate form or
schedule (for example, Form 2106 or
Schedule C, C-EZ, E, or F).

Section C—Actual Expenses
Line 23. Enter your total annual
expenses for gasoline, oil, repairs,
insurance, tires, license plates, and
similar items. Do not include state and
local personal property taxes or
interest expense you paid. Deduct
state and local personal property
-5-

taxes on Schedule A (Form 1040),
line 7. Employees cannot deduct car
loan interest.
Line 24a. If during 2012 you rented
or leased instead of using your own
vehicle, enter the cost of renting. Also,
include on this line any temporary
rentals, such as when your car was
being repaired, except for amounts
included on line 3.
Line 24b. If you leased a vehicle for a
term of 30 days or more, you may
have to reduce your deduction for
vehicle lease payments by an amount
called the inclusion amount. You may
have an inclusion amount for a
passenger automobile if:
Passenger Automobiles
(Except Trucks and Vans)
And the vehicle's
fair market value on
the first day of the
lease exceeded:

The lease term
began in:
2010, 2011, or 2012
2008 or 2009

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

$ 18,500
18,500

If the lease term began before 2008, see Pub. 463
to find out if you have an inclusion amount.

You may have an inclusion amount
for a truck or van if:
Trucks and Vans

The lease term
began in:

And the vehicle's
fair market value on
the first day of the
lease exceeded:

2010, 2011, or 2012 . . . . . . . .

$ 19,000

2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18,500

2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19,000

See Pub. 463 to figure the inclusion
amount.
Line 25. If during 2012 your employer
provided a vehicle for your business
use and included 100% of its annual
lease value in box 1 of your Form
W-2, enter this amount on line 25. If
less than 100% of the annual lease
value was included in box 1 of your
Form W-2, skip line 25.
Line 28. If you completed Section D,
enter the amount from line 38. If you
used Form 4562 to figure your
depreciation deduction, enter the total
of the following amounts.
Depreciation allocable to your
vehicle(s) (from Form 4562, line 28).

Any section 179 deduction
allocable to your vehicle(s) (from
Form 4562, line 29).

Section D—Depreciation of
Vehicles

Depreciation is an amount you can
deduct to recover the cost or other
basis of your vehicle over a certain
number of years. In some cases, you
can elect to claim a special
depreciation allowance or to expense,
under section 179, part of the cost of
your vehicle in the year of purchase.
For details, see Pub. 463.
Vehicle trade-in. If you traded in
one vehicle (the “old vehicle”) for
another vehicle (the “new vehicle”) in
2012, there are two ways you can
treat the transaction.
1. You can elect to treat the
transaction as a tax-free disposition of
the old vehicle and the purchase of
the new vehicle. If you make this
election, you treat the old vehicle as
disposed of at the time of the trade-in.
The depreciable basis of the new
vehicle is the adjusted basis of the old
vehicle (figured as if 100% of the
vehicle's use had been for business
purposes) plus any additional amount
you paid for the new vehicle. You then
figure your depreciation deduction for
the new vehicle beginning with the
date you placed it in service. You
make this election by completing
Form 2106, Part II, Section D.
2. If you do not make the election
described in (1), you must figure
depreciation separately for the
remaining basis of the old vehicle and
for any additional amount you paid for
the new vehicle. You must apply two
depreciation limits. The limit that
applies to the remaining basis of the
old vehicle generally is the amount
that would have been allowed had you
not traded the old vehicle. The limit
that applies to the additional amount
you paid for the new vehicle generally
is the limit that applies for the tax year
it was placed in service, reduced by
the depreciation allowance for the
remaining basis of the old vehicle.
You must use Form 4562 to compute
your depreciation deduction. You
cannot use Form 2106, Part II,
Section D.
If you elect to use the method
described in (1), you must do so on a
timely filed tax return (including

extensions). Otherwise, you must use
the method described in (2).
Line 30. Enter the vehicle's actual
cost or other basis. Do not reduce
your basis by any prior year's
depreciation. However, you must
reduce your basis by any deductible
casualty loss, deduction for clean-fuel
vehicle, gas guzzler tax, alternative
motor vehicle credit, or qualified
plug-in electric vehicle credit you
claimed. Increase your basis by any
sales tax paid (unless you deducted
sales taxes in the year you purchased
your vehicle) and any substantial
improvements to your vehicle.
If you traded in your vehicle, your
basis is the adjusted basis of the old
vehicle (reduced by depreciation
figured as if 100% of the vehicle's use
had been for business purposes) plus
any additional amount you pay for the
new vehicle. See Pub. 463 for more
information.
If you converted the vehicle from
personal use to business use, your
basis for depreciation is the smaller of
the vehicle's adjusted basis or its fair
market value on the date of
conversion.
Line 31. Enter the amount of any
section 179 deduction and, if
applicable, any special depreciation
allowance claimed for this year.
Section 179 deduction. If 2012 is
the first year your vehicle was placed
in service and the percentage on
line 14 is more than 50%, you can
elect to deduct as an expense a
portion of the cost (subject to a yearly
limit). To calculate this section 179
deduction, multiply the part of the cost
of the vehicle that you choose to
expense by the percentage on line 14.
The total of your depreciation and
section 179 deduction generally
cannot be more than the percentage
on line 14 multiplied by the applicable
limit explained in the line 36
instructions. Your section 179
deduction for the year cannot be more
than the income from your job and any
other active trade or business on your
Form 1040.
If you are claiming a section
179 deduction on other
CAUTION
property, or you placed more
than $2,000,000 of section 179
property in service during the year,
use Form 4562 to figure your section
179 deduction. Enter the amount of

!

-6-

the section 179 deduction allocable to
your vehicle (from Form 4562, line 12)
on Form 2106, line 31.
Note. For section 179 purposes,
the cost of the new vehicle does not
include the adjusted basis of the
vehicle you traded in.
Example.
Cost including taxes

. . . .

$25,000

Adjusted basis of
trade-in . . . . . . . . . . . . .

− 3,000

Section 179 basis

. . . . . .

$22,000

Limit on depreciation and
section 179 deduction . . .

$11,160*

Smaller of:
Section 179 basis, or limit on
depreciation
. . . . . . . . .
Percentage on line 14

$11,160
× .75

. . .

Section 179 deduction . . .

$8,370

* $3,160 if electing out of special
depreciation allowance or not qualified
property.

Limit for sport utility and certain
other vehicles. For sport utility and
certain other vehicles placed in
service in 2012, the portion of the
vehicle's cost taken into account in
figuring your section 179 deduction is
limited to $25,000. This rule applies to
any 4-wheeled vehicle primarily
designed or used to carry passengers
over public streets, roads, or
highways that is not subject to any of
the passenger automobile limits
explained in the line 36 instructions
and is rated at no more than 14,000
pounds gross vehicle weight.
However, the $25,000 limit does not
apply to any vehicle:
Designed to have a seating
capacity of more than nine persons
behind the driver's seat,
Equipped with a cargo area of at
least 6 feet in interior length that is an
open area or is designed for use as an
open area but is enclosed by a cap
and is not readily accessible directly
from the passenger compartment, or
That has an integral enclosure, fully
enclosing the driver compartment and
load carrying device, does not have
seating rearward of the driver's seat,
and has no body section protruding
more than 30 inches ahead of the
leading edge of the windshield.

Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

Special depreciation allowance.
The special depreciation allowance
applies only for the first year a new
vehicle is placed in service. To qualify
for the special depreciation
allowance, the new vehicle must be
qualified property (see Pub. 463,
chapter 4, for more information). The
special allowance is an additional first
year deprecation deduction of 50%.
Your total section 179 deduction,
special depreciation allowance, and
regular depreciation deduction cannot
be more than $11,160 for cars and
$11,360 for trucks and vans,
multiplied by your business use
percentage on line 14. See the line 36
instructions for depreciation limits.
You cannot recover the amount by
which your depreciation deduction
exceeds the depreciation limits for the
year placed in service until after the
end of the recovery period for your
vehicle.
Use the following worksheet to
figure the amount of the special
depreciation allowance.
Worksheet for the Special
Depreciation Allowance
(keep for your records)
1. Enter the total amount from
line 30 . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Multiply line 1 by the
percentage on Form 2106,
line 14, and enter the
result . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Enter any section 179
deduction . . . . . . . .
4. Subtract line 3 from
line 2 . . . . . . . . .

. .

. . . .

5. Multiply the applicable limit
explained in the line 36
instructions by the
percentage on Form 2106,
line 14, and enter the
result . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. Subtract line 3 from
line 5 . . . . . . . . .

. . . .

7. Enter the smaller of line 4
or line 6. Add the result to
any section 179 deduction
(line 3 above) and enter the
total on Form 2106,
line 31 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Election out. You can elect not to
claim the special depreciation
allowance for your vehicle. If you
make this election, it applies to all
Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

property in the same class placed in
service during the year.
To make the election, attach a
statement to your timely filed return
(including extensions) indicating that
you are electing not to claim the
special depreciation allowance and
the class of property for which you are
making the election.
More information. See Pub. 463,
chapter 4, for more information on the
special depreciation allowance.
Line 32. To figure the basis for
depreciation, multiply line 30 by the
percentage on line 14. From that
result, subtract the total amount of any
section 179 deduction and special
depreciation allowance claimed this
year (see line 31) or in any previous
year for this vehicle.
Line 33. If you used the standard
mileage rate in the first year the
vehicle was placed in service and now
elect to use the actual expense
method, you must use the straight line
method of depreciation for the
vehicle's estimated useful life.
Otherwise, use the following
Depreciation Method and Percentage
Chart to find the depreciation method
and percentage to enter on line 33.
To use the chart, first find the date
you placed the vehicle in service
( line 11). Then, select the
depreciation method and percentage
from column (a), (b), or (c). For
example, if you placed a car in service
on July 1, 2012, and you use the
method in column (a), enter “200 DB
20%” on line 33.
For vehicles placed in service
before 2012, use the same method
you used on last year's return unless a
decline in your business use requires
a change to the straight line method.
For vehicles placed in service during
2012, select the depreciation method
and percentage after reading the
explanation for each column.
Column (a)—200% declining
balance method. You can use
column (a) only if the business use
percentage on line 14 is more than
50%. Of the three depreciation
methods, the 200% declining balance
method may give you the largest
depreciation deduction for the first 3
years (after considering the
depreciation limit for your vehicle).
See the depreciation limit tables, later.
-7-

Column (b)—150% declining
balance method. You can use
column (b) only if the business use
percentage on line 14 is more than
50%. The 150% declining balance
method may give you a smaller
depreciation deduction than in column
(a) for the first 3 years. However, you
will not have a “depreciation
adjustment” on this vehicle for the
alternative minimum tax. This may
result in a smaller tax liability if you
must file Form 6251, Alternative
Minimum Tax—Individuals.
Column (c)—straight line
method. You must use column (c) if
the business use percentage on
line 14 is 50% or less. The method for
these vehicles is the straight line
method over 5 years. The use of this
column is optional for these vehicles if
the business use percentage on
line 14 is more than 50%.
Note. If your vehicle was used more
than 50% for business in the year it
was placed in service and used 50%
or less in a later year, part of the
depreciation, section 179 deduction,
and special depreciation allowance
previously claimed may have to be
added back to your income in the later
year. Figure the amount to be
included in income in Part IV of Form
4797, Sales of Business Property.
More information. For more
information on depreciating your
vehicle, see Pub. 463.
If you placed other business
property in service in the
CAUTION
same year you placed your
vehicle in service or you used your
vehicle mainly within an Indian
reservation, you may not be able to
use the chart. See Pub. 946 to figure
your depreciation.

!

Line 34. If you sold or exchanged
your vehicle during the year, use the
following instructions to figure the
amount to enter on line 34.
If your vehicle was placed in
service:
1. Before 2007, enter the result of
multiplying line 32 by the percentage
on line 33;
2. After 2006, from January 1
through September 30, enter the
amount figured by multiplying the
result in (1) by 50%; or

Depreciation Method and Percentage Chart—Line 33
Date Placed in Service

(a)1

(b)1

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2012

200 DB

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2012

200 DB

20.0

150 DB

15.0

SL

10.0

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2011

200 DB

38.0

150 DB

28.88

SL

20.0

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2011

200 DB

32.0

150 DB

25.5

SL

20.0

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2010

200 DB

22.8

150 DB

20.21

SL

20.0

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2010

200 DB

19.2

150 DB

17.85

SL

20.0

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2009

200 DB

13.68

150 DB

16.4

SL

20.0

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2009

200 DB

11.52

150 DB

16.66

SL

20.0

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2008

200 DB

10.94

150 DB

16.41

SL

20.0

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2008

200 DB

11.52

150 DB

16.66

SL

20.0

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2007

200 DB

9.58

150 DB

14.35

SL

17.5

Jan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2007

200 DB

5.76

150 DB

8.33

SL

10.0

Prior to 2007

5.0 %

150 DB

(c)
3.75%

SL

2.5%

2

You can use this column only if the business use of your car is more than 50%.
If your car was subject to the maximum limits for depreciation and you have unrecovered basis in the car, you can continue to claim depreciation.
See Pub. 463 for more information.

1

2

3. After 2006, from October 1
through December 31, enter the
amount figured by multiplying the
result in (1) by the percentage shown
below for the month you disposed of
the vehicle.
Month of Disposal

Percentage

Jan., Feb., March . . . .

12.5%

April, May, June . . . . .

37.5%

July, Aug., Sept. . . . . .

62.5%

Oct., Nov., Dec. . . . . .

87.5%

Line 36. Using the applicable chart
for your type of vehicle, find the date
you placed your vehicle in service.
Then, enter on line 36 the
corresponding amount from the “Limit”
column. Before using the charts,
please read the following definitions.
A passenger automobile is a
4-wheeled vehicle manufactured
primarily for use on public roads that
is rated at 6,000 pounds unloaded
gross vehicle weight or less. Certain
vehicles, such as ambulances,

-8-

hearses, and taxicabs, are not
considered passenger automobiles
and are not subject to the line 36
limits. See Pub. 463 for more details.
A truck or van is a passenger
automobile that is classified by the
manufacturer as a truck or van, and
that is rated at 6,000 pounds gross
vehicle weight or less.
If your vehicle is not subject to any
of the line 36 limits, skip lines 36 and
37, and enter the amount from line 35
on line 38.

Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

Limits for Passenger Automobiles
(Except Trucks and Vans)
Date Vehicle Was
Placed in Service

Limit

Limits for Trucks and Vans
Date Vehicle Was
Placed in Service

Limit

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2012

. .

$11,360*

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2012 . .

$11,160*

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2011

. .

5,200

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2011 . .

4,900

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2010

. .

3,050

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2010 . .

2,950

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2009

. .

1,775

Jan. 1, 2006 – Dec. 31, 2009

1,775

Jan. 1, 2004 – Dec. 31, 2008

1,875

Jan. 1, 2004 – Dec. 31, 2005

1,675

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2003

1,975

Jan. 1, 1995 – Dec. 31, 2003

1,775

Jan. 1, 1995 – Dec. 31, 2002

* If you elect not to claim the special
depreciation allowance for the vehicle or the
vehicle is not qualified property, the limit is
$3,160.

Instructions for Form 2106 (2012)

. .

1,775

* If you elect not to claim the special
depreciation allowance for the vehicle or the
vehicle is not qualified property, the limit is
$3,360.

-9-

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.
For the Paperwork Reduction Act
Notice, see your tax return
instructions.