The Internal Revenue Service this week issued its standard mileage rates for 2009: 55 cents per mile for business miles driven, 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

The new rates for business, medical and moving purposes are slightly lower than rates for the second half of 2008, which were raised by a special adjustment midyear in response to a spike in gasoline prices, the IRS said. The business mileage rate was 50.5 cents in the first half of 2008 and 58.5 cents in the second half.