How to keep a mileage log that holds up
If you drive for work, a mileage log can be worth real money at tax time. It only helps if it’s specific and kept as you go.
What to record for every trip
- The date.
- Where you went: your starting point and destination.
- The business purpose, such as “client meeting” or “supply run”.
- The miles driven, or your odometer reading at the start and end.
It also helps to note your odometer at the start and end of the year, so you can show business miles as a share of your total driving.
What usually doesn’t count
Commuting between home and a regular workplace is generally not deductible. A trip that mixes business and personal errands only counts for the business part.
Log it as you go
The IRS prefers records made at or near the time of the trip. Rebuilding a year of driving from memory in April is hard to defend and easy to get wrong. Thirty seconds after each trip beats an hour at year end.
Standard mileage or actual costs?
Most people use either the IRS standard mileage rate, a set amount per business mile, or their actual vehicle costs like gas and repairs. The rate changes most years, so check the current figure on irs.gov. Whichever method you choose, the log supports it.
Keep the small receipts too
Parking fees and tolls can generally be deducted on top of the mileage rate, so save those receipts alongside your log.
Make it a habit
Receipt Closet keeps a mileage log next to your receipts, so a trip and its parking receipt live in the same place. Any log you’ll actually keep up beats a perfect one you abandon in March. As always, this is general information, not tax advice.