How to Keep a Mileage Log for Your Small Business

Why the log matters

Business mileage is only useful to your tax professional if it's documented. A contemporaneous log — written down at the time of the trip — is the standard record. Estimates made months later from memory are exactly the kind of record that causes problems. Your tax professional determines how mileage applies to your situation; your job is to hand them clean, complete numbers.

What to record for every trip

• Date of the trip
• Business purpose — 'client meeting at 123 Main St', not just 'meeting'
• Starting odometer reading
• Ending odometer reading
• Total miles for the trip

Habits that make it painless

• Log the trip the same day. Memory fades fast — same-day entries are accurate entries.
• Keep the log in your vehicle or use your phone the moment you park.
• Record your odometer reading on January 1 and December 31 each year.
• Separate business from personal trips — only business miles belong in the log.
• Total the log monthly so year-end is a summary, not a scramble.

Paper, spreadsheet, or app?

All three work — the best log is the one you'll actually keep. Paper is simple and always with you. A spreadsheet totals itself. An app automates the odometer readings. Whichever you choose, the five fields above are the minimum your records should capture.

Start with our free printable mileage log — one page, 21 trips, monthly total, no email required.