ReceiptKitHow to Keep a Mileage Log for Taxes (Simple Guide)
Record each business trip at or near the time you drive it: the date, where you went, why the trip was for business, and the miles. Keep a running total of business and total vehicle miles, and save supporting receipts. A simple paper, spreadsheet or app log can work if it is complete and accurate.
- Write down each business trip while it is fresh.
- Record date, places, purpose and miles.
- Keep business miles separate from personal and commuting miles.
- Save the log with receipts and year-end totals.
What the IRS expects
This guide is for US self-employed people and gig workers keeping 2026 tax records. IRS Publication 463 says your records should support the time, place, amount and business purpose of a transportation expense. For car use, that includes the mileage for each business use and the total miles for the year.
The record should be made at or near the time of the trip. A note written months later from memory is harder to support than a log you update as you drive.
- Date of the business trip
- From and to, or the destination and area
- Business purpose, such as “delivery shift” or “client visit”
- Business miles driven for that trip
Use a log that you will update
The best format is the one you can complete consistently. You can use a notebook, spreadsheet or app. The IRS says a computer record can be an adequate record, but it still needs to be complete and accurate.
For a busy driver, enter a trip when it ends instead of trying to reconstruct a whole week. For a tradesperson or freelancer, one row per client visit, supply pickup or other business trip is usually easier to review later.
- Paper notebook: quick and offline, but easy to lose or total incorrectly.
- Spreadsheet: flexible and easy to total, but you must maintain backups.
- Manual mileage app: keeps trip details together and can export a report, but you still have to enter each trip.
A filled mileage-log example
Here is an example of one week for a delivery driver. The distances are examples, not a tax calculation. Your entries should match the trips you actually made.
| Monday · delivery shift · home base to downtown | 42.0 mi |
| Wednesday · client visit · office to Oak Street | 18.4 mi |
| Friday · supply pickup · shop to Builders Supply | 6.2 mi |
| Total business miles for the week | 66.6 mi |
| Year-to-date business miles | 1,284.7 mi |
A two-minute daily routine
A short routine is easier to keep than a large tax-time cleanup. Put the log beside the action that already happens, such as ending a delivery shift or locking the work van.
- Before or during the trip, note the date, starting point, destination and purpose.
- When the trip ends, enter the distance and check that it was business use.
- Photograph fuel, parking and toll receipts when you receive them.
- At the end of each week, check the total and fix missing or unclear rows.
- At month-end, save or export a copy with your other tax records.
Common mileage-log mistakes
A mileage log is evidence for your records, not just a total of miles. A single number with no date, destination or purpose makes it difficult to show what the miles were for.
- Filling in every trip from memory at tax time.
- Writing only “business” instead of the actual reason for the trip.
- Mixing regular commuting, personal driving and business miles in one total.
- Keeping mileage totals but losing fuel, parking or toll receipts.
- Using an old mileage rate without checking the IRS rate for the year and date of the trip.
How ReceiptKit helps
ReceiptKit's mileage log is manual: add each trip with the date, from, to, distance and reason, then set the rate per mile. It does not track your location by GPS.
You can export the mileage log as a PDF or Excel file, and keep fuel, parking and toll receipts in the same app. There is no account, and the app stores your data on your phone.
How ReceiptKit helps
ReceiptKit's manual mileage log stores each trip's date, from, to, distance and reason. Set a rate per mile, export a PDF or Excel log, and keep fuel, parking and toll receipts in the same app. No account is needed, and your data stays on your phone.
FAQ
Do I need an app to keep a mileage log?
No. A paper log, spreadsheet or app can work. The important part is recording the date, places, business purpose and miles at or near the time of each trip, then keeping a complete and accurate record.
What should a mileage log include for taxes?
For each business trip, record the date, destination or places, business purpose and miles. Also keep total vehicle miles for the year and supporting records such as relevant receipts.
Does commuting count as business mileage?
Regular commuting is generally treated differently from business travel. Read IRS Publication 463 for the rules that apply to your work and travel pattern, or ask a tax professional about your situation.
How do I calculate the mileage amount?
First total your qualifying business miles. Then check the IRS standard mileage rate for the tax year and date of the trip, or use the method that applies to your records. The rate page can change, so do not rely on an old number.
Does ReceiptKit track mileage automatically?
No. ReceiptKit uses a manual mileage log. You enter each trip yourself, and the app can export the log as PDF or Excel.
Sources
General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change over time. Check the official source or a tax professional for your situation.