Mileage Log: What to Record and How GPS Builds It

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Overview
How it works
Key facts
FAQ

What is Mileage Log?

Tax authorities in the US and Canada accept business mileage deductions only with records. The IRS asks for the date, mileage, destination and business purpose of each trip, and the Canada Revenue Agency expects a logbook that separates business from personal kilometres. A paper log is easy to forget and easy to challenge. GPS tracking builds the log from trip history, so every drive already has a date, route and distance, and you add the purpose. Fleets also use it to reimburse drivers who use their own vehicles and to separate personal from business use.

How it works

Record the date, start and end points, and distance of each trip.
Note whether the trip was business or personal.
Add the business purpose.
Total the business miles for the period.
Keep the log with your tax records. With GPS tracking, the date, route and distance in step 1 come from trip history.

Key facts

GPS trip history supplies dates, routes and distances instead of memory
Business and personal miles are separated trip by trip
Records support tax deductions and driver reimbursements
Fewer disputes with drivers over mileage claims

Frequently Asked Questions

At minimum the date, the start and end points, the miles driven and the business purpose of each trip. Tax authorities set their own rules, so check IRS or CRA guidance.

GPS trip history supplies the date, route and distance automatically, which is the part most paper logs get wrong. You still add the business purpose, and you should confirm what your tax authority accepts.