{"id":7,"date":"2016-05-06T09:23:07","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T09:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expressmileage.com\/blog\/?p=7"},"modified":"2016-05-14T21:48:00","modified_gmt":"2016-05-14T21:48:00","slug":"mileage-log-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/mileage-log-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Mileage Log Options for Tax and Reimbursement Purposes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

If you\u00a0drive in your own car for business purposes, your\u00a0may be eligible for a significant tax deduction to lower your taxable income. \u00a0However, in order to receive this tax credit – you need to keep a detailed mileage log of\u00a0the driving you perform for business purposes. \u00a0There are a number of options available for tracking mileage for business purposes. \u00a0These include Mobile Apps, Dedicated GPS Tracking Devices, Diagnostic Port Devices and of course – the tried and true paper and pencil.<\/p>\n

iPhone and Android Mileage Tracking Apps\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

These apps are loaded onto your phone and require the app to be running on the phone to track location, distances and number of drives. \u00a0After driving, user then utilizes the app to classify the drives as business or personal drives. \u00a0Typically, the data for these apps is collected on the mobile phone and synced to a service the app maker provides in the cloud – providing a secure storage solution for your driving mileage log regardless of what happens to your phone. \u00a0These apps are very accurate in their ability to track drives, however the app needs to be running on your phone at all times. \u00a0Forgetting to turn on the app before a long day on the road could easily be a $200 mistake.<\/p>\n

Triplogmileage<\/a>\u00a0 – for iOS, Android and web – \u00a0Supports tracking of fuel and other expense (repairs, meals..etc). \u00a0Highly customizable reporting outputs in CSV format. \u00a0Monthly and annual plans available on a per-driver basis.<\/p>\n

MileIQ<\/a>\u00a0– for iOS and Android \u00a0and web – Mileage tracking only, syncs to the cloud, has web interface for reviewing data and generating reports. \u00a0Integrates with Freshbooks and Concur. \u00a0CSV format reports. \u00a0Monthly and annual plans available on a per-user basis.<\/p>\n

MileBug<\/a>\u00a0– for iOS, Android and Windows Phone –\u00a0syncs to the cloud, reports can be created\u00a0in either HTML or CSV formats. \u00a0It is mobile-only and does not have a web interface. \u00a0App purchase required. \u00a0No monthly or annual fees.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"mileage<\/p>\n

Stand-alone GPS Tracking Devices<\/strong><\/h4>\n

These GPS-enabled devices are dedicated devices designed for recording all driving activity. \u00a0They automatically turn on and begin recording when you drive – a huge advantage over their mobile app counterparts. \u00a0These devices are very useful for business owners who own a fleet of vehicles for business purposes as they allow accurate mileage tracking without relying on the drivers\/employees to record their driving habits. \u00a0Some models have simple buttons to classify a drive as business or personal. \u00a0Other models automatically connect to your WIFI network and upload the data when you arrive back at your home. \u00a0Users later login to an administration website to view their driving logs and print driving reports.<\/p>\n

The Mileage Ace\u00a0<\/a>– \u00a0Supports WIFI connection to instantly upload all trip data upon return to your home of business. Connects to USB power charger in car. \u00a0Device cost over $100 AND\u00a0annual subscription required.<\/p>\n

EasyMileLog<\/a>\u00a0– Has buttons on device to select Business or Personal classification of drive in session. \u00a0Connects to USB car charger. \u00a0Unit must be plugged into your computer to download data from the unit. \u00a0Tracking device\u00a0costs $150 – however there are NO subscription fees.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"gps-based-mileage-log\"<\/h4>\n

Paper Mileage Log<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Good old pen (or pencil) and paper. \u00a0This is a tiresome and tedious exercise, however many people still utilize this method. \u00a0The\u00a0physical log is the most simple solution of them all for tracking your mileage. \u00a0Critics of the manual written log format note that it is\u00a0possible the log is lost, stolen or otherwise damaged. \u00a0However, software and apps can crash or you could have the device stolen, broken or otherwise rendered useless. \u00a0Worse yet, if the tracking data or reports are being stored on media (USB, disk drives, hard drives) then that media also could become corrupt, damaged or disappear. \u00a0Therefore, a paper-based mileage log is still a contender in this day and age of high-tech tools that are marketed as making your life easier.<\/p>\n

\"paper-mileage-log\"<\/p>\n

Standard Diagnostics Port (ODM)\u00a0Mileage Tracking Devices<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are several adapters on the market that enable you to retrieve car data (including odometer readings) and capture this data to your mobile device or computer. \u00a0The data these adapters capture is limited to car-related data. \u00a0However, the\u00a0apps or computer software that interfaces with them usually overlay the vehicle data with location, time\/date, and other details. \u00a0The advantage of these adapters is that they require no additional power cables and can provide a wealth of information (RPM, fuel levels, temperatures..etc). \u00a0Mileage logs are generated from the app or software. \u00a0Since the adapter cannot track location, the user must record the location, purpose and other details within the app of software after the drives are complete.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"diagnostic-port-mileage-tracker\"<\/h4>\n

What is the best Mileage Log Tracking App, Service or Device for Me?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A few questions to consider regarding mileage tracking devices and software.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Do you need a solution that is “always on” – like a dedicated device? \u00a0 Or can you suffice with a solution that requires more of your attention.<\/li>\n
  • What kind of tracking data does your business require? \u00a0Does the method or device you choose support the data you are needing? \u00a0For solutions with software or apps – do they output in the proper format for your purposes?<\/li>\n
  • Which is your preferred method of tracking mileage? Why?<\/li>\n
  • What is\u00a0in the future of mileage tracking devices and software?<\/li>\n
  • Should more efficient vehicles be credited at a higher rate per mile by the IRS in order to promote vehicle efficiency?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you drive in your own car for business purposes, your may be eligible for a significant tax deduction to lower your taxable income. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[10,8,7,9,11],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions\/90"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expressmileage.com\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}