Tax · 5 min read
Business Mileage Log Guide
Mileage is one of the largest small business deductions — and one of the first the IRS disallows when the log is sloppy or recreated after the fact.
What the IRS wants in the log
- Date of each trip
- Business purpose
- Starting and ending odometer or total miles
- Destination
Standard mileage vs. actual expense
Standard mileage is simpler and usually larger for newer, fuel-efficient vehicles. Actual expense (gas, insurance, depreciation, repairs) often wins for heavy trucks and high-cost vehicles. Pick one method in year one of a vehicle.
