How to Track Mileage and Job Expenses for Tax Time

October 27, 2026 · By The Toolbelt Printables team

If you work in the trades, your truck is your office and the supply house is your second home. That means a lot of business miles and a lot of receipts. Track them as you go, and tax time is mostly done. Leave them in the glove box, and you're guessing in March.

Here's what the IRS says to keep, and a simple way to keep it without much extra work.

Quick note: this is general information, not tax advice. Every business is different, so check current IRS guidance or ask your tax preparer about your situation.

Why paper (or a spreadsheet) is enough

The IRS says there's no required method of bookkeeping for a business. You can use any system that clearly and accurately shows your income and expenses. A paper log, a spreadsheet or an app all count, as long as the records back up what's on your return.

The key word is records. Writing down "about 9,000 business miles" at the end of the year doesn't prove anything. A log filled in as you go does.

What to write down for every business trip

IRS Publication 463 covers car expenses. For each business use of your vehicle, it says to record:

• The date of the trip
• Where you went (your business destination)
• The business purpose (for example, "Smith job, deliver cabinets" or "supply house, pick up wire")
• The miles for that trip

You also need the total miles you drove that vehicle for the year, so write down your odometer reading at the start and end of the year.

Odometer start and end readings for each trip make your log stronger, and they're easy to grab when you get in and out of the truck.

You don't have to log it the same day

Publication 463 says a record made at or near the time of the trip is worth more than one pieced together later. But it doesn't have to be the same day. The IRS says a log kept weekly that accounts for use during the week counts as a timely kept record.

So if you can't log every trip on the spot, pick one time each week, like Friday afternoon, and catch up from your calendar, texts and receipts.

Watch out for commuting

The IRS treats driving between your home and your main or regular place of work as personal commuting, which isn't deductible, no matter how far it is. Trips from home to a temporary job site, or between job sites, can be treated differently. The rules depend on whether you have a regular work location, a home office and how long each job lasts, so ask your tax preparer how they apply to you. Either way, write down every trip with its purpose, so the person doing your taxes has what they need.

Mileage rate or actual costs?

There are two ways to figure vehicle costs: the standard mileage rate or your actual expenses (gas, repairs, insurance, depreciation and so on). The IRS sets the standard mileage rate, and it can change, even partway through a year. For 2026, the IRS business rate is 72.5 cents per mile for January 1 to June 30, and 76 cents per mile for July 1 to December 31. That mid-year change is one more reason to keep the date on every trip.

Publication 463 also says that if you want to use the standard mileage rate for a car you own, you have to choose it in the first year the car is available for use in your business. Talk to your tax preparer before you decide.

What to keep for every business expense

For materials, tools, fuel and everything else, the IRS says your supporting documents should show:

• Who you paid (the vendor)
• How much you paid
• Proof that you paid, like a receipt, canceled check, or credit card or bank statement
• The date
• What it was for, enough to show it was a business expense

Sometimes one piece of paper doesn't cover all of that. A credit card statement shows the store and amount, but not what you bought. Keep the receipt too, and write the job name on it.

Sort by job and category

When you log an expense, add two things: the job it was for, and a category. Simple categories work best: materials, tools and equipment, fuel, vehicle repairs, subcontractors, insurance, licenses and permits, office and phone, advertising and other. Your tax preparer can map them to the right lines on your return.

Tracking by job has a bonus. You can see whether a job actually made money, which helps you price the next one.

Which expenses are deductible depends on your situation, so keep everything and let your tax preparer sort it out.

How long to keep records

The IRS says to keep records that support your return until the period of limitations for that return runs out. For most people, that's generally 3 years from the date you filed. Some situations need longer:

• Employment tax records (if you have employees): at least 4 years after the tax is due or paid, whichever is later.
• Property records (like a truck or big equipment): until the period of limitations runs out for the year you sell or get rid of it, because you need them to figure depreciation and gain or loss.

The IRS also reminds you to check whether your insurance company or lenders need you to keep records longer.

A 10-minute weekly routine

1. Empty the truck. Pull every receipt out of the cab, wallet and pockets.
2. Log the week's trips on your mileage log from your calendar and texts.
3. Log the week's expenses with job name and category.
4. Write receipts you gave customers in your records too, so income and expenses both get tracked.
5. File it all in one folder or envelope per month. A photo of each receipt is a good backup.

Get the free trackers

• Mileage Log: date, start, destination, purpose, odometer readings and miles, about 25 trips per page.
• Business Expense Tracker: log spending by date, vendor, job and category, with a yearly category totals page.
• Paid Receipt: three fill-in receipts per page to hand customers when they pay.

Ten minutes a week now beats a weekend of digging through receipts in the spring.

The Toolbelt Printables team

This article is general information, not tax advice. Tax rules change, so check current IRS guidance or ask your tax preparer.

Sources: IRS, Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses; IRS, Standard mileage rates; IRS, Topic no. 305, Recordkeeping; IRS, What kind of records should I keep; IRS, How long should I keep records?

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