Mileage and expense records: a simple log you can copy

What to record for each trip

• Date
• Where you started and where you went (a client name or address is enough)
• Business purpose, such as a delivery shift, a job site or a supply run
• Miles for the trip

Also write down your odometer on January 1 and December 31, so total miles and business miles can be compared. Driving from home to a regular workplace is commuting and isn't deductible, but driving between jobs or customers is.

Mileage log template

Date | From → To | Business purpose | Miles
2027-01-06 | Home → Client, 123 Main St | House cleaning job | 14
2027-01-06 | Client → Supply store | Cleaning supplies | 3
Start-of-year odometer: ______   End-of-year odometer: ______

Paste it into your phone's notes app or a spreadsheet and add a line each time you drive for work. Gig apps track miles while you're on a trip, but not the drive to your first pickup or back home, so a log can capture miles the app misses.

Expense log template

Date | Paid to | What it was for | Amount | Paid with | Receipt saved?
2027-01-08 | Home Depot | Mop heads and cleaner | $42.17 | Business debit | Yes (photo)

Snap a photo of each receipt the day you get it. A bank or card statement shows you paid, but a receipt shows what you bought.

How long to keep it

Keep logs and receipts for at least three years after you file the return they support, and longer for things like a vehicle or equipment you're still depreciating. A cloud folder per year makes it easy.