The IRS requires specific records for every business trip — and most drivers don't have them. TrakMiles automatically creates an IRS-compliant mileage log with GPS, recording the date, location, distance, and purpose of every trip in real time. Free 14-day trial.
A compliant mileage log records four things for every trip: the date, the destination, the business purpose and the miles driven, plus odometer readings at the start and end of the tax year. The rule that catches people is timing — records must be made at or near the time of the trip, so a log rebuilt in April is weaker than one that ran all year. The total goes on Schedule C Line 9 at 76 cents a mile from July 1, 2026 and 72.5 cents January through June.
Platform mileage summaries, paper notebooks, and spreadsheets all fail IRS requirements in different ways. Here's what gets mileage deductions denied.
DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, and Instacart only track active trip miles. Miles driving to pickups, between jobs, and repositioning are all missed — and none of these summaries include the required starting location, destination, and business purpose.
The IRS requires date, starting location, destination, business purpose, and miles for every trip — recorded at the time of travel. No platform summary meets this standard.
A driver doing 50 miles/day with no valid mileage log has a $10,500 potential deduction at 70¢/mile — but without proper records the IRS can deny it entirely.
TrakMiles automatically records every trip with GPS and captures all five IRS-required elements in real time — no manual entry, no reconstructed logs, no audit risk.
Detects when you start driving and records every trip automatically — no buttons to press. Detects when you start driving and records every trip automatically. Every mile is logged with GPS precision — no buttons to press, no trips forgotten.
Every trip is logged with the date, location, distance, and business purpose — exactly what the IRS requires. Generate a PDF mileage report instantly for tax time or an audit.
The Schedule C Helper maps your mileage and expenses directly to IRS line items and compares standard mileage vs actual expenses so you always claim the larger deduction.
Log business expenses with IRS Schedule C categories alongside your mileage — phone bills, equipment, platform fees, and more — so your entire tax picture is in one place.
Calculates your self-employment tax payments with due dates so you're never caught off guard by a tax bill. Based on your real earnings data, not guesses.
Getting your mileage log wrong doesn't just mean a smaller refund — it can mean losing your entire deduction.
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What gig workers, freelancers, and self-employed drivers need to know about IRS mileage log requirements.
Mileage tracking reminders, deduction guides, and quarterly deadline alerts — free, no spam.