What Is a Contemporaneous Mileage Log? (And Why the IRS Cares)
“Contemporaneous.”
Expert tips on mileage tracking, tax deductions, business travel, and fleet management.
“Contemporaneous.”
You’re driving from one client meeting to another. You stop for gas. Then you grab a coffee. While you’re out, you swing by the dry cleaner to pick...
You’re a consultant driving from a client meeting in Mississauga to another in downtown Toronto. On the way, you stop for gas at the Esso. Then you...
You’re an outside sales rep. You drive 400 miles a week visiting clients in your territory, all in your own car. Your employer pays your salary but...
Sarah is a project manager for a mid-size engineering firm in Calgary. She drives her own car to client sites, subcontractor meetings, and project ...
“I only drive to one or two client meetings a month. Is it even worth tracking?”
“I only drive to one or two client meetings a month. Is it even worth tracking?”
Every year, the Canada Revenue Agency publishes per-kilometre rates that determine how much you can deduct — or how much your employer can reimburs...
You tracked your miles all year. You’re pretty sure your records are “fine.” Then you get an audit notice, and suddenly you’re staring at your spre...
You download a mileage tracking app. It says “free.” You start logging trips. Everything seems great.
A plumber in Edmonton got reviewed by the CRA in 2024. He’d driven 38,000 kilometres that year and claimed 28,000 of them as business. He had a spr...
Mike is an electrician in the suburbs of Dallas. Every morning he drives 60 miles to whatever job site the foreman assigned him. Every evening, 60 ...
Dave is an electrician in the suburbs of Toronto. Every morning he drives 95 kilometres to whatever job site the foreman assigned him. Every evenin...
Say you run three delivery apps on a typical Saturday shift. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart all pinging at once. You take a DoorDash order, the...
Home healthcare workers drive more than almost any other profession. Visiting nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, and caregivers spend ...
Say you’re a freelance graphic designer. You work from home most days, but twice a week you drive to client meetings. You figure all that driving i...
Picture this: it’s April, and you’re sitting with your accountant reviewing your tax return.
You close 30 properties a year. You track your mileage to showings. You’re diligent about client meetings. You think you’re doing everything right.
You opened your mailbox, and there it is. An envelope from the Internal Revenue Service. Your stomach drops. You flip it over, tear it open, and se...
Say you drive for DoorDash every evening after your day job. You work 25 hours a week, keep every receipt, and diligently check your DoorDash milea...
You opened your mileage app this morning and noticed something’s off. That 45-mile trip to the client site last Tuesday? Not there. The supply run ...
It’s January. You’re staring at your tax documents. And you’re realizing you forgot to track your mileage. Again.
The IRS just dropped the numbers for 2026, and honestly? I’m a little surprised. At 72.5 cents per mile, we’re looking at the highest standard mile...
If you’re a founder with 15 employees and three of them drive regularly for client visits, you probably need more than “submit your receipts and we...
Let’s be honest: nobody actually maintains a handwritten mileage log. You start the year with good intentions, write down your first few trips, the...
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