Favorite mileage tracking app?

Question

DL Martin · Answer

I highly recommend MileIQ.

If for no other reason, the annual printout of every single business related drive is worth the cost. For instance, this month (Jan 2018), I already have 70 business drives (and 24 personal drives).  In 2017 my mileage deduction was $4,851. In 2016 my mileage deduction was $5,650.

How do I know that? Because the App tracks every single drive in every single month.

Should you be audited, this information will be golden. Further, for people like me who claim Real Estate Professional, this information makes it very plain to any potential auditor that I am engaging in real estate stuff non-stop.

An hour ago I shot over to my apartments to check on the three boiler temperatures. That drive was logged and shows that on a Sunday evening at 7:30 pm, I was engaging in active landlord/property management activity.

Document. Document. Document.

DL

David Hunter · Answer

Good 'ole pen and paper does the trick!  :-)

Lauren DiMeo · Answer

I personally use Everlance.

It allows me to track both my milage and expenses automatically in one app, and sorting between personal and business can be done with just a swipe.

Allan Rosso · Answer

@Felipe Munoz, I gave MileIQ a shot, but I started getting frustrated with the fact that the app would confuse red lights for "end of trip", and it would create a mess I had to figure out later. Have you ever run into that @John Knisely? If so, what do you do to prevent it?

What I personally do now, is take a picture of my odometer, and/or reset trip A/B, at the beginning of my drive and note what it is at the end of my trip. I keep an agenda calendar on me where I make that note immediately, so that I know exactly what I was doing and how many miles I drove.

Sylvia B. · Answer

Same here. I keep a small notebook in the car. At the beginning of a trip I write down the car mileage, date, & purpose of the trip, then ending mileage. It is now a habit and we do it without even thinking about it.

John Knisely · Answer

I've only used MileIQ but I am happy with it and it works well. Can get it for a pretty good price too with a referral, shoot me a message if you want one.

Nicole Wascoe Bauman · Answer

Hi, DL -

I am considering checking the box for Real Estate Professional on my husband's and my tax return for next year (too late to do it this year now), but I understand I have to "document, document, document." Do you use the MileIQ app to track your real estate-related business time as well as your mileage?  If not, do you use another app to track your time?  I would so appreciate any other documenting advice you may have as well.  Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely, Nicole

Allan Rosso · Answer

@John Knisely in all honesty, its really no effort at all. Once you get used to doing it, it only takes but a second.

Sonya Stovall · Answer

When I can remember to turn it on(there is an automatic turn on) I use the Track my Drive App and I like it.

John Knisely · Answer

Those must be long redlights! I have not had that problem. It does have a feature where you can combine multiple drives into a single drive though which is what would work in your case Allan. The way you are doing it manually seems like a lot of effort.

Favorite mileage tracking app?

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