GUIDE

What is on an end-of-year mileage deduction checklist?

Q: What is on an end-of-year mileage deduction checklist?

An end-of-year mileage checklist includes verifying your total business miles, dates, destinations, and business purposes for every trip. TradesTimer automates this by reconstructing your workday from GPS to ensure no trip is missed.

By Ryder Wishart — years on the tools, then time tracking in a contractor’s back office · Updated 2026-06-08

Required Log Details

A valid IRS mileage log records, per trip: business miles, date, destination, and business purpose, kept contemporaneously (weekly at minimum).

Review your records to ensure every trip has a clearly defined business purpose to withstand potential audits.

Rate Verification

Ensure you are applying the correct standard mileage rate for the relevant tax year. For 2025, the IRS rate is 70 cents per mile. For 2026, the rate is 72.5 cents per mile.

Note: This is general information, not tax advice.

Data Reconciliation

Cross-reference your total mileage against your jobsite stops. TradesTimer helps by auto-detecting stops and trips, providing a rounded list of business miles and distances.

Verify that all trips are categorized correctly before exporting your log for tax season.

FAQ

How often should I review my mileage logs?

You should review and update your logs at least weekly to ensure they are kept contemporaneously.

Does TradesTimer track my personal driving?

TradesTimer reconstructs your workday from GPS to provide business miles and trips, helping you separate business from personal use.

Last updated 2026-06-08.