Guide

How do I track mileage for taxes when I’m self-employed?

Q: How do I track mileage for taxes when I’m self-employed?

To track mileage for taxes, you must maintain a contemporaneous log of every business trip, including the date, destination, miles, and business purpose. TradesTimer automates this by using background GPS to detect stops and trips, creating an exportable log without you ever needing to start a timer.

By Ryder Wishart — trades experience and contractor office administration · Updated 2026-11-04

Requirements for a valid log

A valid IRS mileage log must record the date, destination, business miles, and business purpose for every trip. To ensure accuracy, you should update your records at least weekly.

This information is for general purposes and is not tax advice.

Standard mileage rates

For 2025, the IRS standard mileage rate is 70¢/mile. For 2026, the rate is 72.5¢/mile for Jan 1–Jun 30 and 76¢/mile for Jul 1–Dec 31. You must elect the standard mileage rate in the first year a car is used for business.

For Canadian self-employed taxpayers, deduct actual vehicle expenses × (business km ÷ total km) on T2125. The CRA's per-km rates are employer allowance rates, not self-employed deduction rates.

Automating your mileage log

Manual logging is prone to error. TradesTimer uses background GPS to automatically detect 'stops' (jobsites) and 'trips' (driving between them).

It records the distance for every trip, providing a rounded mileage log you can export at tax time. There are no timers to start or stop and no jobsites to pre-configure.

FAQ

How often should I update my mileage log?

The IRS recommends keeping logs contemporaneously, which means updating them at least weekly.

Do I need to manually track every trip in TradesTimer?

No, the app uses background GPS to automatically detect trips and record their distance.

Last updated 2026-11-04.