Printable mileage log for taxes
If you drive for work and want to deduct it, a mileage log is the record that backs up the number. This page explains what the IRS says to write down, gives you a free log page to print now, and says plainly what the paid versions add. It is written for gig drivers, delivery drivers and other self-employed people who use their own car.
Not tax advice. This page summarizes one IRS publication in plain language. Your situation may differ, so ask a tax professional before you file.
What to write down for each business trip
IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses, lists what you need to prove car expenses: the date of each use of the car, the mileage for each business use, your business destination, the business purpose, and the total miles for the year. It also lists the cost of the car and any improvements, and the date you started using the car for business.
The same publication says you can't deduct amounts that you approximate or estimate. That is the reason to write trips down as you go instead of rebuilding them at tax time.
Five rules that trip people up
- Log weekly at the latest. Publication 463 says a log kept on a weekly basis that accounts for that week's use is a timely kept record. You do not have to write every trip the same day.
- One line can cover several stops. A round trip, or uninterrupted business use, can go in a single record. A stop for lunch on the way between two business stops does not break it up.
- Commuting is not business driving. Driving between your home and your main or regular place of work is a personal commuting expense, however far it is.
- Parking and tolls are separate. In addition to the standard mileage rate, you can deduct business-related parking fees and tolls. Fees to park at your own place of work are commuting expenses and are not deductible.
- Keep the log. Generally you must keep records that support a deduction for 3 years from the date you file the return that claims it. Publication 463 points to Publication 583 for a fuller explanation.
This page does not print a mileage rate. The IRS sets the standard mileage rate and it changes, so look it up on the IRS standard mileage rates page.
A filled-in example line
| Date | Start odometer | End odometer | Miles | Destination | Business purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/14 | 41,206 | 41,238 | 32 | Smith Co., Troy | Deliver order #118 |
Miles is the end reading minus the start reading. Say why you went in a few words. A single word such as "business" does not tell a reader why you drove.
Free sample: two pages you can print now
Download the free sample (PDF, 2 pages, US Letter)
Page 1 is "A few rules that trip people up" from the log book, with the example line above. Page 2 is a blank log page with 21 trip lines for date, start and end odometer, miles, destination and business purpose, plus totals. Print at 100 percent ("Actual size"), not "Fit to page". Print as many copies of the log page as you need for your own use. If one page a week is all you need, you never have to buy anything.
What the paid version adds
The sample is one log page and one rules page. The full log book has:
- 100 trip log pages (2,100 trip lines) instead of one.
- Two Vehicle pages, with year-start and year-end odometer readings.
- A monthly totals page and an annual summary page.
- 8 parking and tolls pages and 4 notes pages.
- Two how-to pages (the rules page above is one of them).
The Etsy download is a PDF in two sizes, US Letter and A4, for printing at home. The Amazon paperback has the same pages at 6 x 9 inches, 120 pages, if you would rather have a bound book. Neither one calculates your deduction, prints a mileage rate or files anything. They are blank, well-ruled paper.
Where to get it
Printable Mileage Log PDF
Instant download. US Letter and A4 PDF files, for personal use.
Side Hustle Tax Spreadsheet
A different tool: an Excel workbook with tabs for Dashboard, Income Tracker, Expense Tracker, Quarterly Estimates, 1099 Tracker, Mileage Log and Instructions. Its tax estimates use fixed rates (22 percent for income tax, and 15.3 percent of 92.35 percent of net profit for self-employment tax), so treat them as rough planning figures.
Prices change. The price on the Etsy or Amazon listing is the one that counts.
Sources
- IRS Publication 463 (2025), Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses: record elements, timely kept records, commuting, parking fees and tolls, single record for uninterrupted use, and the 3-year retention rule.
- IRS Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records.