# Trip Log - Anyone?



## delock51 (Mar 25, 2015)

Was looking into information about how to do my uber taxes and came across this.

https://triplogmileage.com/IRS-Uber-tax-deduction.html

I downloaded the app and it appears to be working fine. My question is, has anyone else used this? If so, do you recommend it? what do I do with the information provided by that app? "I'm new at taxes" and don't know if the app is actually good at all because I don't know if the information provided by it is useful.


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## makinthemagic (Oct 8, 2015)

Just record the mileage when you first turn on the app and the mileage when you sign off. I'm not familiar with the app. Just get your mileage total for each day worked.


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## UberDriverTaxExpert (Nov 11, 2015)

A mileage log (if audited) is far more than just listing the mileage. Apps are great but a simple notebook works great. Email me and I will send you a proper mileage log for UBER drivers (FREE). It's all fun and games until you receive an audit letter. 

Why in the world would you want to prepare your own taxes? Why risk an audit? Why are you not focusing on growing your business? Taking a loss (while legal) on a schedule C will increase your chance of an audit dramatically. You better have all your i's dotted and t's crossed. You have so many great tax options like possibly depreciating your vehicle OR setting up your own retirement plan OR getting advice that will help you plan for the future. Is it really a good idea to reduce all your earnings down to nothing just to get a refund OR not pay taxes? If you have the legit deductions then OK but one day you will apply for social security and receive $200 a month instead of $3000 a month. Work hard but smart. Hire a professional that knows your industry and can guide you into the future.


Imagine if you made $75,000 as an UBER driver and you were able to reduce your income by $12,500 and put this away for your retirement (Simple IRA)? Then add in your deductions....Your income could be reduced dramatically resulting in you owing little or no taxes and you are on your way to putting possibly $500,000 away over twenty years based on the right investments etc. (no guarantee on the $500k (bear markets) but the potential is there$250,000 investment plus profits over a twenty year period). Compounding interest etc.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

delock51 said:


> Was looking into information about how to do my uber taxes and came across this.
> 
> https://triplogmileage.com/IRS-Uber-tax-deduction.html
> 
> I downloaded the app and it appears to be working fine. My question is, has anyone else used this? If so, do you recommend it? what do I do with the information provided by that app? "I'm new at taxes" and don't know if the app is actually good at all because I don't know if the information provided by it is useful.


The tool you use app, logbook, trip sheet or whatever is less important than how you record your tax data. By far the best way to prove to the IRS how much you drove for business is to keep contemporaneous records. "Contemporaneous" means your records are created each day you drive for business, or soon thereafter. Choose your tool, app or whatever and stick with it making your entries every day. Personally, I use a phone app like the one your looking at but I don't use the gps feature because it uses up to much resources on my phone. I manually enter the mileage into the app and download the uber trip records for supporting evidence if needed.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

delock51 said:


> Was looking into information about how to do my uber taxes and came across this.
> 
> https://triplogmileage.com/IRS-Uber-tax-deduction.html
> 
> I downloaded the app and it appears to be working fine. My question is, has anyone else used this? If so, do you recommend it? what do I do with the information provided by that app? "I'm new at taxes" and don't know if the app is actually good at all because I don't know if the information provided by it is useful.


Are you planning on doing your own taxes or just interested in the mileage log to give to your tax person? Doing your own taxes for uber income is definitely doable for the average person and I really respect people that try. You'll find a lot of help on uberpeople.net and save yourself a lot of money!


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## docswife (Feb 24, 2015)

I use triplog and it's great.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

I use BizXpenseTracker and it's great. But then again I've never used any other app so I've got nothing to compare too!


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## v_n9netechguru (Dec 16, 2015)

I guess the question I have since I am very new to do this do I deduct just about everything(i.e. when I get gas, if i buy bottled water for passengers, gum for passengers, if i pay for food while working etc.) Also should I track my mileage for each trip or just from start to finish?


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## UberPissed (Aug 13, 2014)

No go on meals. The other stuff should be good.

If you want to save money, educate yourself and do it yourself. 
If still nervous - keep good records, and tally all the info for your accountant. I know accountants that charge $100 per hour to just go through your on files. Create a category based summary table, and let them figure it out.


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## Andrew C (Aug 5, 2017)

I use an app called Ride Companion, it's on google play. But there are a lot of people that do use plain old pen and paper.


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## Tihstae (Jan 31, 2017)

I enter my starting and ending mileage into a spreadsheet. I do it from my phone right there in the car using Google Sheets. Simple and the phone is always with you when you start driving Uber since you have to turn on the app.


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## Ray Sheezy (Aug 22, 2017)

I use an app called Hurdlr. It syncs with Uber and keeps track of how much you make, you can enter expenses and it has a mileage tracker you start right before you begin working and end once you return home.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

I use a pen/paper log then it gets inputted into an excel spreadsheet.


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## Fla Uber Chick (Aug 25, 2017)

I use triplog logger. The uber app only keeps tabs of each ride but not inbetween. You can actually deduct the in between as well. Have fun trying to download from uber. Two years in a row having to do it myself. Why can't uber get it together?



v_n9netechguru said:


> I guess the question I have since I am very new to do this do I deduct just about everything(i.e. when I get gas, if i buy bottled water for passengers, gum for passengers, if i pay for food while working etc.) Also should I track my mileage for each trip or just from start to finish?


Each trip and in between.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Fla Uber Chick said:


> I use triplog logger. The uber app only keeps tabs of each ride but not inbetween. You can actually deduct the in between as well. Have fun trying to download from uber. Two years in a row having to do it myself. Why can't uber get it together?
> 
> Each trip and in between.


You are running your own business, self employed, independant contractor. Uber is running their own business also. You don't keep records for Uber so why would you expect Uber to keep your records for you? I think a better question is why can't Uber drivers get it together and keep their own mileage logs? Financially, at tax time, that mileage log will be your best friend.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

Fla Uber Chick said:


> I use triplog logger. The uber app only keeps tabs of each ride but not inbetween. You can actually deduct the in between as well. Have fun trying to download from uber. Two years in a row having to do it myself. Why can't uber get it together?
> 
> Each trip and in between.


Uber cant catch all the little fine details like you driving from a passengers house you just dropped at the the 711 down the block you wait at for your next ping.

Uber also can't pick up on you driving empty back to somwhere you stand a chance of getting a ping at from somewhere you have no chance of getting a ping.

These are just 2 examples of empty AND DEDUCTIBLE miles that uber won't/cant pick up on and a perfect example of why you need your own logs.

Also come saturday morning when your driving your car to an autoshop to get serviced... i'd deduct that to just saying...


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## Fla Uber Chick (Aug 25, 2017)

UberTaxPro said:


> You are running your own business, self employed, independant contractor. Uber is running their own business also. You don't keep records for Uber so why would you expect Uber to keep your records for you? I think a better question is why can't Uber drivers get it together and keep their own mileage logs? Financially, at tax time, that mileage log will be your best friend.


good one... I'm a tax professional as well...I think uber drivers might be a nice target market...


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Fla Uber Chick said:


> good one... I'm a tax professional as well...I think uber drivers might be a nice target market...


Generally they're not a good target market. Most of them are losing money and are better off doing their own taxes! What do you mean by "tax professional" are you licensed?


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

UberTaxPro said:


> Generally they're not a good target market. Most of them are losing money and are better off doing their own taxes! What do you mean by "tax professional" are you licensed?


Yup bad market in florida, state wide it's almost impossible to show ANY taxable income so it's very easy to do a return where you aren't owing 1c (or 1c more than they would owe if they weren't driving uber.


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## UberSelect07 (May 17, 2016)

I use an app called MyRideTrac. It allows me to track my rider and empty mileage as well as personal mileage too. I can track all my expenses also as well as multiple vehicles and drivers. It sends me an editable spreadsheet that I use as my mileage log. They don't track me or sell my data or try to sell me anything like insurance. It's simple to use and worth the money.


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