# Didn't track mileage!



## Jam Val

For the first 2 months I drove, I didn't keep track of mileage (cause who knew I'd make more than $600...Lolz). I'm using my pay statements to back track and get the numbers. Question is, I obviously used mileage to get to the pickup destinations so how should I account for that? I was thinking of adding 2 miles on top of each trip. Your thoughts, please and thank you?


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## LAuberX

You can lawfully "recreate" a mileage log from things like oil change receipts. 

My dead miles equals my "paid" miles, so it's more than a simple 2 miles/trip for me.


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## JimS

May not help a lot, but you can calculate between the end of one ride and the beginning of the next. Makes the case for stay put rather than roll for fares.


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## painfreepc

JimS said:


> May not help a lot, but you can calculate between the end of one ride and the beginning of the next. Makes the case for stay put rather than roll for fares.


that will not work in all markets for many reasons, if i pickup around LAX, the drop off maybe a few miles east or nouth/east, i am not waiting for a ping in ingelwood or anywhere near watts.

and i have family in inglewood, sorry inglewood


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## JimS

No - but you know where you dropped off and where you pick up next. That's deductible, and you just calculate what that was.

What you can't calculate is how many times you drive around the block waiting for that next ping.


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## Jam Val

Thanks yall!


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## OrlUberOffDriver

Track your miles from app on to app off each day you work.
So, if you leave home and app is off, no mileage to track. The moment you turn your app on, start tracking, dead miles to get to your favorite location, miles to get to pick, all miles incurred while app is on.
What I do is take a snapshot of odometer reading at start then again at app off.
There is a great app for gas expense tracking I have used since 2008. You can record everything including maintenance, oil changes etc. everything vehicle related.
It's called "Road Trip"

There is also a free lite version


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## JimS

See this thread for a new app for how to keep track automatically:
https://uberpeople.net/threads/hurdlr-app-review-how-stupid-am-i-when-driving-real-time.32915/


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## driverman82

Definitely worth keeping track of it all with an app. I think the two best ones are MileIQ and Everlance. MileIQ works great but it only does miles and is $60 a year for the paid version. Everlance is brand new and free for tracking but you have to pay them if you want them to handle your taxes. Hope that helps!


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## LAuberX

I would never use an app to track miles or anything else the IRS needs. It will most likely not be around for the next 7 years... and you must keep tax records for 7 years.

Just avoid the future pain, start writing down app on starting mileage on PAPER now... you can buy a fancy book at Staples if you like... and app off ending mileage. Simple.

Putting it in an app, or on the cloud does not mean you will be able to put your hands on it 5-7 years from now when the IRS wants to see it.... MOST apps fail... Paper will survive.


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## Jam Val

Between May and mid-July I had to go back to for mileage but I started keeping a detailed (super detailed) log of each trip. Just call me ClipBoard McGee!


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## painfreepc

LAuberX said:


> I would never use an app to track miles or anything else the IRS needs. It will most likely not be around for the next 7 years... and you must keep tax records for 7 years.
> 
> Just avoid the future pain, start writing down app on starting mileage on PAPER now... you can buy a fancy book at Staples if you like... and app off ending mileage. Simple.
> 
> Putting it in an app, or on the cloud does not mean you will be able to put your hands on it 5-7 years from now when the IRS wants to see it.... MOST apps fail... Paper will survive.


The Cloud... Don't get me started about all the idiots that use services like Dropbox as a BackUp
READ MY LIPS... a sync is not a backup, when any one folder can change the contents of all the other folders.

Sorry, i am some what of a tech guy, the misunderstanding of syncing and backup drives me crazy.


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## merkurfan

For almost 20 years I have recorded the mileage at the start of the year, and the end of the year on the van I use for work. I don't do any "personal" running with it. Never caused a problem with the feds..

mixing personal in might cause a problem though. IDK.


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## StarzykCPA

As long as you can export the information from the app to something concrete at the end of the year, you should be good. I believe some apps have this feature, but am not sure which ones.



merkurfan said:


> For almost 20 years I have recorded the mileage at the start of the year, and the end of the year on the van I use for work. I don't do any "personal" running with it. Never caused a problem with the feds..
> 
> mixing personal in might cause a problem though. IDK.


Yep, it's a bit easier when you have a dedicated work vehicle.


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## merkurfan

StarzykCPA said:


> As long as you can export the information from the app to something concrete at the end of the year, you should be good. I believe some apps have this feature, but am not sure which ones.
> 
> Yep, it's a bit easier when you have a dedicated work vehicle.


although i have never tried it I have been told because I have my company name all over the van every mile would be deductible due to "advertising".. Not sure I buy that argument. However if it's a valid one, the uber trade dress is "advertising"


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## Jam Val

StarzykCPA Figured I'd pose this question under the thread I started although not related at all.








Can you take a look at this? This is my spreadsheet (condensed cause I hid rows). Am I doing this right so far? I have total TAXABLE wages (after the $.575 per mile deduction) minus the standard deduction of $6,300. What I see is that as of now, I owe NO taxes and the IRS actually owes me (for now). Is this correct?


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## StarzykCPA

Jam Val said:


> StarzykCPA Figured I'd pose this question under the thread I started although not related at all.
> View attachment 13107
> 
> Can you take a look at this? This is my spreadsheet (condensed cause I hid rows). Am I doing this right so far? I have total TAXABLE wages (after the $.575 per mile deduction) minus the standard deduction of $6,300. What I see is that as of now, I owe NO taxes and the IRS actually owes me (for now). Is this correct?


I assume you are trying to estimate your taxable income from the year from Uber. I'm also guessing that wage amount here is the net amount you received from Uber (not the gross), and thus already takes into account their fees. So, a few things I guess:
- You likely have more expenses than what you have listed here
- The standard deduction applies to all of your income (did you have any wages or earnings besides Uber?)
- You are correct, you would not owe any INCOME tax based on what you have here, assuming Uber is your only income for the year
- You do, however, owe self-employment tax. Roughly $700 based on what you show here.
Please keep in mind I'm trying to give you this info as a guide based on what I see. There are other things to take into account too, but I hope this helps!


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## Dana T

painfreepc said:


> that will not work in all markets for many reasons, if i pickup around LAX, the drop off maybe a few miles east or nouth/east, i am not waiting for a ping in ingelwood or anywhere near watts.
> 
> and i have family in inglewood, sorry inglewood


Hi painfreePC. Can you please post you list of Advice for new drivers? I can't read the whole list and would love to hear what you have to say.


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## painfreepc

Dana T said:


> Hi painfreePC. Can you please post you list of Advice for new drivers? I can't read the whole list and would love to hear what you have to say.


*Link below.*


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## danahhoh

Curious. I read uberpeople once a day but usually not the taxes section.
I have been tracking mileage from the time i turn uber on till off. Ping or no ping. Driving to the airport or college to sit i counted with no fares. Is that correct legally?
I have had 1099 jobs before n my wife had sub contractors but in both cases they drove directly to a place n home.
Can we deduct random driving hopefully of a fare?


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## StarzykCPA

danahhoh said:


> Curious. I read uberpeople once a day but usually not the taxes section.
> I have been tracking mileage from the time i turn uber on till off. Ping or no ping. Driving to the airport or college to sit i counted with no fares. Is that correct legally?
> I have had 1099 jobs before n my wife had sub contractors but in both cases they drove directly to a place n home.
> Can we deduct random driving hopefully of a fare?


Yes, if you're intending to try and pick up a fare, I believe it's fine.


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## ImbesiLawPC

Our lawsuits will use mileage as a potential means to calculate damages Uber drivers' suffered - Also the Labor Commission in California used mileage as a means to calculate unemployment insurance - good idea to track


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## CowboyMC

You can reconstruct your mileage log but it must be reasonable. Picking a number out of the air will not work. Use Uber information as starting point and reconstruction your day. Say, you normally go to a certain spot in the morning to wait for you first ride. look at Uber info to find first ride of the day and calculate mileage from your wait spot to the pick-up location and so on till you reach the end of your day.


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## makinthemagic

To reconstruct your mileage during the period you didn't track I would do this:

Calculate the ratio of miles recorded by Uber to total miles driven for the day on the days you tracked mileage. Then divide the miles reported by Uber during the time you didn't track mileage by the ratio previously calculated. IRS should be good with that.


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## JaredJ

What I use. Start and end of each shift. Recommended by my CPA. You can go to an office supply store and pick one up.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GAZP9A/?tag=ubne0c-20


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## UberTaxPro

LAuberX said:


> I would never use an app to track miles or anything else the IRS needs. It will most likely not be around for the next 7 years... and you must keep tax records for 7 years.
> 
> Just avoid the future pain, start writing down app on starting mileage on PAPER now... you can buy a fancy book at Staples if you like... and app off ending mileage. Simple.
> 
> Putting it in an app, or on the cloud does not mean you will be able to put your hands on it 5-7 years from now when the IRS wants to see it.... MOST apps fail... Paper will survive.


How about using an app then print out the paper and save with your yearly tax paper work?


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