# How Do You Calculate Mileage?



## UberDriver2564 (Sep 27, 2015)

I'm just wondering what is considered work mileage and what is not. Do I consider every mile driven while I am online on the app or should I only be calculating while there is a passenger in my vehicle?


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## Nuhtzzzz (Sep 24, 2015)

I set my trip meter to zero when I turn on the app, and every mile I drive with the app on, whether I have a passenger or not counts. When I'm done for the day, I have a little notebook, and I note the mileage
for that day. My tax man said to have like a calendar and put the mileage down every day. On your taxes and the end of the year you get 56 cents per mile. Also any expenses are also included like business cards, etc.


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## Nuhtzzzz (Sep 24, 2015)

As long as the app is on and you're looking for/waiting for ping, the mileage counts. That's the way I understand it anyways.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

If you leave your home to work as an independent contractor and do not drive to an office, every mile counts unless you interject an errand.


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## UberDriver2564 (Sep 27, 2015)

What about gas expense. How do you determine what gas is used for personal/work use?


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

There are mileage log books for sale at Staples, Office Max, etc. You record beginning and ending odometer reading whenever you work.

Typically most drivers will use the IRS standard mileage deduction rather than itemizing your vehicle expenses. This deduction includes the cost of gas, so you cannot deduct gas on top of the standard mileage deductions.

Personally, I'm curious about my expenses so I fill up at the beginning and end of each shift so I know exactly how much fuel I used. If I didn't do that I would take the total fuel amount divided by the total miles and come up with my average cost of fuel per mile, then multiply that by my business miles.


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## PapaDug (Apr 29, 2015)

I keep a Excel spreadsheet and record my mileage from start to finish every day. I also have a separate column for Uber miles. I understand Uber will send you a mileage and earnings report for tax purposes. I started in January of this year so haven't had the whole tax experience yet. 
Anybody out there know how this works?


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

Any report you will get from either company will not have tracked dead miles. The mileage log is the best way to go


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## FlDriver (Oct 16, 2015)

I do similar to what others said- I keep a notepad and pen in the car, and when I'm about to go online, I write down the date and odometer reading. When I'm done driving, I write down the odometer reading again, and the difference between the readings is the deductible mileage for that shift. Most days I just have one shift for Uber, but if I came home and went out again the same day, I'd make another entry in the log.

I don't track personal miles at all, since they aren't deductible and that would just confuse things.

Office supply stores sell mileage logbooks for this purpose, but a plain notepad or notebook is fine. The main thing is to keep track of the mileage as you go, so you are using the correct numbers and not guessing.

I pay no attention to how many miles were with riders, between riders, or alone looking for riders, since all the miles are the same for this purpose.

I don't keep track of gas or other expenses, because you can't deduct those if you are deducting the mileage. The amount you get per mile seems high, because it's not just for gas, but maintenance, repairs, insurance, car payment, etc, basically every expense related to owning and operating the car.

A lot of drivers don't seem to realize that if you track and deduct mileage properly, you can legitimately write off a lot of the income you make from driving. For example, on a day where my pay from Uber is $100, I might have $80 in deductible miles, meaning I'm only being taxed on $20 rather than $100.


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## UberGNVPartner (Oct 20, 2015)

https://uberpeople.net/threads/mileage-and-expense-apps-do-you-use.44074/#post-593592


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## Muki (Oct 15, 2015)

I haven't been writing down the actual odometer readings. Since my car has trip computer, I just look at the mileage I drove for period of time. Like after tonight's driving I can click through and see how many mpg I got out of the gas, how many miles driven, average speed, and a few other things. If the IRS audits, are they going to ask for actual odometer readings for every day or is just giving them the mileage I drove enough?


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Muki said:


> I haven't been writing down the actual odometer readings. Since my car has trip computer, I just look at the mileage I drove for period of time. Like after tonight's driving I can click through and see how many mpg I got out of the gas, how many miles driven, average speed, and a few other things. If the IRS audits, are they going to ask for actual odometer readings for every day or is just giving them the mileage I drove enough?


Actual odometer readings.


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