# Can anyone give me an excel sheet/layout they use to keep track of expenses?



## kay_ (Nov 20, 2016)

Maybe this is cheating, but I'm a total noob when it comes to taxes (25/f) and taxes honestly bore me. Other jobs I've had like working at Starbucks, I just input my tax information they give me and it's as easy as that.

All the things that I can deduct is starting to give me a headache. I still don't quite understand the whole miles thing also. Right now I have an app that logs my mileage, but sometimes it doesn't really log it correctly, will stop logging, or not log at all, etc. It's getting pretty frustrating. Any tips on that?


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## Driving DC Metro (Dec 2, 2016)

LOL I live and die in excel - and I tend to obsess over my expenses / intake and always trying to find the high-profit areas. Your question has to do with withholding and there are a ton of good reports on your Uber Driver profile that track everything you need to keep track of for your taxes. At year end Uber will give you a 1099K form and I personally claim mileage rather than trying to track how much I spent on water and gum. The mileage rates are probably the way you should start out. One item I would make sure you are doing is setting aside your federal tax dollars and planning to make a quarterly estimated tax payment - you have to do this to avoid fines as a rule.

In terms of excel - happy to help but every file is a totally custom experience tailored to do what you need it to do, my file would be useless to you because it has my lifeprint on it, you need a custom page for what you want out of it. I would start by sharing some screen shots of what you already are doing, no matter how bad it looks it tells a lot about the way you want to track things...


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

kay_ said:


> Maybe this is cheating, but I'm a total noob when it comes to taxes (25/f) and taxes honestly bore me. Other jobs I've had like working at Starbucks, I just input my tax information they give me and it's as easy as that.
> 
> All the things that I can deduct is starting to give me a headache. I still don't quite understand the whole miles thing also. Right now I have an app that logs my mileage, but sometimes it doesn't really log it correctly, will stop logging, or not log at all, etc. It's getting pretty frustrating. Any tips on that?


I've been doing this a lot longer than uber has existed as a cab driver, a few years of it completely independent, I have survived audits, so please let me explain how this works.

Do an exxel spred sheet with this for your log. Keep a journal and write it down before transferring to the spreadsheet.

Date/start time Odometer start odometer Stop date/stop time Miles driven Tolls

This is all you need.... Then total Miles driven and tolls for the calendar year.

This combined with the information that uber will give you is literately all you need to deduct your expenses. You don't need gas receipts... this is literally it.

Your total deductions will be your miles driven times .54, the entire toll amount, and all your fees that you pay to uber.

50,000 miles a year will come to $27,000 in deductions.

Which is honestly fair unless your driving an Escalade or something really high end.


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

Driving DC Metro said:


> LOL I live and die in excel - and I tend to obsess over my expenses / intake and always trying to find the high-profit areas. Your question has to do with withholding and there are a ton of good reports on your Uber Driver profile that track everything you need to keep track of for your taxes. At year end Uber will give you a 1099K form and I personally claim mileage rather than trying to track how much I spent on water and gum. The mileage rates are probably the way you should start out. One item I would make sure you are doing is setting aside your federal tax dollars and planning to make a quarterly estimated tax payment - you have to do this to avoid fines as a rule.
> 
> In terms of excel - happy to help but every file is a totally custom experience tailored to do what you need it to do, my file would be useless to you because it has my lifeprint on it, you need a custom page for what you want out of it. I would start by sharing some screen shots of what you already are doing, no matter how bad it looks it tells a lot about the way you want to track things...


The Uber reports came up 37% short of my miles as I tracked myself.


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## Driving DC Metro (Dec 2, 2016)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> The Uber reports came up 37% short of my miles as I tracked myself.


Is the error related to the idea that Uber only captures the miles on the ride? Uber does not capture miles to the client and those miles are deductible if you are keeping contemporaneous logs.


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## jincuteguy (Dec 14, 2016)

So do you actually need to track gas receipts ? or the Mileage track alone is enough for Taxes?
And when you track for Mileage, do you guys track "dead miles" as well as when "having a passenger"?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> So do you actually need to track gas receipts ? or the Mileage track alone is enough for Taxes?
> And when you track for Mileage, do you guys track "dead miles" as well as when "having a passenger"?


All your questions have been answered in previous posts in this tax forum. I'd suggest you read previous posts looking for your answers first then come back and ask anything you might need clarification on. Here are summary answers for your questions: As a rule it is a good idea to save all receipts. Also, you need a mileage log whether you use actual expense method or use the mileage deduction. Mileage should be tracked for all "business miles".


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## jincuteguy (Dec 14, 2016)

But how do you know when it's "business miles" and when it's not?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> But how do you know when it's "business miles" and when it's not?


Good question! It's a grey area. Honesty is the best policy. You know if you're working or not. One thing for sure...if you don't have records, it's not considered business miles. Keep reading, there is a lot of discussion on previous posts about dead miles etc...


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## jincuteguy (Dec 14, 2016)

So basically when I'm driving for Uber, I have to take out a pen and paper and record down the miles + ODO after every trip? isn't that a hassle? 
What if you have trip after trip requests contantly? how do you have time to write down the Miles + ODO?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> So basically when I'm driving for Uber, I have to take out a pen and paper and record down the miles + ODO after every trip? isn't that a hassle?
> What if you have trip after trip requests contantly? how do you have time to write down the Miles + ODO?


Odometer reading at beginning of shift and odometer reading at end of shift is the way taxis have been doing it for years. Uber keeps a record of your trip by trip time and miles for you that you could use to support your mileage log if needed. Just be sure to deduct out any personal miles during the shift that you might have done...like picking up your kids at school or running a few errands etc.. Also, be sure to download any records that Uber keeps that you might need in case you get locked out of your account someday by Uber.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> So basically when I'm driving for Uber, I have to take out a pen and paper and record down the miles + ODO after every trip? isn't that a hassle?
> What if you have trip after trip requests contantly? how do you have time to write down the Miles + ODO?


You know, this is getting a bit tiresome. I posted earlier (in your thread about working the last couple of weeks of the year) about how to record odometer readings at the start and end of each shift. You thanked me for all the info I had provided. But then scarcely ten minutes later here you are, asking about recording individual trips.
I second UberTaxPro's suggestion that you read for yourself, not only in the "taxes" forum, but others like "advice" to learn as much as you can from the discussions.
I'm forced to wonder if you have even signed up and been accepted to drive for Uber.


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## jincuteguy (Dec 14, 2016)

I already signed up and been approved to drive for Uber. There's just too much information to learn in a short amount of time. So asking is the fastest.

Also, can the Mileage Log be type on the computer ? or it has to be written by hands on paper? just want to make sure, i'm a noob obviously.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> I already signed up and been approved to drive for Uber. There's just too much information to learn in a short amount of time. So asking is the fastest.
> 
> Also, can the Mileage Log be type on the computer ? or it has to be written by hands on paper? just want to make sure, i'm a noob obviously.


Will you have the computer with you in your car? If you have to write it down anyway, why not just do it once? Keep a log in the car. Could a computer crash and destroy your log? The IRS require a "contemporaneous" log. I have complied with this requirement for fourteen years by using successive DayPlanners. Never been audited, but I am prepared.

On these boards there have been discussions about tracking apps and programs. I can't tell you whether they work or will satisfy the IRS.


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## jincuteguy (Dec 14, 2016)

No, what I mean is I will write the logs on paper in the car, but when the shift is over, I will type the log for that day on my computer, and print them out?
I will have a back up Hard drive for the logs so if my computer crashed or broken, the logs are still on the hard drive. I will have 2 hard drives, or maybe 3 for back ups.

Would printing out a log be ok for the IRS?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

jincuteguy said:


> No, what I mean is I will write the logs on paper in the car, but when the shift is over, I will type the log for that day on my computer, and print them out?
> I will have a back up Hard drive for the logs so if my computer crashed or broken, the logs are still on the hard drive. I will have 2 hard drives, or maybe 3 for back ups.
> 
> Would printing out a log be ok for the IRS?


You can store records electronically but you must be able to print them out if requested. Handwritten logs are still the best because there is no doubt that they were kept contemporaneously.


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## El Gato (Mar 5, 2016)

So much on every thread about paper logs. It's 2016 guys! lest you forget every one of up owns a smartphone (need it for the app, duh). not sure about other devices, but iPhone has a notes app. I jot down my odometer start there, and then the final at the end of my "shift" then the date. when I get home I enter these I only an excel sheet that gives me a running total of how many miles I drove that particular day. the notes app on iOS is also automatically backed up on iCloud in the event my phone bites the big one (another redundant back up being ask mentioned I enter in my excel spreadsheet at home).


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

El Gato said:


> So much on every thread about paper logs. It's 2016 guys! lest you forget every one of up owns a smartphone (need it for the app, duh). not sure about other devices, but iPhone has a notes app. I jot down my odometer start there, and then the final at the end of my "shift" then the date. when I get home I enter these I only an excel sheet that gives me a running total of how many miles I drove that particular day. the notes app on iOS is also automatically backed up on iCloud in the event my phone bites the big one (another redundant back up being ask mentioned I enter in my excel spreadsheet at home).


Yes it is 2016 but the reason we keep these logs is in case the IRS ever needs to see them. Electronic Records that can be printed out are acceptable, however written logs provide stronger evidence that the logs were kept contemporaneously if you're challenged in that area. If you're keeping records for yourself by all means use your phone, cloud or whatever. Mileage logs are for the IRS and the IRS even in 2016 prefers paper. For example if a taxpayer presented a printed out log at audit time the auditor might be more inclined to pursue whether or not the log was kept contemporaneously. If the same taxpayer came in with a pen and paper log he might not even pursue the contemporaneous issue. It's better to keep all the advantages on your side and right now pen and paper is actually an advantage if you're audited.


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## El Gato (Mar 5, 2016)

Ok then. Simple solution. In the event of an audit, go to your electronic backup and then jot them all down on to paper. IRS has no idea that you did it all in a 1 hr sit down session vs you did it throughout the year. It's still the same information, and only needing to be done in case of an audit and it's not illegal or even close to being unethical if your information is accurate and not being fudged.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

El Gato said:


> Ok then. Simple solution. In the event of an audit, go to your electronic backup and then jot them all down on to paper. IRS has no idea that you did it all in a 1 hr sit down session vs you did it throughout the year. It's still the same information, and only needing to be done in case of an audit and it's not illegal or even close to being unethical if your information is accurate and not being fudged.


 It could be disallowed under the *contemporaneous *requirement. A *contemporaneously* kept electronic log would be better than what you suggested. It's not the handwriting itself that's important, it's that handwritten logs are easier to prove they were kept contemporaneously. When you keep a log over the course of a year it's obvious that it wasn't made up a few days ago. The pages will be weathered, you'll use a variety of pens and pencils over the course of a year and most importantly the numbers will be correct and match up with other mileage records kept at motor vehicles depts, repair shops, tire shops, loan docs etc...


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## El Gato (Mar 5, 2016)

Ahhh. Good point.
Still I think I'll stick with my electronic version. I don't fudge numbers so I feel comfortable to back myself up in the event that I need to. The only other way I could think of to show *contemporaneous *record keeping sold be showing the date when the data file was created. It would also just be difficult for someone to argue that over 100 odometer entry readings were created in a single day. Also, the mileage per day is pretty consistent with a short or over reading popping is head up every now and then. So it is easy to see a pattern and make the argument that this wasn't likely made up in a day.


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## El Gato (Mar 5, 2016)

Hey you guys that seem to have some good knowledge about taxes help me, provide some advice on another mileage question separate from rideshare:

My primary job is teaching in the public school system for a middle school in Texas. Specifically, I'm a band director. I have a 187 day contract like every teacher in the district and also receive a moderate stipend for the extra rehearsal time required for my discipline. These days and stipend does not cover extra events that we are expected to attend as part of our job. Ie) Saturday contests, football games, trips. If I drive down to my school on that Saturday, which is outside of my 187 contacted days, that mileage to and from the school should be deductible as a non reimbursed employee expense? This would also apply to a Thursday night football game that I used my car to drive from the school to the game location as I used my vehicle to transport equipment. Thoughts?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

El Gato said:


> Hey you guys that seem to have some good knowledge about taxes help me, provide some advice on another mileage question separate from rideshare:
> 
> My primary job is teaching in the public school system for a middle school in Texas. Specifically, I'm a band director. I have a 187 day contract like every teacher in the district and also receive a moderate stipend for the extra rehearsal time required for my discipline. These days and stipend does not cover extra events that we are expected to attend as part of our job. Ie) Saturday contests, football games, trips. If I drive down to my school on that Saturday, which is outside of my 187 contacted days, that mileage to and from the school should be deductible as a non reimbursed employee expense? This would also apply to a Thursday night football game that I used my car to drive from the school to the game location as I used my vehicle to transport equipment. Thoughts?


You can deduct non reimbursed miles driven as an employee. Not commuter miles of course. The trip from the school to the football game would be deductible. The problem with deducting employee miles is that if you don't itemize, they're included in the standard deduction and therefore worthless to you. And, if you do itemize they're subject to the 2% of AGI limitation leaving you with a partial deduction. You might want to check out a charitable deduction for some of the miles you mentioned like the ones outside of your contract days.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Driving DC Metro said:


> I personally claim mileage rather than trying to track how much I spent on water and gum.


I have no problem tracking how much I spend on water and gum.


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## El Gato (Mar 5, 2016)

UberTaxPro said:


> You can deduct non reimbursed miles driven as an employee. Not commuter miles of course. The trip from the school to the football game would be deductible. The problem with deducting employee miles is that if you don't itemize, they're included in the standard deduction and therefore worthless to you. And, if you do itemize they're subject to the 2% of AGI limitation leaving you with a partial deduction. You might want to check out a charitable deduction for some of the miles you mentioned like the ones outside of your contract days.


Thanks. I do itemize (with home taxes, student loans, & charitable deductions I'm better off than the standard deduction). Yeah Im trying out get every angle and every deduction possible even with the business deductions for Uber, Fare, Fasten, & GetMe. Right now my tax worksheet has me paying a minimal tax for my ride share stuff so I'd like to offset that in the rest of my tax worksheet (ie the itemized deductions)


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