# Do The Uber and Lyft Apps Now Record All Miles App is On?



## Darrell Green Fan (Feb 9, 2016)

I had heard the year end miles report are only mile on the way and throught the completion of the rides, dead miles are not recorded which is why you should track your own. But then I found this:

https://help.uber.com/partners/arti...e?nodeId=8cfb60dd-7558-4367-bb29-dd9a5acbf24f


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

Your miles are recorded as long as your app is on. I'd still recommend a mileage log for everything else they miss. My mileage log always has a higher number than what Uber and Lyft claim I drove.


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## Darrell Green Fan (Feb 9, 2016)

Pax Collector said:


> Your miles are recorded as long as your app is on. I'd still recommend a mileage log for everything else they miss. My mileage log always has a higher number than what Uber and Lyft claim I drove.


And that's my concern. If we are audited and our mileage log is higher than Uber/Lyft the IRS could argue that many of those miles can't be verified as business miles and deny many of the miles we claimed.


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

Darrell Green Fan said:


> And that's my concern. If we are audited and our mileage log is higher than Uber/Lyft the IRS could argue that many of those miles can't be verified as business miles and deny many of the miles we claimed.


Not necessarily. You're still allowed to deduct all your dead miles and miles you drive off app looking for trips. As long as you keep a detailed log you'll be fine.


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## Darrell Green Fan (Feb 9, 2016)

Pax Collector said:


> Not necessarily. You're still allowed to deduct all your dead miles and miles you drive off app looking for trips. As long as you keep a detailed log you'll be fine.


But if you are "off app" that means you are not looking for rides right? Or do you mean dead miles looking for rides? Only way to prove to the IRS that these are legit miles would be to show the app is running and you are active. So if you claim 50,000 miles but the app totals are only 30,000 I would think that would be a problem


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

Darrell Green Fan said:


> But if you are "off app" that means you are not looking for rides right? Or do you mean dead miles looking for rides? Only way to prove to the IRS that these are legit miles would be to show the app is running and you are active. So if you claim 50,000 miles but the app totals are only 30,000 I would think that would be a problem


The IRS doesn't stipulate that your app be on to deduct your miles. All the miles (Except the initial miles traveled to your first pick up), until you're back home are 100% deductible. Make sure you separate business and personal miles.


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## BigRedDriver (Nov 28, 2018)

Pax Collector said:


> The IRS doesn't stipulate that your app be on to deduct your miles. All the miles (Except the initial miles traveled to your first pick up), until you're back home are 100% deductible. Make sure you separate business and personal miles.


Disagree with first pickup. They are just as legitimate as any dead mile unless you need to drive to pick up you're car from somewhere other than your starting point(then why would you have your app on?).

App on, miles are deductible.


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

BigRedDriver said:


> Disagree with first pickup. They are just as legitimate as any dead mile unless you need to drive to pick up you're car from somewhere other than your starting point(then why would you have your app on?).
> 
> App on, miles are deductible.


The IRS considers those first miles commute miles, which aren't normally deductible.


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## BigRedDriver (Nov 28, 2018)

Pax Collector said:


> The IRS considers those first miles commute miles, which aren't normally deductible.


Not what my accountant said. Says you commute to an office or starting location (say a shop for a plumber). Our office is our home/car.


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## IR12 (Nov 11, 2017)

Darrell Green Fan said:


> I had heard the year end miles report are only mile on the way and throught the completion of the rides, dead miles are not recorded which is why you should track your own. But then I found this:
> 
> https://help.uber.com/partners/arti...e?nodeId=8cfb60dd-7558-4367-bb29-dd9a5acbf24f


Do not trust ridesharing to record accurately your mileage. That could make a huge difference at tax time. 
Have you considered a mileage tracker?


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

BigRedDriver said:


> Not what my accountant said. Says you commute to an office or starting location (say a shop for a plumber). Our office is our home/car.


And mine said quite the opposite hah but I don't think it's a big deal anyways.


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## BigRedDriver (Nov 28, 2018)

Pax Collector said:


> And mine said quite the opposite hah but I don't think it's a big deal anyways.


Me neither, pennies a day.


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## islanddriver (Apr 6, 2018)

What I do every day is drive two miles from my house then start app this takes care of the commuter mile if questioned by it's.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I start the apps at home and leave it on until I return home and my car is used for business only. So all my miles are business miles boo


However, while Uber and lyft report the miles when their app is on; the uber app is off when I’m on a lift ride and the lyft app is off when I’m on an Uber trip

So both Uber and lyft report miles less than I actually drove and the total is more than I actually drove... so keep a log


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

oldfart said:


> I start the apps at home and leave it on until I return home and my car is used for business only. So all my miles are business miles boo
> 
> However, while Uber and lyft report the miles when their app is on; the uber app is off when I'm on a lift ride and the lyft app is off when I'm on an Uber trip
> 
> So both Uber and lyft report miles less than I actually drove and the total is more than I actually drove... so keep a log


Exactly.

Plus I have a home office where I compile, log and store my expense receipts plus transfer my written logs into excel. All the time having the app on waiting for a possible ping.

Part of rideshare is learning areas you are going to drive in so you can do a better job. So in theory even if you had the app off and was driving around learning a new area and looking for keys spots to stage this would be considered business miles and be deductible.

Did you know driving to the repair shop, tire shop, oil change place, to the store to get supplies, to your accountants office, etc, etc can also be partially deducted if properly logged. If you use your car 75% rideshare and 25% personal, 75% of the cost of those miles can be deducted. In the case of getting supplies, if you were only getting rideshare supplies all those miles can be deducted.


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## Darrell Green Fan (Feb 9, 2016)

islanddriver said:


> What I do every day is drive two miles from my house then start app this takes care of the commuter mile if questioned by it's.


Exactly what I've started doing.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

If you drive for both Uber and Lyft with both apps on at the same time you will need a log because of the overlap between the two companies. Otherwise if you add the sum of the two apps miles, it would add up to more miles than your odometer says you drove. No bueno.

Lyft used to give a detailed breakdown of the miles... miles on trip, versus miles not on trip. So I used to just add my total Uber online miles (since I turned Uber off to do Lyft rides) to my Lyft on trip miles to get my total. Now Lyft does not give a breakdown and will not provide it even if asked.


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## Unleaded (Feb 16, 2018)

Darrell Green Fan said:


> And that's my concern. If we are audited and our mileage log is higher than Uber/Lyft the IRS could argue that many of those miles can't be verified as business miles and deny many of the miles we claimed.





Darrell Green Fan said:


> And that's my concern. If we are audited and our mileage log is higher than Uber/Lyft the IRS could argue that many of those miles can't be verified as business miles and deny many of the miles we claimed.


It would appear that the IRS IS auditing Uber and Lyft drivers for their 2017 and 2018 tax years. They are questioning entries that are required needs to do the job, such as emergency roadside service, insurance, mileage, car wash, insurance, internet, and cell phone service, especially the use of unlimited talk, text and data, all of which are needed. As far as mileage, Uber and Lyft report pickup to drop off mileage, but not the mileage normally called "dead miles" between trips. These miles should be included, as drivers are driving to the hot spot pickup points, which should be countable miles, but drivers and tax professionals will have to figure out how to factor it in and the IRS needs to accept it as driving cost Ms if doing business.


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## islanddriver (Apr 6, 2018)

Unleaded said:


> It would appear that the IRS IS auditing Uber and Lyft drivers for their 2017 and 2018 tax years. They are questioning entries that are required needs to do the job, such as emergency roadside service, insurance, mileage, car wash, insurance, internet, and cell phone service, especially the use of unlimited talk, text and data, all of which are needed. As far as mileage, Uber and Lyft report pickup to drop off mileage, but not the mileage normally called "dead miles" between trips. These miles should be included, as drivers are driving to the hot spot pickup points, which should be countable miles, but drivers and tax professionals will have to figure out how to factor it in and the IRS needs to accept it as driving cost Ms if doing business.


Rideshare has been around long enough for the IRS to be able to get average percentages for all our deductions. so went your percentages fall outside the normal range it triggers the computer to pull your return, the IRS has this for every business. also when you look at some of the things you mentioned these are also used for personal, not just for business, also a trigger. So if you don't try to claim amounts that are not business or overblown amounts you have nothing to worry about.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

islanddriver said:


> Rideshare has been around long enough for the IRS to be able to get average percentages for all our deductions. so went your percentages fall outside the normal range it triggers the computer to pull your return, the IRS has this for every business. also when you look at some of the things you mentioned these are also used for personal, not just for business, also a trigger. So if you don't try to claim amounts that are not business or overblown amounts you have nothing to worry about.


Its also possible that the irs is still developing those averages and ranges. So there will be some audits that are not much more than fact finding. I remember when I first started working from home. Conventional advice regarding a home office deduction was "Dont do it. It will trigger an audit" Now they have a simple formula for us to use


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