Logs & spreadsheets · CSV
Vehicle log (fuel + maintenance + miles)
Comprehensive spreadsheet tracking fuel, maintenance, and miles — basis for actual-expense method deduction.
When you elect the actual-expense method (instead of the standard per-mile rate), you need a detailed log of EVERY vehicle expense: fuel, maintenance, registration, insurance, depreciation. This template covers the 8 categories the IRS accepts as business-vehicle expense. You fill up, log it; you do an oil change, log it; you pay registration, log it. At year-end, you sum totals and apply the business-use percentage.
When to use this template
Use if you elect the actual-expense method (more advantageous for new or luxury vehicles where depreciation is high), or for managerial purposes — knowing the true cost of owning a fleet vehicle. For per-mile reimbursement, this log is optional; the daily log alone suffices.
How to use in 5 steps
- 1. Register the vehicle in the header — Plate, model, year, starting odometer. These are immutable during the year.
- 2. Log every expense — Every fill-up, every service, every wash. No exceptions. Attach the receipt at month-end.
- 3. Categorize correctly — Oil filter is "maintenance", not "fuel". Wrong categories distort analysis.
- 4. Compute business-use % — Business miles / total miles = deductible %. E.g. 12,000 business / 16,000 total = 75%.
- 5. Sum at year-end — Total expense × business-use % = deductible amount. Attach to Schedule C or expense report.
Common pitfalls
- Forgetting small expenses — Wash, air, light bulb — they add up. Log everything, even $5.
- Not separating business from personal — If mixed-use, the log needs per-trip odometer to compute business-use %.
- Mixing expenses across vehicles — One log per vehicle. Mixing invalidates the actual-expense calculation.
- Not computing depreciation — Depreciation is the largest expense for new vehicles. Use MACRS tables or straight-line.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I deduct 100%?
- Only if the vehicle is EXCLUSIVELY business-use. Most cases are mixed-use (60-80% business).
- How do I compute depreciation?
- Most common: (purchase − salvage) / useful life. Vehicles: 5 years standard, MACRS for tax.
- Do I need a receipt for everything?
- Yes — no receipt, no deduction. Use a corporate card or request receipts at every station.
- Does it work for a motorcycle?
- Yes — same structure. Adapt categories (chain, pads).
- Per-mile or actual expense?
- Compute both at year-end and use the one yielding the higher deduction. Actual usually wins for new/luxury vehicles.
For the mileage component of this log, the online calculator saves 90% of capture time — producing numbered receipts you attach to the vehicle log.