Technology integration company Vulocity has announced a new tool for tracking mileage for business purposes. Known as the Mileage Logger, the fully automated system tracks driving mileage on all trips and doesn’t require installation of software or downloaded items.

 

The Mileage Logger transmits mileage data to the corporate Web site where users log in; add notes if required, and retrieve trip logs. Interactive mapping is used to help users define mileage usage for business, commuting, personal use, medical use, or charity. The GPS-based mileage tracker also enables users to edit and print reports from the Web site as an accurate invoice for tax deductions for business mileage.

 

Brandon Lansford, a long time real estate appraiser with an approximate annual mileage of 25,000–30,000 miles stated, “I’ve always used the old pen and paper method to track my mileage. On every job, I’d have to go back and look at the odometer mileage of what I drove. The trouble is when you get in a hurry; you forget to set the odometer mileage tracker back to zero. And human nature being forgetful, I wouldn’t record the mileage for every single trip. I’d estimate it if I could, or just have to let it go.” Situations like that reported by Lansford can lead to lost tax deductions and an unnecessarily high tax bill.

 

Indisputable documentation is critical for itemized tax deductions. A lack of credible evidence can lead to one’s tax return being “red-flagged,” which then leads to a possible audit. If the audit uncovers doubts regarding the supporting documentation, taxpayers end up paying high taxes, interest, and penalties that may not have been necessary.

 

Mileage for business purposes is the most common form of tax deduction being claimed, and it is often tedious to accurately track due to the difficulty involved in maintaining a traditional mileage log book based on human memory.

 

An Austin, Texas, real estate agent who no longer needs to estimate mileage as a result of the automated system said, “The Mileage Logger goes on automatically when I start driving. At the end of the month, I go online and simply delete those trips that weren’t business-related. The reports are probably the biggest advantage of the product.”

 

Mileage Logger may also prove useful to salespeople, real estate agents, real estate appraisers, financial planners, home health aides, and those who claim mileage tax deductions, by improving tax and businesses records and partly easing the pressure of soaring gas prices.