How to record mileage

I want to record mileage so I can claim it on my taxes

Keep a log. Both the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) require that you keep a log to track any mileage incurred for your business. Keeping an accurate, up-to-date logbook, either on paper or digitally, is the best way to support your vehicle expense claims.

For each business trip where you use your vehicle, you must track the following. Estimates are not allowed, so make sure your log is exact, accurate, and complete.

• Date(s) of your trip
• Starting point
• Destination
• Purpose of your trip
• Total number of kilometres (CAN) or miles (USA) driven

The CRA requires that you record your odometer reading at the start and end of each fiscal period, while the IRS requires that you record your odometer reading at the start and end of each business trip (alternatively, you may use a distance tracking app — so long as you are tracking each business mile for which you're claiming a deduction).

Remember that unless your vehicle was purchased exclusively for business use and is never driven for personal trips, claiming 100% of your mileage as a business expense will raise big red flags that could lead to an audit. The CRA and the IRS know that most small business owners use their vehicle for both business and personal purposes, and they expect your claim to match this reality.

Rules for claiming mileage may vary by jurisdiction and according to your business type. This is also an area where rules change frequently. Make sure that you are aware of the rules that apply to your situation. You may want to consider inviting your accountant into your Wave account during tax time to help ensure you’re getting the largest tax deduction possible!

For every mile or kilometre that you drive, you’re eligible for a specific deduction rate. This rate changes regularly, so double check the current rates using the links below, or ask your accountant for updated information.

To illustrate, let's say you drove your vehicle 3,000 kilometres for your business this year, and the rate is $0.55 per km for the first 5,000 kms driven that year. You’re eligible for a deduction of $1,650 for the year. That's 3,000 x 0.55, for those of you playing along at home.

You can see the current CRA mileage rates here and the IRS rates here.

There are two different ways to track this. Whichever way you choose, remember to be consistent and track your mileage as it happens – keeping an accurate, up-to-date log is the best way to stay compliant!

Option 1: I want to log mileage outside of Wave, on paper or electronically.

If you are logging your mileage outside Wave, then all you need to post in Wave is simply a record of the expense. The simplest way to do this is with a Journal Transaction (click here for a quick how-to on that). First, make sure you’ve created an operating expense account for this purpose – call it Mileage Expenses, or something else that will make it easy to identify.

Using the example above, you’d debit Mileage Expenses by $1,650, and credit your Owner Investment / Drawings account the same amount (or Shareholder Loan, if your business is incorporated).

In the example above, you’re entering your expense deduction in Wave for an entire year in one fell swoop, but you could enter it monthly, quarterly, or on whatever schedule works for you. Just make sure you’re maintaining the log you keep outside of Wave up to date, as well! You’ll definitely need it in order to claim the deduction you’re tracking in Wave.

Option 2: I want to do it all in Wave – the tracking and the accounting.

Wave doesn’t have a specific way to record business mileage, but you can get creative using Bills. Here’s how.

Create a vendor called "Business Mileage," or something else you can easily identify. You'll be using this exclusively to log your mileage in Wave so make extra sure you don't call it anything you might confuse with some other vehicle expense!

Add a product called “mileage” and select “buy this.” Add an expense account called “mileage expense” where the expense will be recorded.

Now every time you incur mileage for your business, you'll create a bill to that vendor. Enter the details of the trip (everything you're required to enter, as listed above) and the total number of miles or kilometres, and click Save.

You can see here that all the details of the trip have been entered in the Notes and Description fields. The "item" being billed is Mileage, and the total miles, in this case, 26, is entered under Quantity.

Be sure to mark the bill as paid from your Owner Investment / Drawings, Partner Loan, or Shareholder loan account by heading to Purchases > Bills > Record a Payment.

Now, you can see a log of every trip you've taken for business by going into Bills and sorting to view "Business Mileage" as the vendor. 

You can also track mileage under Reports using the Purchases by Vendor report to sort by date and see the total balance – this way when it's time to do your taxes, you'll see the deduction you can claim already calculated for you!

I want to record mileage so I pass the cost on to my client

Log your mileage outside of Wave as previously discussed, and then record it as a line item on your invoice, using the rate you and your client agreed upon. In order to add the mileage line item to the invoice, create a new product called “mileage.” Select “sell this” and add an income account called “reimbursed mileage” to record the amounts you invoice to your customers. For example, if you’ve agreed your client will pay for the mileage to drive to and from their location, at a rate of $0.55, you would create a product called “Mileage,” priced at $0.55, and enter it as a line item on the invoice. If you drove 50 miles, you’d enter a quantity of 50.

I want to track my employees’ mileage so I can reimburse them

To reimburse your employees using Wave Payroll, click Payroll > Employees, and then the pen icon to edit the employee you’d like to reimburse. Select Benefits & Deductions from the left-hand menu, then click Add to Pay. Select “Expense Reimbursement” from the dropdown, and enter a description label (this label will appear on the stub your employee receives).

The rate at which you must reimburse your employees for mileage varies based on jurisdiction. Check with your tax professional!

Enter the total amount and whether the reimbursement is recurring. Mileage reimbursements would generally not be recurring, as the amount to be reimbursed will change from paycheque to paycheque. Click Save. The reimbursement will occur the next time your run payroll!