Miles of smiles

Is tracking your mileage driving you crazy? Perhaps you're scrambling to find all those little slips of paper where you jotted down that trip to make copies, that meeting at the coffee shop, the customer you had to call on, or that time you were working at another job site for a few weeks.

Next year, don't do that to yourself! It seems we all start the new year determined to keep our mileage log updated and organized but it quickly falls off our radar. If you carry your phone with you everywhere you go, we have a suggestion, because there's an app for that!

We recommend the MileIQ app. We've personally used it and love not only how easy it is to use, but also their simple to read/print reports. Our clients who use it tell us they love it, too.

This time next year, you could be sitting down to print out a simple report rather than fishing screwed up bits of paper out of the cupholder. Not only will you be happier, your favorite accountant will be happier without that illegible Coke-stained scrap sticking to all the files on his crowded desk.

The app has a free version, but it may not work for all taxpayers. The good news is that since you're using it for work, you can deduct the cost of the app, which runs $5.99/month or a full year for $59.99. Learn more about how it works (it's easy, we promise) as well as what options come with the free Limited Plan.

The folks at MileIQ put together more on why tracking mileage is important, what mileage counts, and a whole lot more. We couldn't have said it better, so we recommend you check out their post on the topic here.