Guides
A mileage log
that holds up.
Tax time is late to reconstruct a year of driving from memory. Here is what the IRS asks a car log to show, how to keep that log on an iPhone, and how MileWiz fits — including PDF and CSV export.
Based on IRS Publication 463 and related IRS mileage-rate materials. Not tax advice. Rules depend on your facts.
What the IRS wants to see
For vehicle expenses, IRS Publication 463 explains that you substantiate car use with adequate records. In plain language, each business drive should support:
- Date — the day you used the car for business
- Destination — where the business travel went
- Business purpose — why the trip was for work
- Miles — the business mileage for that use
You also need the vehicle’s total miles for the year (business, commuting and other), and the date the vehicle went into business service. Parking fees and tolls for business travel belong with the trip when you claim them.
You do not have to write every element the same afternoon, but the record should be made while you still remember. The IRS treats a weekly log that accounts for that week’s use as timely. A single annual guess is the fragile approach.
Primary references: IRS Publication 463 and the IRS standard mileage rates page. Read the IRS materials, or ask a tax professional, before you file.
Paper, spreadsheet or phone
Any format that captures the elements can work: a glovebox notebook, a spreadsheet, or an iPhone app. The hard part is consistency. Automatic tracking helps because the date and distance appear without a ritual at every departure. You still need to mark which drives were business and why.
Keeping a mileage log on an iPhone
- Pick one system and use it for the whole tax year when you can.
- Allow the tracking app the permissions it needs (for MileWiz: Location Always, Precise Location, and Motion & Fitness).
- After drives, categorize business vs personal while the stop is fresh — a weekly review is a good habit.
- Add a short business purpose (“client site visit”, “supply run”, “job estimate”) and any parking or tolls.
- Note odometer / total-mile figures your return asks for.
- Export a PDF or CSV before you wipe a phone or change apps.
How MileWiz does it
- Automatic background tracking — drives appear with time, route and distance.
- Swipe to business or personal — uncategorized trips wait for a quick decision; work hours and saved places can sort regular drives.
- Purpose and context — business purpose, client tags, parking, tolls, vehicles and odometer readings.
- Split and merge — trips may split when you stop for a while; pinch to merge nearby trips when that happens.
- Private by default — no MileWiz account; automatic backups go to your own iCloud.
- Free tier, stated plainly — 20 automatic trips each month. Unlimited tracking needs the subscription; over-limit trips are not kept unless you subscribe.
Recent updates include a modernized UI, iPhone Duo support, updated tax rates and automatic iCloud backup. Battery use is designed to be light; we do not quote a lab measurement.
Exporting PDF and CSV
When your accountant asks for a log, open Reports, set the date range, apply any filters you need (category, client tag, vehicle or place), and export:
- PDF — readable summary for email or printing
- CSV — spreadsheet-friendly detail
Review the file. Category mistakes are cheaper to fix before you send them. MileWiz helps you organize evidence; it does not certify that a trip is deductible.
Standard mileage rate reminder
If you use the optional standard mileage rate, multiply qualifying business miles by the IRS cents-per-mile figure for that period. For July 1 – December 31, 2026 the business rate is 76 cents per mile. Details and a private calculator are on the IRS standard mileage rate page.
If you are switching from another app
You can bring a trip log from MileIQ, Everlance, TripLog, Driversnote, or Stride into MileWiz. Driversnote downloads Excel; open that file and save it as CSV first. The others export CSV. Email the CSV to yourself and open the attachment in MileWiz, or save it in Files, iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive and open it with MileWiz. Keep the original file. Opening the same file again adds those trips a second time. Imported trips are not automatic trips, so they do not use the free plan’s 20-a-month allowance. When the file has addresses, MileWiz looks them up, which needs an internet connection. If one address cannot be found, that trip is skipped. If the phone is offline, a file that contains addresses is not imported. The date and the distance come across. Places come across when the file has them and Apple can find them. The original driven path is not in these files. Starting fresh mid-year is still fine when each stretch of the year has its own complete log.
Download MileWiz and start the log on your next drive. Free download · up to 20 automatic trips a month · see the App Store for current pricing in your storefront.
Log questions
What does the IRS want in a mileage log?
For car expenses, IRS Publication 463 points to records that show the date of use, business destination, business purpose and mileage for each business use, plus total miles for the year. Keep the record at or near the time of use; a weekly log can count as timely.
Is a paper log required?
No. The IRS describes logs, diaries, notebooks or other written records. A well-kept digital log can work if it captures the same elements. This is general information, not a guarantee about your audit.
How does MileWiz help?
MileWiz records trips automatically with date, route and distance, lets you swipe business vs personal, add a business purpose and client tags, and export PDF or CSV reports. On the free plan, only the first 20 automatic trips each month are kept unless you subscribe.
Can I export for my accountant?
Yes. In Reports, choose a date range and export PDF or CSV. Review the file before you send it.
Your next drive
could be a deduction.
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