Mileage Log Generator
A mileage log is the substantiation the IRS actually asks for when vehicle deductions or reimbursements get questioned: date, where you went, why, and how many miles, recorded close to when the driving happened. This generator produces exactly that log, totals the miles, and prices them at whatever rate you enter (the 2026 IRS business rate is 76 cents per mile from July 1, 72.5 cents before). Reconstructed-from-memory logs are what fail audits; a contemporaneous one settles them.
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| Date | From | To | Business purpose | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Office | Maple St rental | Tenant walkthrough | 18.4 |
| August 5, 2026 | Office | Supply house | Materials pickup | 9.2 |
| August 11, 2026 | Office | Bayview duplex | Repair estimate | 26.8 |
| Total miles | 54.4 | |||
| Reimbursement at $0.76 / mile | $41.34 | |||
IRS Standard Mileage Rates, 2026
Business and medical/moving rates both changed midyear. Use the rate in effect on the date of travel; the charitable rate is set by statute and rarely changes.
| Purpose | Rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 72.5¢ / mile | Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2026 |
| Business | 76¢ / mile | From Jul 1, 2026 |
| Medical / moving (military) | 20.5¢ / mile | Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2026 |
| Medical / moving (military) | 23.5¢ / mile | From Jul 1, 2026 |
| Charitable (volunteer) | 14¢ / mile | Statutory, unchanged |
Source: IRS (Notice 2026-10, revised by Announcement 2026-11) · checked 2026-08
What to Know About Mileage Logs
- IRS substantiation for vehicle expenses requires four things per trip: date, destination, business purpose, and miles. Odometer readings strengthen a log but are not strictly required for the standard-rate method.
- The log must be contemporaneous, kept at or near the time of travel. Logs reconstructed later are routinely disallowed in audits, and tax court cases turn on exactly this.
- Commuting between home and a regular workplace is never business mileage; trips between job sites, to client locations, and to temporary work locations are.
- The 2026 business rate is split by the midyear increase: 72.5¢ per mile for travel through June 30, 76¢ from July 1. A log spanning both periods should be priced in two segments.
- Employees can no longer deduct unreimbursed mileage on their own returns (suspended since 2018), which is why the reimbursement request this log supports is the money that would otherwise be lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the IRS require in a mileage log?
Per trip: the date, the destination, the business purpose, and the miles driven. Keep it contemporaneously (at or near the time of travel) and keep it with your tax records for at least three years. Year-start and year-end odometer readings help establish business-use percentage but are not required per trip under the standard-rate method.
What rate should I put in the rate field?
For tax-free employer reimbursement, the IRS standard rate in effect on the travel dates: 72.5 cents per mile through June 30, 2026, and 76 cents from July 1. An employer can pay less (or nothing, in most states); anything above the IRS rate becomes taxable wages.
Does commuting count?
No. Home to your regular workplace and back is commuting, never deductible or reimbursable. Driving between work sites, to client meetings, or to a temporary assignment location does count.
Can I reconstruct a log at year end?
It is the classic audit failure. The substantiation rules expect records made at or near the time of travel; courts have disallowed large vehicle deductions over reconstructed logs. Ten seconds per trip in this generator beats an afternoon of guessing in April.
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This generator produces a general-purpose document, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. How our generators are built and checked →