Time to take a photo of your odometer...(tax time)

It's Jan 1 -- a photo of your odometer documents your actual mileage (total) for the year, and can be part of your documentation for mileage deductions....

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I've been doing this for years and it makes it so much easier when I'm calculating the total mileage driven for the year.

I did this today. I forgot before I left home and I did three errands before I remembered but still it's a record of what my mileage was today.

My odometer quit working 3 years ago. They have to take my word for it.

LOL. Been there, done that.

I just record it in the little book I keep in my car. It's considered a "contemporary" record, so no photo required. But I think it's a great idea!

Great and timely reminder, thank you!

Your car passes inspection?

@French Farmer wrote:

My odometer quit working 3 years ago. They have to take my word for it.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Inspection? LOL! In Nebraska (or at least in my little town), "inspection" consists of the Sheriff's office verifying the VIN on the car matches the VIN on your paperwork.

I LOVE Nebraska!

(My odometer quit working about 6 months ago, too.)

The idea of a car inspection varies greatly from state to state. When I first moved to NC the inspection in my county consisted of checking that you had:

1. A windshield (it could be cracked, but you had to have one)
2. Working headlights (not tail lights, or any other lights)
3. A tailpipe coming out of the back of the car (it did not need to be hooked up, and there were no smog tests).

All of this was in the late 1990s, it has changed a ton since then, but that is not that long ago.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC

When my daughter moved from Nebraska (laid back) to Salt Lake City (uptight), she had to have her car inspected. It cost over $1500 for her to make her car meet SLC requirements!

Thanks, Now I have to go do both cars in the subfreezing weather. Have to get around to getting dressed.

I didn't leave the house yesterday, but on the way to my first shop today I wrote the starting mileage in my notebook, then transferred it to my 2019 spreadsheet when I got home.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Your car passes inspection?

@French Farmer wrote:

My odometer quit working 3 years ago. They have to take my word for it.

Sure! (my personal inspection).
We have no inspection here anyway.

I am curious ..how does this help..Even If i note starting odometer at the beginning of year..we use the car for non mystery shopping purchases as well whole year..so how does that help..Am i missing something ?

When you complete your income tax, some of the car expenses are prorated by the percentage of miles you drive as a contractor. To calculate that you need to know the total miles driven each year, as well as the total miles you drive when doing mystery shops.

@komalagarwal695 wrote:

I am curious ..how does this help..Even If i note starting odometer at the beginning of year..we use the car for non mystery shopping purchases as well whole year..so how does that help..Am i missing something ?

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I agree we need to know total miles we drove for mystery shopping.. No doubt in that.

I am just curious how taking odomoeter value in the beginning and end of year helps in that because we use our cars for lot of other errands throughout the year...

The IRS requires the total mileage, the mileage used for commuting, personal and the mileage used for the business as part of the calculations. Those numbers are all input onto your schedule C

Exactly. Beginning miles, XXXXX, Jan. 1, 20XX. Ending miles, Dec. 31, same year.
% business use, % personal.

And because I use my car to commute to my regular job, I have to make that calculation as well. (they want to make sure I'm not deducting mileage to/from a job that pays wages and generates a W2). That mileage is not deductible, but our independent contractor mileage is.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Exactly. Beginning miles, XXXXX, Jan. 1, 20XX. Ending miles, Dec. 31, same year.
% business use, % personal.

Thanks. I wasn't aware of that. Any suggestion to some body who did not keep track of miles in the beginning of year and can still show driven miles as expense ?

Sure. Just have records to back up your deduction. Don't take any mileage deductions you can't back up. I prefer paper records (they total one box a year, and are very basic -- the first page of whatever paperwork was required -- which normally shows where and when I went -- plus business card/receipts, etc., just stapled to it), but electronic works, too.

Also, be aware that if you had an oil change or other maintenance work done during the year, the paperwork for that probably has your car's mileage recorded on it, too.

That paperwork goes in my box, too -- not because it's deductible (it's not; I use the cents-per-miles-driven method), but because it's an outside source of proof of mileage.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2019 07:04PM by ceasesmith.

We no longer have odometer information. We get a close figure for our mileage because we verify miles with other vehicles when not on the job, consult existing records for repeated locations, and use the address-to-address calculators. For some locations, we can check the calculator info against previously obtained odometer information. So far, this information matches. It would be sensible to let one of the businesses buy a car that has a functioning odometer or to pay big bucks to have that fixed. Not paying the big bucks. Buying a vehicle must wait for a few months, at least.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

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Time to take a photo of your odometer...(tax time)

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