QuickBooks Tip: Simplify Mileage Tracking with QuickBooks Self-Employed App

In today’s business world, millions of individuals travel for work. From client meetings to out-of-office consultations, many entrepreneurs are constantly on the road. Keeping track of business miles can be a challenging task. Thankfully, with the QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app, the days of writing down every business mile driven for every client can be a thing of the past.

How? The QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app features advanced mileage tracking capabilities, helping self-employed individuals who are always on the go better manage their business and finances.

Mileage tracking 101

The IRS allows business owners to deduct actual automobile expenses incurred for business (such as gas, repairs, lease payments, etc.) OR a standard mileage reimbursement rate for every business mile driven. For the 2018 tax year, the standard mileage rate is 54.5 cents per mile. This means if a person drove 12,000 business miles in 2018 (excluding a daily commute to the office which does not qualify as a business expense), their tax deduction would be $6,540. Keeping the contemporaneous mileage log needed to substantiate this deduction is a notoriously time-consuming, detailed task, but not tracking these miles can sacrifice valuable deductions.

Tracking miles with the QuickBooks Self-Employed Mobile App

To make life easier, the QuickBooks Self-Employed app automatically tracks your mileage via your cell phone and integrates directly into QuickBooks without draining your battery which is a major issue with many commonly used GPS mileage tracking apps.

The QuickBooks app automatically determines your trip’s start and stop location, logging both the time spent in transit and the amount of time you spend at the meeting itself. Users can swipe left or right to categorize a meeting as “business” or “personal,” while the app does the rest to log the mileage accordingly.

More about QuickBooks Self-Employed

If you work for yourself, QuickBooks Self-Employed and the QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app can help keep you organized throughout the year and be prepared for tax time. In addition to these mileage logging features, the app allow you to import expenses directly into your books from a bank account or create and send invoices on the go. You can also invite your accountant to sign in as needed and help manage more complex accounting needs.

Interested in learning more? Visit the QuickBooks Self-Employed page to view video demos, pricing packages and available discounts. You can also reach out to me or another member of Kaufman Rossin’s QuickBooks consulting services practice.