Every trip.
Sealed tamper-evident.

Why a tamper-evident mileage log matters

A mileage log is only accepted by the tax office when it's kept promptly, without gaps, and can no longer be altered afterwards. That's exactly where loose notes and spreadsheets fail: they can be changed at any time, and in a dispute it's your word against the auditor's. TaxDrive closes that gap by giving every trip a SHA-256 seal the moment you save it.

You record every trip with date, start and destination address, odometer reading and purpose, then classify it as business, private or commute. TaxDrive adds up the miles automatically, manages several vehicles with number plates, and keeps every required detail together. At year end you create a mileage-log PDF or CSV file for your accountant in a single tap.

All trips stay solely on your device. No account, no server, no cloud, no GPS tracking. TaxDrive documents your trips and prepares them for your tax return; the app is not a substitute for tax advice.

A proper mileage log: what belongs in every entry

The tax office only accepts a mileage log when it is complete. If a single trip is missing a required detail, the whole logbook can be thrown out — and then the often pricier flat 1% method applies instead. For every business trip, at minimum, the following belongs in the record:

• Date of the trip
• Odometer reading at the start and at the end of the trip
• Destination — the concrete address, not just the town
• Purpose of the trip — the reason you drove
• Business partner or client you visited
• Detours with a reason, if the route differs from the direct one

Private trips you do not have to describe in detail — here the date and the kilometres driven are enough. TaxDrive asks for exactly these fields on every trip, separates business from private, and totals the kilometres automatically. That way a gap-free logbook takes shape without you ever forgetting a detail, and at year end the split between business and private is already there rather than something you have to reconstruct from memory.

Why the tax office requires a tamper-proof logbook

Anyone who also uses a company car privately has to tax that benefit. There are two ways to do it: the flat 1% method (§ 8 Abs. 2 EStG) or the logbook method under § 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 EStG, where you prove the private share by the kilometres you actually drove. Especially when your private use is low, the logbook method is often considerably cheaper, because you are taxed on the real proportion instead of a blanket flat rate.

For the logbook to be accepted it has to be “proper”: kept promptly, closed (that is, gap-free), and internally consistent — and above all it must not be silently editable after the fact. This is exactly where loose notes and Excel sheets fall down, because they can be overwritten at any time, and in a dispute it becomes your word against the auditor’s. TaxDrive seals every entry the moment you save it, so any later change stays detectable.

Whether your logbook is accepted in your particular case, and which method works out cheaper for you, depends on your situation and is decided by the tax office. This page is not tax advice — for questions about a company car, the taxable benefit, or acceptance, a tax adviser can help you further. What the app gives you is the ordered, gap-free basis on which that decision can rest.

How to keep your logbook properly

An accepted logbook is built trip by trip, not pieced together from memory at the end of the year. Here is how to go about it:

• Record promptly: log each trip right after you take it — entries reconstructed later are often rejected by the tax office.
• Stay gap-free: short trips and private trips belong in there too, otherwise the logbook is not closed.
• Separate business and private: assign every trip clearly, so the private share is calculated cleanly.
• Keep odometer readings continuous: the start and end readings have to run on and match up across trips.
• Save tamper-proof: use the seal so any later change stays visible.

That way you do not walk into your next audit with a spreadsheet anyone could have altered, but with a gap-free, sealed logbook — the best possible basis for having the logbook method accepted. And even if no audit ever comes, at year end you know exactly which share of your trips was business, instead of having to estimate it.

More tools for work and self-employment

The mileage log is only one part of your records. If, as a freelancer, you want to track time per client and project as a freelancer, keep your working hours as a timesheet, or keep track of things you’ve lent out, you will find equally data-frugal tools for that too — offline and without an account.