Free mileage log template (PDF and spreadsheet)
Our free mileage log template has one line per trip: date, start location, destination, business purpose, odometer start and end, miles, and parking and tolls. Download the printable mileage log (PDF) or the spreadsheet version (CSV) for Excel or Google Sheets.
On this page (7 sections)
The columns match what IRS Publication 463 lists for car expenses: the date, the destination, the business purpose, and the miles of each trip, plus your total miles for the year. Keep it in the car and fill it in as you go.
Download the mileage log
- Printable PDF: 2 letter-size pages, landscape. Page 1 has room for your name, the vehicle, and the starting odometer, plus 18 trip lines. Page 2 has 12 more lines, the year-end totals, and the 2026 IRS rates. For more trips, print extra copies of page 1 (fill in the header on the first sheet only) and fill in the year-end totals on page 2 once. Or staple a stack into a mileage book for the glove box.
- Spreadsheet (CSV): the same columns with one example row. It opens in Excel, Numbers, and Google Sheets.
Both are free, with no sign-up.
What each column is for
| Column | What to write | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Date | The day you drove | The IRS asks for the date of each use. In 2026, it also decides the rate: 72.5¢ before July 1, 76¢ from July 1. |
| Start location | Where the trip began: home office, shop, last client | Shows the trip isn’t a commute from home to your regular workplace |
| Destination | Client name or address | The IRS asks for your business destination |
| Business purpose | A few words: “estimate,” “supply pickup,” “site visit” | The IRS asks why you drove |
| Odometer start and end | The readings before and after the trip | Proof of the miles; the IRS sample log has the same columns |
| Miles | End minus start, or the route distance | The amount you multiply by the rate |
| Parking and tolls | Dollars paid on the trip | Deductible on top of the standard mileage rate; keep receipts |
How to fill it in: an example week
A self-employed contractor works from a home office. Here is one week in March 2026:
| Date | Start | Destination | Purpose | Odometer start | Odometer end | Miles | Parking and tolls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar. 2 | Home office | Lumber yard, Rte. 4 | Supply pickup | 41,180 | 41,204 | 24 | — |
| Mar. 4 | Home office | Client, 120 Main St. | Kitchen remodel estimate | 41,250 | 41,269 | 19 | $4.00 |
| Mar. 4 | Client, 120 Main St. | Home office | Return | 41,269 | 41,288 | 19 | — |
| Mar. 6 | Home office | Job site, Oak Ave. | Site visit | 41,302 | 41,333 | 31 | $2.50 |
Week total: 93 business miles and $6.50 in parking and tolls. At 72.5¢ a mile (before July 1, 2026): 93 × $0.725 = $67.43, plus $6.50.
Because this contractor’s home office is the main place of business, trips from home to a job site count as business miles. For someone who drives from home to a regular office, that trip is a commute and doesn’t go in the log. The rules are in how to track mileage for taxes.
A round trip can also go on one line (Mar. 4: 38 miles), as long as there was no personal driving in between.
Year-end totals and business-use percentage
Page 2 of the PDF has a short year-end worksheet:
- Odometer on December 31 minus odometer on January 1 = total miles for the year.
- Add the page totals = business miles.
- Business miles ÷ total miles × 100 = business-use percentage. You need it for the actual expense method.
- Write down commuting miles too: Schedule C, Part IV, asks for them.
Example: 14,210 total miles and 8,526 business miles is 60% business use (8,526 ÷ 14,210 = 0.60).
For 2026, total business miles separately before July 1 and from July 1, then multiply by 72.5 cents and 76 cents. The mileage reimbursement calculator does the math, and the IRS mileage rate page lists every rate by date. What to do with the total is in the mileage deduction guide.
Using the spreadsheet version
- Excel: open the CSV file, then save it as an .xlsx workbook so your formulas stay.
- Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload, and pick the CSV file.
- Miles formula: in row 2, type
=F2-E2in the Miles column (odometer end minus start), then copy it down. - Total: under the last row, use
=SUM(G2:G500)for miles and=SUM(H2:H500)for parking and tolls. - 2026 split: sort by date, then total the rows before July 1 and from July 1 separately.
Delete the example row before you start. A spreadsheet counts as a written record, the same as paper. Fill it in at the time of each trip, not from memory at tax time.
Track service and repairs too? Use our car maintenance log. Both logs are in free car log templates.
Claiming the miles from your employer? Copy the trips onto our mileage reimbursement form. To keep gas receipts and MPG in one place, use the fuel log.
FAQ
Is this mileage log free?
Yes. The PDF and the CSV file are free to download, print, and copy, with no sign-up.
Does this mileage log meet IRS requirements?
It has a column for everything Publication 463 lists for car expenses: date, destination, business purpose, miles, and total miles for the year. The IRS doesn’t approve forms or apps, though. What makes a log hold up is filling it in at the time of each trip.
Can I keep my mileage log in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. The IRS accepts a record kept on a computer. Use our CSV file as a starting point, and back up the file.
Do I need a separate mileage log for each car?
Yes, keep one log per car. Schedule C asks for the miles of each vehicle, and with the actual expense method each car has its own business-use percentage.