|
|
|
|
| The Minding Your Own Business Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts |
| Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | Views: 2421 |
| Apr 15, 2007 1:20 am | | Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 | | I am looking to the following year with regard to my tax strategy. One thing I would like to add is a device for handling gas mileage with regard to business travel. Is there a device which you can simply hook up in your car to help take care of this need? Taking time to manually writing down all this information in a notepad is really inconvenient and time-consuming. It is also easy to be in a hurry and forget to do it. Now, I have heard there is PDA software such as QuickMile and some GPS devices that can assist in this process. Is there anything out there that the folks on this network recommend using?
Lamar Morgan
CDMM
http://www.squidoo.com/CDMM
Attract more customers! Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 |
| Apr 16, 2007 3:43 pm | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 | | Is anyone using QuickMile? If so, what do you think of it?
Lamar Morgan
CDMM
http://www.squidoo.com/CDMM
Attract more customers! Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 |
| Apr 16, 2007 8:46 pm | | re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Angelo Cerase | | Lamar,
While QuickMile (and numerous other similar programs for PDAs out there) seem great in organizing and simplifying data regarding your milage, but it does not make the task of GATHERING the info any easier.
From your first post it seems you want something where you can "set it, and forget it". I'm sure any salesperson would love that, and I'm surprised there is not some out of the box solution for GPS-enabled PDAs or smartphones. (Or perhaps there is an I don't know about it).
QuickMile won't do that for you. You will still have to manually input your data the same way you would with pen and paper.
Granted, Quickmile may be an acceptable alternative to pen and paper, and you can probably pick up almost any old used Palm for really cheap (almost any Palm can run that program). The only thing is that you'll have yet another gadget to carry arround.
With more and more Windows Mobile GPS-enabled PDA-phones coming out onto the market, you may find the solution you're looking for, if not now, perhaps in a few years. Not that I think Windows Mobile is the be-all-end-all, but it's just that the majority of business users use it compared to the Palm OS or Symbian.
AngeloPrivate Reply to Angelo Cerase |
| Apr 17, 2007 12:32 am | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Kurt Schweitzer | | Lamar,
Look into the logistics programs used by the trucking companies. I understand they are all using GPS to track their trucks and packages.
Be prepared to pay big bucks, especially if you include a scheduling algorithm.Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer |
| Apr 17, 2007 12:40 am | | re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lisa Braithwaite | | I just Mapquest all my travel after the fact. I know that's not what you're looking for, but it's a lot less complicated than trying to remember to track mileage while driving, so I thought I'd suggest it.
LB
Lisa Braithwaite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find Your Voice With Public Speaking Coaching!
* Check out my public speaking blog for tips and insights *
www.coachlisab.com * newsletter signup
Private Reply to Lisa Braithwaite |
| Apr 17, 2007 1:56 am | | re: re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Debbie Fortier-Success Leaves Clues | | Hi Guys...
What we do and is not complicated at all.
A little 99 cent pocket calendar in the visor.
Before leaving the driveway, fasten seat belts, write down miles.
That's it, we're done.
Until we leave the driveway again.
End of year, subtract dec 31 from jan 1.
Wa la.
Of course, don't be cheating when you are shopping unless of course you are handing out biz cards at the stores.
Cheers,
Debbie
Free Gift Limited Time Free shipping incl.
http://WeCare.SimpleAsABC.com/goland11 Private Reply to Debbie Fortier-Success Leaves Clues |
| Apr 17, 2007 2:42 am | | re: re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 | | Lisa,
You simply use Maqquest after-the-fact regarding business travel? I did not realize you could do that. I thought you had to keep track of the mileage on your speedometer. I did not think you could just write down that from Point A to Point B was so many miles. I thought you needed specific speedometer readings in addition to the distance traveled.
Lamar Morgan
CDMM
http://www.squidoo.com/CDMM
Attract more customers! Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 |
| Apr 17, 2007 3:22 am | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Patricia Barboza TreasuresofPassion.com | | My CPA told me that she records all of it on a mini recorder that she keeps in her car. She will talk into the recorder and then have her secretary put the mileage on a spreadsheet.
I write it down but I also mapquest it. I do not think that after the fact is a good thing. You see I was even told to keep my calender for 5 yrs with my appts and dates to back up my mileage. Mapquest gives you a print out with the date and if it is after the fact I would think that they can give you a hard time. They can say that you went and made up your mileage and your appts. She also said that the people they come after are the ones that are disorganized.
Patricia
Private Reply to Patricia Barboza TreasuresofPassion.com |
| Apr 17, 2007 3:30 am | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Chris Janssen | | My guess is there is something like this out there. I knew some "kids" that ran a mowing business that became very successful. (high school age) They used gps in conjunction with some sort of pager to create a system where when an employee got to a lawn, they simply pushed a button when the started and another when they were finished. The GPS told them whose lawn it was and the paging system kept track of how much time it took at the lawn hence how much to charge. This sort of stuff is out there, you just need to know where to look (and I don't) and be willing to pay for it.
Take care,
Chris
"Cherish your memories, look forward to the future, but LIVE today"
MLM for Serious Network Marketers Network - http://seriousmlm-network.ryze.com/
http://www.janssenecom.comPrivate Reply to Chris Janssen |
| Apr 17, 2007 3:37 am | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Chris Janssen | | Lamar-
On just a quick search, I found the following that may do what you are after...
http://www.traveleyes.com/
http://www.drivinglog.com/instructions.do;jsessionid=256DCEE7C19834B5A41C98DBA109AEF5
http://www.concretesoftware.com/product/drivinglog.shtml
Good luck,
Chris
"Cherish your memories, look forward to the future, but LIVE today"
MLM for Serious Network Marketers Network - http://seriousmlm-network.ryze.com/
http://www.janssenecom.comPrivate Reply to Chris Janssen |
| Apr 17, 2007 2:04 pm | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Fred Keller | | Hi Lamar,
Thanks for this posting - it reminded me of some nagging issues and helped solve them!
The last effective program I had, operated in DOS-only. It never got upgraded.
Quicktime looked great - 'cept I'm pda-challenged but have note-writing ability....to carry to the desk/laptop. (Keeps my aging memory sharp....er. Bonus!)
My search led me to:
http://www.reg-software.com - $17-buckeroos for a fabulous program (for me). (Auto Maintenance Plus)
Apart from keeping biz-mileage records (now much easier) I can also track gas-mileage for my side-line enterprise.
(and maint expenses/schedules, home inventory yadda-yadda-yadda)
It is great having a (non-Fred-calculated) record of mpg or L/100KM....and I can switch scales with the mouse click....anytime.
A written report that is auto-calculated builds credibility for my extra +100 KM a tankful....non? It's actually a little better than that....& I'll be able to demonstrate this as time goes by. but I digressed - Sorry.
Thanks again for the memory-jogger!
Fred
Get Free Gas for Life: http://fuel.first411.comPrivate Reply to Fred Keller |
| Apr 17, 2007 3:30 pm | | re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lisa Braithwaite | | In IRS publication 463, section 5, recordkeeping is discussed.
My mileage records (kept in Quicken) include all the data required by the IRS. According to their section on "adequate records," I'm keeping all the information that's required. Regarding documentation,
"Documentary evidence is not needed if any of the following conditions apply:
You have a transportation expense for which a receipt is not readily available."
There's also this: "If you do not have complete records to prove an element of an expense, then you must prove the element with:
Your own written or oral statement containing specific information about the element, and
Other supporting evidence that is sufficient to establish the element.
If the element is the description of a gift, or the cost, time, place, or date of an expense, the supporting evidence must be either direct evidence or documentary evidence.
Direct evidence can be written statements, or the oral testimony of your guests or other witnesses setting forth detailed information about the element. Documentary evidence can be receipts, paid bills, or similar evidence."
I'm not concerned about using Mapquest to determine mileage after the fact; all of my travel is well documented.
LB
Lisa Braithwaite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find Your Voice With Public Speaking Coaching!
* Check out my public speaking blog for tips and insights *
www.coachlisab.com * newsletter signup
Private Reply to Lisa Braithwaite |
| Apr 17, 2007 4:39 pm | | re: re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 | | Lisa,
How do you get the information onto Quicken? Is Quicken on a PDA that you have in your car? Or, do you simply record on the information on a pad in your car and then transfer it to Quicken on your desktop? I am trying to organize the steps of the process. It is so easy to end up doing things several different times when perhaps all you really need is one time.
Do you understand what I am getting at here? I want to reduce repetitive processes - like transcribing from paper to computer.
Lamar Morgan
CDMM
http://www.squidoo.com/CDMM
Attract more customers! Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 954-603-7901 |
| Apr 17, 2007 6:36 pm | | re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Lisa Braithwaite | | I don't have a great system in place, either. Basically, I go back over my calendar every few weeks, and enter travel into the Quicken mileage tracker.
I don't track it while driving. There's a link directly to Mapquest in the mileage tracker, so I click and go there to calculate each trip. I have several places I go on a regular basis, so I just copy those from existing records in Quicken.
PDA to Quicken/Quickbooks sounds like a great idea - maybe Quicken (or Intuit) offers something like that. For that matter, if you can do spreadsheets on your PDA, you could just track your trips in the car (if you do it that way), and then upload into Excel. . .
LB
Lisa Braithwaite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find Your Voice With Public Speaking Coaching!
* Check out my public speaking blog for tips and insights *
www.coachlisab.com * newsletter signup
Private Reply to Lisa Braithwaite |
| Apr 17, 2007 7:55 pm | | re: re: Device for procecssing business travel mileage for tax purposes | # |
Reg Charie | | Email or enter who, start, and end from your cell or pda.
Use Excel and build a macro to check your email (or pda, cell phone), when you get home and pull the details from the email to your spreadsheet.
Sell the macro to others wanting to do the same thing.
RegPrivate Reply to Reg Charie |
 |
|
|
