Reconstructing and managing your mileage log for taxes or reimbursement.

For tax deductions, employer or client reimbursement, and mileage reporting.

Missed recording some trips? Need to build a complete mileage log — whether for your tax return or to get reimbursed by your employer or client? Speedometer 55 provides powerful tools to reconstruct past records — especially recurring weekday drives — and strong automatic tracking to prevent future gaps.

Important disclaimer: While the app is an excellent tool, no app alone guarantees acceptance by a tax authority or an employer. Reconstructed logs require strong supporting evidence and review against the rules that apply to you — your tax authority’s substantiation requirements, or your organization’s reimbursement policy. When in doubt, consult a CPA or tax advisor, or check with your finance/payroll department before submitting.

1. Reconstruct missing logs with the Mileage Calculator

Use the Mileage Calculator to quickly recreate accurate entries for drives you completed but didn’t log in real time.

Best for

• Daily commutes and recurring business routes
• Filling gaps from previous weeks or months

Step-by-step: reconstructing recurring drives

1. Open Menu → Mileage Calculator.
2. Enter your regular start and end addresses. If your drive isn’t point-to-point, add intermediate stops — the calculator now supports multi-stop routes, so the distance, duration, and cost/fuel estimate cover every leg of the trip.
3. Review the calculated distance, duration, and route.
4. For recurring working days:
   • Set Category → Business (or Personal, Medical, Charity, Other as appropriate).
   • Select Weekdays (Mon–Fri or custom days).
   • Set Departure time boundaries — the app spreads departures across the chosen window. Optionally set Return time boundaries: if set, both outbound and return tracks are generated for each day; if not, only one-way tracks are created.
   • Add a clear Note (e.g., “Client meetings at Office – recurring commute”).
   • Choose the Date range (start and end dates, inclusive) for the missing period.
   • Tap Generate! to batch-create all tracks.

Each batch generation creates its own trip (a trip is a folder for tracks). You can later edit individual tracks, adjust details, or delete the whole batch trip if needed (Menu → Trips, swipe right-to-left on the trip, then Delete).

Note: Generating a batch of tracks is part of the Unlimited automatic mileage upgrade.

Pro tip: After generating, add a note on the folder or first trip: “Reconstructed on [Date] based on work calendar + mapping data.”

2. Enable automatic tracking for the future

Prevent missing records going forward with Automatic Tracking.

• The app detects driving starts and stops automatically.
• Works in the background (no need to keep the app open).
• Optional iBeacon support for precise, low-battery triggering (place a small beacon in your vehicle).
• Easy categorization (Business / Personal) and review.

Recommendation: Turn on Automatic Tracking today for all future miles — these contemporaneous records are much stronger for both tax and reimbursement purposes.

3. Generate professional tax- and reimbursement-ready reports

• In any tracks list, use the filter button to filter by Year, Month, or category (filters combine).
• Tap Action → Generate PDF report.
• Export clean, professional documents showing dates, distances, purposes, addresses, and totals — ready to attach to a tax return or hand to your employer/client for reimbursement.

For tracks created from the Mileage Calculator the start and end addresses are already known, so they appear on the report. For manually recorded tracks you can fill the addresses in, or look them up from the track’s coordinates via the Track fields editor .

Substantiation and compliance – what you need to know

Whether you are claiming a tax deduction or requesting reimbursement, the record you submit needs to stand up to scrutiny. Most tax authorities and most employer policies expect each trip to show:

• Date of each trip
• Business purpose or destination
• Starting and ending locations (or odometer readings)
• Miles driven

For example, the US IRS requires adequate substantiation for the standard mileage deduction (Rev. Proc. 2019-46 and related guidance). Employer and client reimbursement schemes typically ask for the same core details, and may follow your tax authority’s mileage rate. Always check the specific rules that apply to you.

Strengths of Speedometer 55:

• Creates structured, consistent entries with calculated real-world distances.
• Supports batch recurring entries and detailed notes.
• Produces exportable reports.

Limitations and risks:

• Reconstructed (retroactive) logs receive higher scrutiny than contemporaneous ones. They are acceptable if reasonable and well-supported, but not as strong as real-time GPS or odometer logs.
• GPS/app distances are helpful but should be reconciled with your vehicle’s actual odometer readings.
• The app does not automatically collect supporting documents (calendar, emails, client records, etc.).

Best practices for stronger records (audit or reimbursement review)

1. Gather corroborating evidence — Work calendar, emails, client invoices, Google Timeline/Location History, fuel receipts, and photos of the odometer at the beginning and end of the period.
2. Be consistent and accurate — Only log miles you actually drove. Keep totals realistic relative to your vehicle’s total mileage.
3. Document the reconstruction — Note the date and sources used when rebuilding logs.
4. Reconcile totals — Compare app mileage against your vehicle’s odometer.
5. Use Automatic Tracking now — Contemporaneous records carry significantly more weight.
6. Review with the right party — Have a CPA or enrolled agent examine your log + supporting documents before filing, or confirm your records meet your employer’s policy before submitting a reimbursement claim.

Mileage rates: rates change each year and differ by country and by purpose (e.g., the US 2026 business standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile). Confirm the current rate with your tax authority or employer when filing or claiming.

Summary recommendation

Speedometer 55 is a practical, usable solution for most users who need to reconstruct recurring drives and maintain proper mileage records. Combine the Mileage Calculator for past gaps with Automatic Tracking for the future, back everything with supporting evidence, and confirm the rules with your tax advisor or employer for peace of mind.

This approach gives you a well-organized, defensible log suitable for tax deductions or reimbursement in the majority of cases.

Need help? Contact support or check the in-app tutorials for more details.