[Launchpad McQuack]

Do you just start your mileage tracking @ the start of your driving day and end the tracking @ the end of your "shift". You don't have to track each customer do you?

This is a topic that has been fiercely debated on this forum. There are two schools of thought, and there are posters in each school that will tell you that their version is the definitive right answer.

Version #1: Recording your odometer reading at the start and end of each day is sufficient documentation.

Version #2: To satisfy the IRS during an audit, you need a detailed mileage log that includes an entry (date, time, address, odometer reading, business purpose of the trip) for each stop that you make.

I can't tell you which version is the right answer. I have not found anything from an authoritative source that puts the question to rest. The answer even seems to vary depending on which professional tax advisor that you ask. Given the uncertainty, I go with Version #2. My reason is that if I were ever to be audited and my mileage deductions were to be disallowed for insufficient documentation, it would cost me thousands of dollars. If I knew for sure that Version #1 would satisfy the IRS in an audit, I would do that because it is less work. Given the potential cost, though, I am not willing to take the risk.