Are your business mileage records audit-ready?
HMRC-ready business mileage records
Accurate mileage records are essential for tax deductions and expense claims. Learn how Aroute automates documentation so your records are always complete.
Why accurate records matter
How you document business vehicle use can directly affect your tax deductions.
Vehicle used for business and personal purposes
- Vehicle purchase or lease
- Fuel
- Service and repairs
- Insurance
Vehicle used exclusively for business purposes
- Vehicle purchase or lease
- Fuel
- Service and repairs
- Insurance
To maximise tax deductions on a business vehicle, accurate documentation of exclusive business use is essential.
Three pillars of audit-ready documentation
Complete business vehicle documentation typically requires three elements:
Accurate Trip Records
Ongoing record of every business trip - the foundation of audit-ready documentation.
Vehicle Mileage Log
Structured record of every business trip containing key data:
- Trip date and time
- Route (from → to)
- Trip purpose
- Distance traveled
- Odometer reading before and after
Internal Usage Policy
Company document defining vehicle usage rules and driver responsibilities.
In most jurisdictions, the burden of proof is on the company. Tax authorities may request documentation at any time.
The challenge: keeping records
Manual recording of all trips is time-consuming and error-prone, especially in companies with multiple vehicles and drivers.
Every trip should be documented with the following data:
- •Date, route, purpose, distance of every trip
- •Odometer reading before and after each trip
- •Storing documentation per local retention requirements
- •Records available on demand
Automatic vehicle mileage records
Aroute automates record-keeping so your documentation is always complete:
- Automatic recording with date and time
- Exact GPS route with start/end addresses
- Distance and trip purpose
- Odometer updated automatically
- PDF/Excel export in standard format
- Rejected trips stay on record with the reason, outside your mileage log
- Odometer mismatches flagged for the administrator
Benefits:
- Time savings - recording runs in background
- Fewer errors and no gaps in records
- Data ready to present at any time
Comparison: manual vs automatic records
| Aspect | Manual records | Aroute |
|---|---|---|
| Time per entry | 5-10 min / trip | 0 min (automatic) |
| Route accuracy | Approximate | Precise (GPS) |
| Error risk | High | Minimal |
| Odometer | Manual | Updated automatically |
| Audit readiness | Depends on consistency | Always ready |
| Monthly report | 1-2 hours | 2 minutes (export) |
| Entries that don't belong | Crossed out or deleted, no trace | Rejected with a reason, kept in history |
| Corrections | Overwritten | Edit and delete requests approved by an admin |
FAQ about mileage documentation
For each business journey: the date, start and end points, the business purpose and the miles driven. HMRC can ask to see these records to support mileage allowance payments or vehicle cost claims.
Yes. The app records the date, route, purpose and miles for every business journey and exports them to PDF or Excel, ready to support mileage allowance claims. Your accountant can confirm what your business needs.
Aroute automatically detects gaps in the record: it compares odometer readings between trips and alerts you to undocumented mileage. Missing entries can be added manually from the dashboard.
Cars and vans: 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in the tax year, then 25p per mile. Motorcycles: 24p per mile. Bicycles: 20p per mile.
Limited companies generally keep records for 6 years from the end of the financial year they relate to. Sole traders keep them for at least 5 years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline.
The user rejects it with a reason. The trip stays in the history marked as rejected, so you can show what was excluded and why, but it doesn't count towards the mileage log, reports, claims or the odometer.
No. The user sends a deletion request with a reason and the administrator decides. The administrator also sees when a vehicle's odometer doesn't match its trips.
Summary
Audit-ready business vehicle documentation requires:
- Keeping accurate trip records
- Maintaining detailed vehicle mileage logs
- Having an internal usage policy
Aroute helps businesses maintain accurate mileage records, making it easier to prepare documentation for tax and audit purposes.
This page is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For tax matters, consult a qualified accountant or tax advisor in your jurisdiction.