Keeping a Car Log Book for the Australian Taxation Office

If you have a vehicle, you will need to have a car log book on record to substantiate your expenses for the Australian Taxation Office.

Your car log book will need to record your starting and end kilometers traveled, what the purpose of the trip was (personal / business ) and the date.

A 12 week or three months of travel should be recorded, the three months can be recorded over two financial years if necessary.

If you haven’t kept a car log book, now is as good a time as any to start.

The records will be current for a five year duration, then after that time period another updated car log book would be required.

You can find out more information via this link at the ATO below:

https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Income-and-deductions-for-business/Deductions/Motor-vehicle-expenses/Claiming-motor-vehicle-expenses-as-a-sole-trader/Logbook-method/

You can use the Australian Taxation Office’s free phone app MyDeductions which are compatible for most smart phones, click the link below:

https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/ATO-app/myDeductions/

If you want to know how to use the app for your car log book see the video below to see how to use it step by step

https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/In-detail/myDeductions/myDeductions/?page=2

However, that said you can also use the more traditional form, that is a physical log book purchased from a news agency or stationary supplier and kept in your car to fill out.

EPISODE 4 – Keeping a Car Log Book for the Australian Taxation Office

Amanda Hoffmann

Amanda Hoffmann is a registered Tax Practitioner / BAS Agent No.18613005, Associate of Finance, Xero, Myob & Quickbooks Proadvisor / Trainer and a Consultant for the Australian Taxation Office.

She says she is more than just a bookkeeper with experience in real estate investing, social media, podcasting, blogging and recently recording monthly youtube episodes

Amanda loves to teach smart, easy online cloud solutions and fix messy bookkeeping. Follow her on social media and say “Hi”