Taxes: Business use of vehicle

[John Ross]

I have two vehicles, one is business.
I don't keep a mileage log, now.
Initially they said they (tax people) needed one, but haven't bothered me in years. Apparently, you are allowed to use it 10% or less and still call it 100%.
This is Canada I am talking about.
The family vehicle is not allowed to be a 'junker'.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Willem Blees 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 2:10 PM
  Subject: Re: Taxes: Business use of vehicle


  Terry

  You're making it too complicated. Figure your mileage the same way you figure inventory. Write down the odometer reading on Jan 1 and subtract it from the reading on Dec. 31. You use your car for about 80% business and 20% personal use. That's the mileage you use. There is a question if you you can substantiate your mileage. The answer to to that is yes, because if and when the IRS ever audits you, show them your appointment book showing all your customers. Let them figure out how many miles you drove. (You can include you drove to Anaheim, or any other seminar). They have to prove you cheated they cannot make you prove you lied. That's called self incrimination. 


  Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
  Piano Tuner/Technician
  Honolulu, HI
  Author of 
  The Business of Piano Tuning
  available from Potter Press
  www.pianotuning.com


  -----Original Message-----
  From: Terence Miller <innuuuu at yahoo.com>
  To: pianotech list <pianotech at ptg.org>
  Sent: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 3:50 am
  Subject: Taxes: Business use of vehicle


  Dear List:

  Let's say you're preparing your records for taxes. You turn to your business mileage log and notice some holes in your notations...like beginning mileage and no finish mileage, or mileages and no date. So your record is slightly erratic.

  There's a good chance that you will be able to recreate your activities if you cross check with your calendar, invoice book and business receipts.

  If you do figure out what you did when, how do you get a good mileage estimate?


  Ah.

  Google Maps to the rescue!              (maybe other map sites too.)

  www.google.maps


  click on       Get directions

  enter a        Start address
  and a          End address
  and then     Get Directions


  it will give you turn by turn directions, distance and estimated time

  (hmmm, nothing new here)

  BUT say you go more than one place.
  What if you have to go back to the shop, buy gas, go to the hardware store, oops back to the shop again, and out to your final appointment?

  Click on        Add destination...
  type in the address                       (or          Ace Hardware  YourCity Your State) 
  and then       Get Directions

  do that for all the places you went
  click the     -      sign to collapse the directions
  and           drag and drop            the destinations to match the route (however crazy) you took. 

  as you get comfortable with this you'll find that you can zoom in on the map to the right of the display, right click and        Add a destination          instead of typing everything.


  and there's your mileage.



  QED


  Terry Miller, RPT





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