<div>Terry</div> <div> </div> <div>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. </div> <div style="CLEAR: both">Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician Honolulu, HI Author of The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com</div> -----Original Message----- From: Terence Miller <innuuuu@yahoo.com> To: pianotech list <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 3:50 am Subject: Taxes: Business use of vehicle <div id=AOLMsgPart_2_f54f2b8b-c2c8-42da-bbd9-666a1dd1bfb8>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.) <A href="http://www.google.maps/" target=_blank>www.google.maps</A> 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 <div> <HR SIZE=1> You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47523/*http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com" target=_blank>one month of Blockbuster Total Access</A>, No Cost. </div> <div id='u8CA62FB8F67D6FC-EAC-7063' class='aol_ad_footer'><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get the <A title="http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003" href="http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003" target="_blank">MapQuest Toolbar</A>, Maps, Traffic, Directions & More! </div>