Mileage registration: how it works and what to watch

A mileage registration, also called a trip or kilometre log, is an overview of the trips you make with a vehicle. It lets you see afterwards which kilometres were business, private or commuting. For entrepreneurs and drivers with a company car, that overview can be useful or necessary for various reasons.

What is a mileage registration?

A mileage registration is a structured overview in which you record a number of details per trip: when you drove, from where to where, how many kilometres it was and whether the trip was business or private. By keeping this consistently, you build an administration you can later use to substantiate how a vehicle was used.

The terms mileage registration, kilometre log and trip log are often used interchangeably and in practice mean the same thing: keeping a record of the trips driven.

Why keep a mileage registration?

There are various reasons why people track their trips. Which apply to you depends on your situation:

• Company car. If you drive a company car, a mileage registration can help show how much you use it privately. That plays a role in whether a tax addition applies. The precise conditions are set by the Tax Administration.
• Proving business kilometres. If you drive for business in a private car, you often want to be able to substantiate those kilometres. An overview per trip makes that easier.
• Overview and control. Even without a tax reason, a tidy administration brings peace of mind: you see at a glance where you have been and how much you have driven.

Want to know more about these situations? Read on about when a mileage registration is needed and about the role of a watertight registration for the company car tax addition.

What typically goes in a mileage registration?

Exactly which details are needed can vary from case to case. In general, a mileage registration typically contains:

• Details about the vehicle, such as make, model and licence plate;
• The period the administration relates to;
• Per trip: the date;
• Per trip: the start and end odometer reading;
• Per trip: the departure and arrival address;
• Per trip: the route driven, if it differs from the most usual one;
• Per trip: whether it was a business, private or commuting trip.

An administration is generally most useful when it is complete and verifiable: without gaps and with details that add up logically. You can read the exact requirements under the Tax Administration requirements.

Keeping it manually or automatically?

A mileage registration can be kept in different ways. Each has pros and cons:

• On paper or in a spreadsheet. Cheap and simple, but it takes discipline. A forgotten trip or a mistyped odometer reading can later cause gaps in the administration.
• With a device in the car. A fixed system records trips automatically based on the vehicle.
• With an app. An app can recognise and classify trips automatically, so you have to do little yourself.

Which approach fits depends on how much you drive and how much effort you want to spend. We compare the options in app or device for your mileage registration. RitGenie is an app that records and classifies trips automatically, so your administration stays in order with less manual work.

Read further

In this knowledge base we cover the most common questions around mileage registration. Pick a topic to read on:

Frequently asked questions

What is a mileage registration?

A mileage registration (also called a trip or kilometre log) is an overview of the trips made with a vehicle. For each trip you typically record the date, the start and end odometer reading, the departure and arrival address and whether the trip was business or private. That way you can later trace which kilometres were business, private or commuting.

Is a mileage registration mandatory?

That depends on your situation. A mileage registration often comes into play when you want to substantiate how many private kilometres you drive in a company car, or when you want to be able to prove business kilometres. Whether it is required in your case, and exactly which conditions apply, is best checked with the Tax Administration or your own adviser.

What should a mileage registration contain?

A mileage registration typically contains details about the vehicle (such as make, model and licence plate) and, per trip, the date, the start and end odometer reading, the departure and arrival address, the route driven if it differs from the usual one, and whether the trip was business or private. The exact requirements can vary; check them with the Tax Administration.

Can I keep my trips in an app?

In practice a mileage registration may be kept in different ways, for example on paper, in a spreadsheet, or with an app or system that records trips automatically. What matters most is that the administration is complete and verifiable. An automated solution can help reduce errors and gaps.

Does a mileage registration help avoid the company car tax addition?

A watertight mileage registration can help substantiate how much you drive a company car privately. Whether that means the tax addition can be left out depends on your personal situation and the applicable conditions. This is not tax advice; present your situation to the Tax Administration or your own adviser.