Free template

Free mileage log template

A free mileage log you can download straight away, no sign-up. It records each journey's date, start and end postcodes, reason, and miles, marked business or personal, which covers what HMRC asks to see when you claim tax relief on mileage.

Who it's for
Anyone who needs to keep a record of business journeys
Scope
UK business mileage records for any vehicle.
Facts checked
13 October 2026

Download

Excel (.xlsx) ↓ CSV ↓ Printable version ↗

The Excel file also opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers. It has three sheets: a blank log, a filled-in example, and short instructions. The CSV has just the column headings, for importing into anything else.

What it looks like

The example sheet (sample data, shown in orange italics)
DateStartEndReason for the journeyBusiness or personalMilesNotes
2 Oct 2026G2G71Site survey for Bothwell clientBusiness13.0
2 Oct 2026G71G2Return from site surveyBusiness13.0
4 Oct 2026G2G83Weekend trip to Loch LomondPersonal27.4Not claimable
9 Oct 2026ML3EH1Client meeting, EdinburghBusiness41.2Parking £6.50 (receipt kept)
9 Oct 2026EH1ML3Return from client meetingBusiness41.2

The totals at the top of the sheet add up business and personal miles separately (here, 108.4 business and 27.4 personal). The real sheet also has optional odometer columns. The example uses postcode districts; in your own log, full postcodes are better.

How to fill it in

  1. Add a row per journey, ideally on the day. HMRC's guidance for sole traders stresses keeping a record at the time, not reconstructing it later.
  2. Write the start and end postcodes and the reason for the journey. When an employee claims tax relief on mileage, GOV.UK says the log must show the reason for every journey and the postcodes where it started and ended.
  3. Mark it business or personal. Travel between home and your permanent workplace is ordinary commuting, which doesn't count as business.
  4. Keep it with your records. If you're self-employed, GOV.UK says to keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline for that tax year.

When you need a claim form instead

A log is your record of journeys. If you're claiming mileage from your employer, the mileage claim form takes the business journeys and works out the amount at HMRC's approved rates, with the 10,000-mile threshold built in.

Sources

  1. Claim tax relief for your job expenses: vehicles you use for workGOV.UK (HMRC) · checked 13 October 2026
  2. Business Income Manual BIM75005: simplified expenses, expenditure on motor vehiclesHMRC internal manual · checked 13 October 2026
  3. Business records if you're self-employedGOV.UK (HMRC) · checked 13 October 2026