How do I prove my mileage to HMRC?
A record made as you go, showing the date, business purpose and miles.
Last checked 12/09/2026.
There is no prescribed format. What HMRC expects is a record showing, for each journey or working day: the date, the business purpose, and the number of miles. Odometer readings at the start and end of a shift are the strongest evidence.
A log kept as you go carries far more weight than one reconstructed later, and it is what you want if HMRC ever asks. Keep it for at least 5 years after the January filing deadline for that tax year.
Related
The complete mileage guide for delivery drivers
What counts as a business mile, the 55p and 25p approved rates, the 10,000-mile threshold, and whether mileage or actual costs leaves you better off.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 19/08/2026
What counts as a business mile for a delivery driver?
Miles driven for the work itself - not the journey from home to your depot or zone.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 19/08/2026
Business mileage and the distance calculator
How JoltMile applies the 55p and 25p approved rates, tracks your 10,000-mile threshold, and works out distances from postcodes.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 29/09/2026
Business miles, commuting and the depot run
A business mile is one driven wholly for the work. Commuting between home and a regular workplace is never claimable. For most gig drivers the working day starts when the app goes on, which makes the drive to a chosen pickup zone personal and the drive between drops business.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 27/08/2026
Record keeping, and how long to keep it
You have to keep enough to show how every figure on your return was arrived at: what you were paid, what you spent, and how far you drove for the work. Records have to be kept for 5 years after the filing deadline for the year they cover.
HMRC & taxUpdated 27/08/2026
Capital allowances on a vehicle
A capital allowance is tax relief on something you bought to keep and use, spread over years rather than deducted at once. You cannot claim capital allowances on a vehicle and use the mileage rate for it, so for most gig drivers this is a road not taken.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 27/08/2026