Automatically track mileage in QuickBooks Online

[0:00] You can use QuickBooks Online and the QuickBooks Online mobile app to track how many miles you drive for business. Let's go over how to download and set up the mobile app for tracking, how to track a trip in the mobile app, how to make this easier with rules, how to review and enter trips in QuickBooks Online if you want, and finally, how to track your potential mileage deduction.

[0:23] Download the QuickBooks Online mobile app onto your mobile device. Open the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and search for QuickBooks Online. Install the app. Then run the app and sign in. Select Menu, then Mileage. Toggle Auto-tracking on. This tells QuickBooks to track trips automatically in the background. Auto-tracking also requires the right device permissions.

[0:48] Select the settings prompt to open Mileage Settings. Review each item under Avoid missing trips and Optimize accuracy, then adjust device settings to match. A green check means the setting is correct. A red alert means the setting needs attention. Next, add vehicle info. Enter the vehicle's make, model, year, and ownership status.

[1:11] To assign this vehicle as the default for every trip, toggle Set as Primary vehicle on. Select Save. To enter a trip manually, select the Plus button from the Mileage screen. Enter the starting point and ending point, and QuickBooks calculates the distance automatically. Select Business or Personal. Business trips need a written purpose.

[1:32] Personal trips offer preset options: Personal, Medical, or Charity. The primary vehicle appears by default, but select the vehicle field to choose a different one. To record the return trip at the same time, toggle Round trip on. Once the information is complete, select Save. Auto-tracked trips appear on the Unreviewed tab.

[1:53] Open the trip and select Business or Personal to categorize it, then add a purpose. To add more vehicles, select the three-dot menu, then Intuit Account & Settings. Scroll to Mileage and select Manage Vehicles, then Add New Vehicle. To change which vehicle is the default for new trips, toggle Set as Primary on, then select Save. To automatically label trips taken regularly, set up a rule.

[2:19] Select Manage Mileage Rules, then Create new rule. Enter the starting and ending location, then select Business or Personal. Choose a vehicle if needed, and toggle Apply this rule to past trips to apply the rule to existing unreviewed trips. Select Save. To change a trip, select it from the Reviewed tab. Select the three-dot menu to Duplicate, Delete, or mark the trip as a Round Trip.

[2:45] For more detailed changes, select the pencil to enter edit mode. Select any field to change it, or select the trash can to delete the trip. You can also review and record trips on a computer. Select Expenses & Bills, then Mileage. The same trips from the mobile device appear here, ready to categorize as business or personal. The Business, Personal, and All tabs show reviewed trips.

[3:10] Select the Add trip drop-down to manage and add vehicles, import trips from MileIQ, download a list of trips as a CSV file, and manage favorite locations and rules. With trips logged, QuickBooks uses the IRS mileage rate to estimate the potential deduction for the year. Now you're ready to track mileage in QuickBooks Online.