Business -> Automobiles, Passenger Vehicles and Motor Vehicles -> Vehicle trip log - Business use vs personal use of vehicles
Keep a Trip Log to Identify the Business Use of Your Vehicle
A separate log should be kept for each vehicle which is driven for both business and personal use. For the self-employed, only the business portion of vehicle expenses can be deducted from income, and GST/HST input tax credits are only allowed related to the business use of a vehicle. For businesses which provide vehicles to employees, trip logs substantiate the business use of a vehicle, and the business must calculate the taxable benefit to employees based on the personal use.
The log should record the date of each business trip, destination, reason for the trip, and the kilometres driven. The odometer reading of the vehicle must also be recorded, at the beginning and end of each year, to determine the total kilometres driven in the fiscal period.
If you buy, sell or trade your vehicle during the year, be sure to record the odometer reading at that time.
In August 2019 CRA started an audit project related to corporate car expenses. Make sure you keep a trip log of vehicle travel!!
Logbook for a Sample Period
Starting in 2010, once a taxpayer has maintained a trip log covering a full 12-month period that is typical for the business (the "base year"), Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has indicated they would "afford considerable weight" to a trip log maintained for a "sample period" as evidence of the business use for a full year, if it meets the following criteria:
 | A trip log must be maintained for a sample period of at least one continuous 3 month period in each subsequent year after the base year. |
| The distances travelled and business use of the vehicle during the 3 month sample period is within 10% of the corresponding figures for the same 3 month period in the base year. |
| The calculated annual business use of the vehicle in a subsequent year does not go up or down by more than 10% in comparison to the base year. |
The base year business use will be used in subsequent years, along with the business use from the 3 month sample period, to determine the business use for the entire subsequent year. See the CRA article Documenting the use of a vehicle for more detailed information, and for an example of the formula used to calculate business use in subsequent years.
A trip log constructed after the fact may not be acceptable for tax purposes - see the October 2021 Life in the Tax Lane from Video Tax News.
Quebec Supporting Documents for Vehicle Mileage
In Quebec, supporting documents that must be retained regarding automobile mileage include:
| a statement of kilometres travelled for each vehicle used in part for business and in part for personal purposes |
| documents substantiating trips |
See Quebec's publication IN-253-V Taxable Benefits, for more information related to logbooks for employees.
Business Use vs Personal Use of a Vehicle
(i) Employees
If an employee travels between home and work, the travel is normally considered personal use of the vehicle, unless there was a business matter attended to between the home and the place of work.
If an employee travels between (i.e., to and/or from) home and a customer's place of work, the travel is normally considered business use.
For more information, see the CRA Interpretation Bulletin IT-522R Vehicle, Travel and Sales Expenses of Employees (Archived).
In Quebec, as per Revenu Quebec's Logbook information, an employee who makes use of an employer's automobile must keep a detailed logbook of the trips made with the automobile, and provide the employer a copy of the logbook no later than:
| January 10 of the year that follows the year during which the automobile was available to the employee; or |
| the 10th day following the day on which the automobile is returned to the employer |
(ii) Self-Employed
If a self-employed person has a home office and another office or place of business, usually the office outside the home is considered the base of business. Travel between the home office and the base of business will normally be considered personal use of the vehicle.
Driving between (i.e., to and/or from) different premises of the same business would usually be considered business use.
Driving between the home office of a self-employed person and a customer's place of work is considered business use, as is any other travel incurred for business purposes.
TaxTips.ca Resources
Automobiles, Passenger Vehicles and Motor Vehicles - Tax Issues
Video Tax News March 2020 - apps for tracking vehicle mileage
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Resources
IT-521R Motor vehicle expenses claimed by self-employed individuals (Archived)Motor vehicle expenses - sole proprietorships and partnerships
T4130 Employers' Guide - Taxable Benefits and Allowances
Tax Tip: To avoid problems with your vehicle expense claims, keep a trip log!
Revised: July 07, 2022