Updated October 2026
Mileage log template (UK)
A free mileage log with every column HMRC asks for — including the start and end postcodes that employee claims have needed since October 2024 — and the 2026/27 rate of 55p a mile built in.
Opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets (File → Import). Free, no sign-up.
What HMRC requires in a mileage log
| Column | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Date | Puts the trip in the right tax year, and tells you which side of 6 April 2026 (45p or 55p) it falls. |
| Start and end postcode | Required for every journey in a PAYE (P87) claim. |
| Reason for journey | Required — and the thing that separates business travel from commuting. |
| Business miles | The number the claim is built on. |
| Passengers | Employers can pay 5p a mile per passenger on business trips. |
| Running total | The rate drops to 25p after 10,000 miles in the tax year, so you need to know when you cross it. |
Example: a filled-in mileage log
| Date | From | To | Reason | Miles | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | Leeds office (LS1 4AP) | Client site, Bradford (BD1 1HY) | Quarterly audit at client | 11.2 | £6.16 |
| 2026-04-07 | Client site, Bradford (BD1 1HY) | Leeds office (LS1 4AP) | Return from client audit | 11.4 | £6.27 |
| 2026-04-09 | Home (LS6 2AB) | Temporary site, Harrogate (HG1 1AA) | Site survey (temporary workplace) | 16.8 | £9.24 |
Note the third row: home to a temporary workplace counts as business travel. Home to your normal office would not, however far it is.
How to keep a mileage log HMRC will accept
- Log as you go. HMRC's evidence rules exist because of claims reconstructed months later with suspiciously round numbers.
- One log per job. If you claim for more than one employment, HMRC wants a separate log for each.
- Write a real reason. "Work" is not a reason; "site visit, Harrogate" is.
- Use actual distances. Take them from the odometer or a route planner, not a guess.
Then total it with the mileage calculator, and claim through the P87 or your Self Assessment return.
Stop reconstructing your mileage from memory
Odo logs your drives automatically in the background, you swipe each one business or personal, and it totals your claim at the 2026/27 rates — with a CSV export of every trip, dated, with its reason and distance.