Showing posts with label mileage log. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mileage log. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2011

Mileage Reimbursement: managing income efficiently

As technology continues to take over seemingly every field of every industry, there is one thing that it can't replace, a good old fashioned face to face meeting. Every day, a slew of people make their living on the road, traveling to existing clients or attempting to sign new ones. These workers are often reimbursed for their business travels, using a system that is more fit for the stone age than the modern day. An employee will write down his miles travelled for work, and hand his boss a stack of papers at the end of the month with all his travel scribbles.

There is more than one problem with this mileage reimbursement system. Beyond the fact that it is a time consuming, ancient and unpractical method, it is also prone to exploitation. Employees can easily miscalculate their supposed mileage, or knowingly alter it. The documents can get damaged or misplaced, and all of this can end up costing you, as an employer, time and money. There has been no way around this flawed process, until recently when a device was released that solved all of the aforementioned issues.

Half GPS device, half intelligent robot from the future, the technology built into these mileage logging devices as of late is outstanding. Coming in a few varieties to match your specific needs, it is very apparent that this type of technology will eventually be in the vehicle of every employee who is on the road for his or her company. So what is this mystical device? A mileage logger with built in GPS technology that plugs into your car's power source. It is the perfect solution for employers as it is astoundingly accurate and automated.

As an employer, you will have peace of mind that you are given the correct mileage calculations for your drivers, day in and day out. With this technology you can easily activate and deactivate your employee's devices, and collect the generated mileage reports. It is no longer your employees word over yours, now you get objective data direct from this GPS tracking technology. It is easy to segregate which trips should be tracked and which shouldn't, and you can even track which employee was at any given customer at any time.

So while there is still no technological replacement for having drivers on the road, this solution provides the best method of tracking your employees and providing proper mileage reimbursement. It is fair, accurate, and couldn't be easier. If you are looking for a better way to ensure that your staff are tracking their travels accurately, without needing a PHD in computing, look for a feature rich GPS mileage logger.

About the Author

For more information on mileage reimbursement, car logbook and mileage log visit http://www.satlogix.com/

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Driving for business? Here's one thing never to forget

In business, mileage logs are used to keep track of the miles travelled for business purposes. Whether your doing a lot of driving for work, or have a company car, you will be expected to keep a detailed log of your mileage. Many companies will give you a certain amount per mile of kilometre that is meant to cover wear on your vehicle as well as fuel. Those who are self employed can also claim deductions against tax payments. Although it may not be the easiest or most enjoyable task, it is imperative to keep a mileage log if you want that money you deserve back in your pocket.

In the US and Canada, one must keep track of all work travel. This includes travelling for the purpose of delivering goods and services, travelling to other offices or meetings with clients, and using your vehicle voluntarily for work purposes. Knowing what you are spending on travel is additionally useful with fuel costs on the rise. The money you claim back at tax time surely will help sooth the hole that the price of fuel has put in your wallet.

Employers get more than one benefit from keeping track of an employee's mileage log. They need to keep track of the distance each employee is doing for tax and auditing purposes, and this information can also help ensure that employees are in fact doing their jobs effectively. Knowing that mileage is being properly tracked can also aid to keeping morale up, as employees won't feel resentful about paying for business related travel costs.

Keeping your personal miles separate from your business miles can be a difficult process requiring much effort. Varying methods of keeping track include keeping a manual log, using applications for your smartphone, or using a dedicated standalone device solution. Regardless of your method of choice, make sure you are tracking your distance for business and personal separately. Recently some new solutions have come about that help to automate this process, great for those of us who want to keep track with minimal effort.

Be weary, fraud allegations do occur. In the event of one in relation to mileage claims, you will be protected if you had been keeping a record. A proper mileage log is the best way to back up your claim ensuring your payment is verified as legitimate. So keep up with tracking your miles and stay driven by the fact that you will be getting a considerable sum of money back come tax time.

About the Author

For more information on mileage reimbursement, car logbook and mileage log visit http://www.satlogix.com/

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Use your vehicle for business? Must see information

Every day, a tens of millions of people make their living on the road, using their personal vehicles to conduct business. As an employer, it is a common practice to compensate these employees for their mileage. Yet any employer will tell you, easier said than done. Nobody wants to have to keep a diary of their mileage, and can we blame them? Getting employees to fill out logs of their mileage is just a hassle for them, and getting them to submit those logs opens up a whole other can of worms. Everyone wants their money come tax time, but nobody wants to put in the effort to record accurate and IRS approved mileage logs. But don't fret, there is hope, new technology has arrived to change all that.

What everyone wants is a win-win scenario. In the industry it is referred to as a tax-neutral reimbursement plan. This is where employees keep a log of their mileage and submit a copy to their employer so that they can both avoid paying unnecessary taxes. Businesses everywhere struggle each week to keep these mileage records in order, a process that is extremely inconvenient for both the driver and the employer. It has become a strenuous routine for many, a necessary evil.

That is not to say that employers are limited in their options, in fact they have a plethora of ways to compensate for mileage. From a flat monthly allowance, to an allowance with a gas card, to compensation per mile driven, or some other combination. Regardless of the selected method, this payment is considered a taxable benefit by the IRS - unless a mileage log is used to prove that the compensation reflects the actual business travel expense. For example, a $650 allowance may only result in a $420 compensation to the employee, and may require the employer to pay payroll taxes on the benefit too. So, keeping a mileage log ensures that the employee can get the full allowance benefit and the employer does not have to pay payroll taxes on the allowance.

Many companies still have their employees fill out a weekly or monthly mileage log. Beyond the fact that it is a time consuming, ancient and impractical method, it is also prone to exploitation. Employees can easily miscalculate their supposed mileage, or knowingly alter it. The documents can get damaged or misplaced, and all of this can end up costing you, as an employer, time and money. Not to mention getting employees to bring in their forms is a headache in itself.

There have been no good alternatives until recently - when new technology popped on the market that combines GPS location tracking accuracy with internet web services to finally provide a truly automated way to create accurate and complete mileage logs.

This impressive miniature device fits in any vehicle's power adapter and sits in the dashboard or console. Using its GPS technology, it automatically tracks every trip's start and stop location, miles driven, separates business from personal trips, and even automatically identifies the purpose of business trips based on the employee's meeting calendar and contact addresses. A real mileage log with no effort. The device reports only what the employee confirms as business trips - no issue with "big brother" tracking personal activities.

As an employer, you can finally have peace of mind that you are given the correct mileage calculations for your drivers, and the employee benefits from fair, objective compensation program that protects their privacy. With this technology you can easily activate and deactivate your employee's devices, and collect the generated mileage reports. It is fair, accurate, and couldn't be easier. If you are looking for a better way to ensure that your staff are tracking their travels accurately, look for a plug-and-drive GPS mileage logger.

About the Author

For more information on mileage reimbursement, mileage log and car logbook visit http://www.satlogix.com/