TRAVEL E-LOG BOOK
When can you claim for travel?
If you receive a travel allowance you can claim a deduction for the use of your private vehicle for business purposes.
What do I need to do?
Firstly, record your vehicle’s odometer reading on 1 March, i.e. on the first day of a tax year
Secondly, keep a logbook throughout the year simply download the eLogbook provided below. Without a logbook you won’t be able to claim the cost of business travel against your travel allowance.
Thirdly, record your vehicle’s closing odometer reading on the last day of February of the next year, i.e. on the last day of the applicable tax year.
What do I record in my logbook?
Business trip by business trip you record the following:
The date of travel
The kilometres travelled
Business travel details (where you started your trip, where you went and the reason for the trip)
Top Tip: Your travel between home and your work cannot be claimed as this is regarded as private travel.
How do I work out how much I can claim?
There are two ways of doing this:
Calculate your claim based on the cost scale table which SARS supplies (You’ll find this table in the introduction section to the travel eLogbook)
Calculate your claim based on the actual costs. To do this, you'll have to keep an accurate record of all your expenses during the year, in addition to keeping a log book. These expenses include fuel, oil, repairs and maintenance, car licence, insurance, wear-and-tear and finance charges or lease costs.
Top Tip: you must keep your logbook for a period of at least five years as you may be required to submit it to SARS to back up your claim.
