Need Help with Vehicle Logbooks? Here's How to Get It Right

Need Help with Vehicle Logbooks? Here’s How to Get It Right (and Maximise Your Deductions)

Published: 2025

Using your car for work?
Want to claim juicy tax deductions?
There’s just one thing standing between you and a bigger refund: your vehicle logbook.

Get it right = Maximise your deductions ✅
Get it wrong = Hello, ATO audit ❌

Simple, fast, no accountant gibberish. Just what you need to know.

What is a Vehicle Logbook?

A vehicle logbook is a record of how you use your car—splitting up work trips from personal trips.
It’s how you prove to the ATO exactly what percentage of your car use is work-related.

Simple idea:
If you use your car 60% for work, you can claim 60% of your:

• Fuel

• Repairs

• Insurance

• Registration

• Depreciation

More work use = bigger tax claims = bigger refunds.

Get the Gotax Log Book here (it's free)

Why Bother Keeping a Logbook?

Because if you want to claim more than a few hundred bucks for car expenses, the ATO wants proof—and your logbook is that proof.

✅ Maximise Your Deductions:
No guessing. No leaving money on the table. Full claims, done right.

✅ ATO Compliance:
A dodgy or missing logbook = audit risk = stress you don’t need.

How to Maintain a Vehicle Logbook (the Right Way)

✅ Cover 12 Continuous Weeks:
Your logbook needs to track 12 weeks in a row—no random Tuesdays only.

✅ What You Must Record:

• Date of each trip

• Odometer reading at the start and end

• Total kilometres travelled

• Purpose of the trip (be specific—"work meeting" beats "work")

✅ Keep It for 5 Years:
Once you have a valid logbook, it’s good for five years—unless your work pattern changes significantly.

Real Example:

Emma is a sales rep.
Over 12 weeks, she logs every trip:

• 70% of her driving is for client meetings, not coffee runs.

• She claims 70% of her fuel, rego, insurance, and servicing costs.

Refund city!

Common Mistakes That Wreck Your Logbook

Incomplete Entries:
Missing dates, missing odometer readings, vague trip descriptions = logbook = useless.

Mixing Personal and Work Trips:
Don't fudge it. Split personal and work travel honestly—or risk the ATO nuking your whole claim.

Why You Should Ditch the Paper Logbook (and Use Deduction Grabber)

Sick of scribbling in a notebook?
There’s an app for that—and it’s awesome.

Meet Deduction Grabber:
https://www.deductiongrabber.com.au

✅ Auto-tracks trips with GPS
✅ Swipe to label trips as work or personal
✅ Generates ready-to-go tax reports
✅ No paperwork. No stress.

Real Example:

Tom's a contractor.
He installs the Deduction Grabber app.

• It auto-records all his trips over 12 weeks.

• At tax time, he gets a report showing 65% work usage—no late-night number-crunching.

• Result: Tom claims thousands without lifting a pen.

Be like Tom. Be smart.

Why a Digital Logbook App Beats Old-School Tracking

✅ Accuracy:
Automatic odometer readings. No "Oops, I forgot" moments.

✅ Convenience:
Track your trips as you drive—no 10pm catch-ups at tax time.

✅ Data Security:
Stored safely online if your phone goes belly-up.

Quick Recap

• ✅ Use your car for work? Keep a logbook.

• ✅ Record 12 weeks of trips properly.

• ✅ Keep it safe for five years.

• ✅ Use Deduction Grabber to make life 100x easier.

• ✅ Maximise your refund, minimise your stress.

Ready to Maximise Your Car Claims (Without the Hassle)?

Don't let a missing or messy logbook wreck your refund.
Use Gotax and the Deduction Grabber app to claim every kilometre you deserve—without the paperwork hell.

Start your online tax return here:
And grab the Deduction Grabber app here:
 

Related Resources:

• How to Claim Work-Related Car Expenses:
  https://www.gotax.com.au/blog/how-to-claim-car-expenses-the-right-way

• Maximise Your Tax Deductions as a Tradie:
  https://www.gotax.com.au/blog/tradies-maximise-your-tax-deductions-and-keep-more-cash

• Top 7 Tax Mistakes Tradies Make (And How to Dodge Them):
  https://www.gotax.com.au/blog/top-7-tax-mistakes-tradies-make