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January 11, 2024
Question

How do you run a report to add up mileage for a custom date period from last year? It is not in the Profit and Loss report as stated in the support article i read

  • January 11, 2024
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1 reply

January 11, 2024

Hi there, scottpate.

 

I understand the importance of running the Profit and Loss report to view your mileage data. I'm here to share the possible cause why they didn't show in the report.

 

Importing and recording mileage expenses will not be reflected in reports. It is designed to track the data in one place and tally the totals, so you have everything you need to make tax deductions. 

 

The Profit and Loss report is a financial statement that summarizes the income, costs, and expenses incurred over a given period. We'll have to create a reimbursement expense for you or your employees if you want the mileage expense to appear on the report. I'll show you how.

 

First, let's set up a vendor profile:

 

  1. Go to the Expenses menu, then the Vendors tab.
  2. Select New vendor.
  3. Fill in all the vendor's information.
  4. Once done, hit Save.

 

Next, create a mileage reimbursement expense account:

 

  1. Go to the Gear icon and select Chart of accounts.
  2. Click New.
  3. From the Account Type dropdown menu, choose Expenses. On the Detail Type dropdown menu, select Auto or Travel.
  4. Give the account a name that's easy to identify.
  5. Once done, hit Save and Close.

 

Then, add an item for mileage reimbursement:

 

  1. From the Gear icon, select Products and services.
  2. Click New, then Non-inventory.
  3. Enter your desired name for the item
  4. In the Description section, choose I sell this product/service to my customers. Then, enter a description.
  5. In the Sales price/rate field, enter the cost you pay for travel per mile.
  6. In the Purchasing information section, select I purchase this product/service from a vendor. Then, enter a description.
  7. From the Expense account dropdown menu, select the account you've created.
  8. Hit Save and close.
     

 

After that, enter a bill for the mileage reimbursement:

 

  1. Go to + New and then select Bill.
  2. From the Vendor dropdown menu, choose the vendor you created for mileage.
  3. Choose Item details to expand the section.
  4. From the Product/Service dropdown menu, add the item you created.
  5. Enter or update the DescriptionQty, Rate, and Amount as needed.
  6. Click Save and close.
     

 

Lastly, record the payment for the Reimbursement expense:

 

  1. From + New, select Pay bills.
  2. Choose the Payment account and the employee to reimburse.
  3. Once done, hit Save.
     

 

For more details about the process, I suggest browsing this article: Reimburse employees' mileage and vehicle expenses in QuickBooks Online.

 

Please don't hesitate to post again if you need additional assistance managing your mileage. I'm always available to help you.

scottpateAuthor
January 11, 2024

Thanks for the instructions.  I had done everything except create the bill.  The only thing is that I don't know how to calculate all the mileage recorded from 8/1/23 to 12/31/23.  I use the QB app and recorded the business use mileage on the app and they are showing in my account when i review mileage.  Because there are over 50 trips, I am trying to now figure out how much that total reimbursement is for that period.

January 11, 2024

Hi there, @scottpate.

 

I'd be happy to assist you in calculating your mileage reimbursement for a particular timeframe.

 

By choosing a custom date from the Tax Year dropdown on the Mileage page, you can narrow down the time frame and let QuickBooks calculate the potential deduction specifically for that period.

 

Here's how:

 

  1. On the left navigation panel, click Expenses
  2. On the Mileage tab, choose Custom date on the Tax Year dropdown.
  3. Enter the start and end dates of the period you want to calculate. Then, hit Save.

 

 

Once you've finished, the total potential deduction for that period will be presented on your screen. From there, you can simply follow the instructions provided by my colleague above to create a reimbursement expense.

 

For additional guidance in recording business miles, you can check out this article: Automatically track mileage in QuickBooks Online.

 

For future use, here's an article on generating reports to get a good view of how your business is performing: Run reports in QuickBooks Online.

 

Please feel free to tag me anytime if you require further assistance with tracking mileage. My goal is to ensure that you always achieve your desired outcomes in your bookkeeping. Stay safe!