Description
Organize your deductible expenses throughout the year for easier tax filing. This spreadsheet tracks expenses by IRS category, calculates totals, and generates a summary report for your tax preparer.
What’s Included
Sheet 1: Expense Log
- Date and description fields
- Amount and category columns
- Running totals by category
- Receipt reference field
Sheet 2: Category Summary
- Automatic totals by tax category
- Monthly breakdown
- Annual totals
- Percentage of total expenses
Sheet 3: Per Diem Tracker
- Days away from home log
- Automatic per diem calculation
- Monthly and annual totals
Sheet 4: Tax Prep Summary
- One-page summary for accountant
- Schedule C line references
- Export-ready format
IRS Expense Categories
The tracker is organized by Schedule C categories:
Line 9: Car and Truck Expenses
- Fuel
- Oil and lubricants
- Repairs and maintenance
- Tires
- Truck wash
Line 10: Commissions and Fees
- Factoring fees
- Dispatch service fees
- Load board commissions
Line 11: Contract Labor
- Lumper fees (net of reimbursement)
- Helper/driver pay
Line 13: Depreciation
- Truck depreciation
- Trailer depreciation
- Equipment depreciation
Line 14: Employee Benefit Programs
- Health insurance (self-employed)
- Retirement contributions
Line 15: Insurance
- Liability insurance
- Cargo insurance
- Physical damage insurance
- Other business insurance
Line 16a: Interest (Mortgage)
- N/A for most truckers
Line 16b: Interest (Other)
- Truck loan interest
- Equipment loan interest
- Business credit card interest
Line 17: Legal and Professional
- Accounting/tax preparation
- Legal fees
- Consulting fees
Line 18: Office Expense
- Office supplies
- Postage
- Printing
Line 20a: Rent (Vehicles/Equipment)
- Truck lease payments
- Trailer lease
- Equipment rental
Line 21: Repairs and Maintenance
- Truck repairs
- Trailer repairs
- Equipment repairs
Line 22: Supplies
- Load securement (straps, chains)
- Safety equipment
- Tools
- Cleaning supplies
Line 23: Taxes and Licenses
- IRP fees
- IFTA fees
- UCR registration
- HVUT (Form 2290)
- State permits
- Business licenses
Line 24a: Travel
- Per diem OR meals (not both)
- Lodging
Line 24b: Meals
- Actual meal expenses (50% deductible)
- OR use per diem method
Line 25: Utilities
- Cell phone (business %)
- Internet/hotspot (business %)
Line 27a: Other Expenses
- ELD subscription
- GPS/software subscriptions
- Association dues
- Tolls
- Parking
- Scales
- DOT physical
- Drug testing
- CDL renewal
- Uniforms
- Bank fees
Expense Log Template
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TAX DEDUCTION TRACKER
Year: ________
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DATE │ DESCRIPTION │ CATEGORY │ AMOUNT │ RECEIPT#
──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────┼─────────
01/05 │ Pilot - Diesel fuel │ Car/Truck (L9) │ $387.42 │ F-0001
01/05 │ Pilot - DEF │ Car/Truck (L9) │ $24.99 │ F-0001
01/06 │ OH Turnpike toll │ Other (L27) │ $47.85 │ T-0001
01/07 │ Love's - Diesel fuel │ Car/Truck (L9) │ $412.18 │ F-0002
01/08 │ CAT Scale │ Other (L27) │ $12.50 │ S-0001
01/10 │ Blue Beacon truck wash │ Car/Truck (L9) │ $48.00 │ W-0001
01/12 │ Freightliner - Oil change │ Repairs (L21) │ $385.00 │ M-0001
01/15 │ Progressive - Insurance pmt │ Insurance (L15) │ $1,247.00│ I-0001
01/15 │ Truck loan payment (interest) │ Interest (L16b) │ $287.00 │ L-0001
01/18 │ Verizon - Cell phone │ Utilities (L25) │ $89.00 │ U-0001
01/20 │ DAT Load Board subscription │ Other (L27) │ $149.95 │ SUB-001
│ │ │ │
──────────┴────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────┴──────────┴─────────
MONTHLY TOTAL: $__________Per Diem Tracker
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PER DIEM TRACKER
Year: ________
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
IRS Per Diem Rate (2024): $69.00 per day
MONTH │ DAYS AWAY │ PARTIAL DAYS │ TOTAL DAYS │ PER DIEM AMOUNT
──────────┼───────────┼──────────────┼────────────┼─────────────────
January │ 22 │ 2 │ 23 │ $1,587.00
February │ 19 │ 2 │ 20 │ $1,380.00
March │ 24 │ 2 │ 25 │ $1,725.00
April │ 21 │ 2 │ 22 │ $1,518.00
May │ 23 │ 2 │ 24 │ $1,656.00
June │ 20 │ 2 │ 21 │ $1,449.00
July │ 25 │ 2 │ 26 │ $1,794.00
August │ 22 │ 2 │ 23 │ $1,587.00
September │ 21 │ 2 │ 22 │ $1,518.00
October │ 24 │ 2 │ 25 │ $1,725.00
November │ 18 │ 2 │ 19 │ $1,311.00
December │ 17 │ 2 │ 18 │ $1,242.00
──────────┼───────────┼──────────────┼────────────┼─────────────────
TOTAL │ 256 │ 24 │ 268 │ $18,492.00
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Notes:
- Partial days = departure and return days (count as 75% or full day)
- Keep a calendar or log showing days away from tax home
- Cannot claim per diem AND actual meal receiptsTax Prep Summary
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TAX DEDUCTION SUMMARY FOR TAX PREPARER
Tax Year: ________
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Business: Owner-Operator Trucking
EIN/SSN: ___________________
SCHEDULE C EXPENSE SUMMARY
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Line 9 - Car and Truck Expenses: $______________
Line 10 - Commissions and Fees: $______________
Line 11 - Contract Labor: $______________
Line 13 - Depreciation: $______________
(See Form 4562)
Line 14 - Employee Benefit Programs: $______________
Line 15 - Insurance: $______________
Line 16b - Interest (Other): $______________
Line 17 - Legal and Professional Services: $______________
Line 18 - Office Expense: $______________
Line 20a - Rent (Vehicles/Equipment): $______________
Line 21 - Repairs and Maintenance: $______________
Line 22 - Supplies: $______________
Line 23 - Taxes and Licenses: $______________
Line 24a - Travel: $______________
(Per Diem: $__________ for _____ days)
Line 25 - Utilities: $______________
Line 27a - Other Expenses: $______________
(See attached itemization)
────────────────
TOTAL EXPENSES: $______________
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Total Miles Driven (Business): ______________
Self-Employed Health Insurance Premiums: $______________
(Report on Schedule 1, Line 17)
Retirement Contributions:
SEP-IRA: $______________
Solo 401(k): $______________
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Prepared by: ___________________________ Date: _______________Receipt Organization System
Naming Convention
Use this format for digital receipt files:
YYYY-MM-DD_Category_Vendor_Amount.jpg
Examples:
2025-01-15_Fuel_Pilot_387.42.jpg
2025-01-20_Repairs_Freightliner_385.00.jpg
2025-01-22_Insurance_Progressive_1247.00.jpgFolder Structure
Tax Documents/
├── 2025/
│ ├── 01-January/
│ │ ├── Fuel/
│ │ ├── Maintenance/
│ │ ├── Insurance/
│ │ ├── Permits/
│ │ └── Other/
│ ├── 02-February/
│ ├── ...
│ ├── 12-December/
│ ├── Settlements/
│ ├── Bank Statements/
│ └── Annual Summary.xlsxTips for Tax Season
- Track as you go — Don’t wait until December
- Photograph every receipt — Paper fades and gets lost
- Use one credit card — Easier to track and prove expenses
- Keep mileage log — Required for vehicle deduction
- Document per diem days — Calendar or ELD data works
- Separate personal/business — Clear business use only
- Save 7 years — IRS audit window
- Use a trucking accountant — They know the rules
Compatible With
- Microsoft Excel 2016+
- Google Sheets
- LibreOffice Calc
- Apple Numbers
RigProfit automatically categorizes your expenses for tax purposes and generates reports your accountant will love.