This article will take a closer look at Microsoft’s mileage-tracking app, MileIQ.

Microsoft Office Bootcamp: Live & Hands-on, In NYC or Online, Learn From Experts, Free Retake, Small Class Sizes, 1-on-1 Bonus Training. Named a Top Bootcamp by Forbes, Fortune, & Time Out. Noble Desktop. Learn More.

What is MileIQ?

MileIQ is a cloud-based application that automatically tracks a user’s mileage while driving, then categorizes it as a business or personal trip. In addition to keeping track of mileage, users can also add notes describing the purpose of the trip, such as offsite meetings, customer visits, completing work-related errands, or driving from one office to another. Designations such as these come in handy when preparing taxes. Moreover, this app can also provide an estimate for the amount a user’s trips are worth, then generate a report to convey this information. When it comes time to file taxes, the user can print or save driving records, which can be sorted based on pre-designated categories, such as day, month, or year.

MileIQ is included in Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Premium, E1, E3, or E5 subscriptions. In addition, a free version is available as well and enables users to record up to 40 drives/month. The unlimited MileIQ plan is also offered for those who travel more frequently for work. Personal plans cost $5.99/month, or $59.99/year, and record unlimited drives. For teams who wish to purchase MileIQ, a lite version is offered for $5/month/driver, or $50/driver/year. This plan option includes the ability to add or remove drivers, as well as to create a team with one administrator for no additional cost. Teams Pro is expected to be released from Microsoft soon. This solution will cost $10/driver/month, or $100/driver/year, and will provide additional perks, such as free team creation, in-depth reports, help with onboarding, and premium support.

Why use MileIQ?

Keeping track of work travel is easier than ever before, thanks to MileIQ’s many helpful features, which streamline record-keeping and reporting. Here are just a few of the benefits MileIQ users cite when using this tool:

  • This app is both affordable and easy to use. It’s a great option for those looking to perform basic mileage tracking.
  • The cost savings to drivers who use this application can be substantial. Some estimates claim that it can save an average deduction greater than $6,500/year.
  • For drivers who hold irregular working hours, MileIQ offers a Work Shifts feature that can be used to establish more than one working shift on a given day.
  • MileIQ provides a convenient and reliable way to keep track of the number of miles driven for expense reimbursement or tax purposes. This makes it a helpful tool for anyone who’s self-employed and wishes to save money on taxes, as well as for professional drivers looking to be accurately compensated for the mileage they’ve driven. 
  • This app is able to recognize when a driver repeatedly uses the same route, which is helpful for those who frequently travel on the same roads or highways for work-related tasks.
  • The monthly billing feature of this app is a great resource for short-term projects.
  • For users who are concerned about privacy, MileIQ does not advertise a driver’s location to other users or share your information with anyone.
  • MileIQ users don’t have to open the app in order for it to work; simply having a cell phone with you in a car logs miles. 
  • Categorizing trips is easy using MileIQ. Swiping left categorizes a trip as personal, and right as business. In addition, extra driving costs, such as parking fees and tolls, can also be manually added to any trip for even more precise record-keeping.
  • In addition to automatically keeping track of mileage, this app also records the date and time of travel, as well as the beginning location and destination. It also automatically keeps track of the estimated value of reimbursement and the miles driven.
  • There’s no guesswork about travel mileage when using MileIQ. Because this app syncs to the IRS’s current rules and regulations for the year, it ensures that the mileage deduction the user files is accurate.
  • Reports generated with MileIQ can be sent directly to an accountant. In order to do so, the user simply exports the data as a PDF or formatted CSV, then can forward it to whomever they wish.
  • MileIQ has other uses beyond keeping track of miles driven to and from work. It can also be used to keep track of moving miles, which can then deduct from taxes as a moving expense. 
  • Another helpful feature of MileIQ is that users can input the number of hours they work in a day, and this app will automatically categorize drives that occur outside of this timeframe as personal travel.

In addition to the above-mentioned incentives to use MileIQ, there are several drawbacks to be aware of as well:

  • It does not include features designed for expense tracking or route planning.
  • This app does not currently integrate with credit cards or bank accounts, which can make expense tracking slightly more complicated for users. 
  • MileIQ doesn’t come with a timesheet with which employees can clock in or out. 
  • Some users find that the app doesn’t capture each drive unless MileIQ is running at the time of the drive. Moreover, keeping the app running while driving for entire trips can significantly deplete cell phone batteries. 
  • It can be confusing to add users to personal or business accounts.
  • There is no option to automatically classify all travel as business drives when using this app. This means that users who wish to do so have to spend additional time reviewing their drive histories.

Despite these few drawbacks, most MileIQ users find this application to be very helpful for keeping an accurate record of their work and personal travel. The cost of purchasing this app more than pays for itself with the money it saves users who get a tax refund for work travel.

Get Started Learning Microsoft Office with Hands-on Classes

Learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Office can open professional doors across industries, as well as lead to upward career mobility. A great way to begin learning about Microsoft Office is to sign up for one of Noble Desktop’s Microsoft Office courses. A variety of small group classes are offered in-person in Manhattan, as well as in the live online format. For students and professionals on the go, there are also in-person and live online Microsoft Office courses available through Noble Desktop or one of its affiliate schools. Courses range in duration from three hours to three days and cost between $229 and $1,785. You can also browse nearly 400 in-person Microsoft Office classes to find learning options close to home.