Advice for Mileage Tracking in the UK From an Accountant

Mileage tracking can be a hassle and the business & tax implications shouldn’t be ignored. There are many solutions out there that might be helpful, but your accountant might have the last word on that. We understand that you probably trust the words of your accountant more.

We talked to Sash Dublish, Chartered Certified Accountant at Business & Tax Accounting based in the UK, to help you decide if our solution might be good for both you and your accountant.

Business Accounting and Tax Limited is an innovative accountancy practice in the UK. Established in 2012, it offers a whole host of services, including company formation, business and tax advisory, and compliance services to a diverse range of customers in the UK and abroad.

As part of Business & Tax Accounting, Sash provides accountancy, as well as tax and business advisory services with exceptional customer service, designed to build long-lasting relationships concentrating on value-added activities and technological advancement.

Here’s our interview with Sash.

When did you sign up for TripLog?

We signed up for TripLog in 2017 as we were looking for an app that integrates with QuickBooks.

What were you using before and what problem were you trying to solve, and what were your frustrations?

Our clients were sending data in Excel, through pieces of paper, or just texting as a figure for the whole year. We had to spend time checking and tallying the data and working out the mileage spend bifurcating between 0.45p and 0.25p.

Related: The Top 3 Web Tools Accountants Need To Use

We also questioned the integrity of data as we felt clients were not tracking their mileage accurately by writing it down and sometimes the figure provided did not seem plausible. If HMRC ever decides to raise an inquiry, could my client provide the evidence to justify their business mileage?

Where did you first hear about us? What piqued your interest?

One day we were just on the QuickBooks App Store and suddenly realized TripLog could be the answer to all of the issues we had been facing with manual records.

Why did you decide to do business with us? Why did you decide to pull the trigger?

We had tried the app and felt it was simple enough for our clients to use which was our main objective. What sealed the deal was there was no need to stop and start the mileage tracking which was an issue we had with a previous mileage tracker app we had used as our clients often forgot to press the stop button.

Describe working with us. In what area did you get the most value? Why do you think that is?

The TripLog team was very responsive and the CEO was readily available. Occasionally there were issues, but these were quickly resolved. Both we and the client managed to save a lot of time and hassle using the app. From our perspective, the dashboard was very useful as we could sign up clients and view their mileage to date and upload them into QuickBooks.

Related: How A Mileage Tracking App Can Help Accountants

I have also noticed several improvements in the app since I first started to use it and found it impressive that the company is continually using innovation to advance forward. It also listens to its customers and accepts any feedback it receives which is very important.

“I don’t understand why anyone would opt to write down the mileage each day and then send it to the accountant to pass a journal when there are options available to have a fully automated solution. It’s a no-brainer for other accountants as the app just saves a considerable amount of time and effort.”

What results did you achieve from working with us? How would you describe the transformation? What areas of your business/life improved and by how much? Why do you think they improved?

Clients no longer have to keep manual records; they simply start the app and drive. As a result, we can view the mileage per client, press a button, and have it go straight into QuickBooks. This saves us a lot of time. TripLog also improves the accuracy of client records which makes HMRC very happy!

How likely are you to recommend us? Why should someone in your position act right now?

I absolutely would recommend the app to other accountants and our clients. We have several clients that use the app and they could not do without it.

I don’t understand why anyone would opt to write down the mileage each day and then send it to the accountant to pass a journal when there are options available to have a fully automated solution. It’s a no-brainer for other accountants as the app just saves a considerable amount of time and effort.

What was your ROI from working with us? Just ballpark…

We save around 2 hours a month per user with TripLog by not having to have to deal with manual entries for multiple clients including spending time chasing down information. This adds up to roughly 3 days a year, with TripLog costing around £50 a year. As a result, we saved around £1,500 on an annual basis since using TripLog.

What could be improved with your experience?

I think the app would be complete if it had the advisory fuel rates. With that said, we do not come across many clients that have company vehicles.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs An Accountant

Anything else you want to add or end with? 

There are other auxiliary devices like iBeacon and optional Bluetooth GPS trackers that save battery life on the phone. Our clients really appreciate that since they were concerned about battery drainage. TripLog made it easy to bundle in their iBeacon with our offer.

Conclusion

We at TripLog would like to thank Sash for his lightning-fast emails and call sessions all the way from the UK and for taking part in this interview! If there’s anything you’d like to ask Sash, he’s promised he’ll join the comments on our social media post for the blog and reply. Thanks for reading!

Please visit www.business-at.com to learn more about Sash and his organization Business Tax & Accounting. You can also find Sash on his LinkedIn & Quickbooks ProAdvisor page.

For more information on TripLog’s company mileage and mileage reimbursement solutions, visit our pricing page or schedule a complimentary live web demo today.

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