A Canadian vehicle mileage log should record enough information to support the business use of a vehicle. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, that includes the date, destination, purpose and kilometres driven for each business trip, plus vehicle odometer readings and total versus business kilometres.
Those records do not automatically require a permanent, second-by-second map of every route. A privacy-conscious log separates the facts needed for recordkeeping from any optional precise location history, then applies clear access, retention and deletion choices to both.
This article summarizes public CRA guidance. It is not tax or accounting advice, and no app should be treated as CRA compliant merely because it records trips.
What the CRA says a vehicle log should contain
The CRA’s motor vehicle records guidance calls an accurate full-year logbook the best evidence for supporting vehicle use. For each business trip, it lists:
Date
Destination
Purpose
Number of kilometres driven
The CRA also says to record the odometer at the start and end of the fiscal period. If you buy, sell or trade a vehicle during that period, record the relevant dates and odometer readings. Keep separate records for each vehicle when more than one is used for business.
Receipts and other supporting records still matter. A route trace may show that a device moved, but it does not establish the business purpose of the trip or prove that every detected kilometre belongs in a claim.
The CRA page also describes a simplified logbook method that may be available after establishing a full base year and meeting stated conditions. Review the current official requirements or consult a qualified professional before relying on that method.
A simple mileage-log routine
At the beginning of the period
Record the vehicle, starting date and starting odometer. Decide where the authoritative log will live and how it will be backed up.
If you use an app, understand what it records before granting location access. A pre-release or general trip tracker is not a substitute for confirming the recordkeeping requirements that apply to your situation.
After each business trip
Add or confirm the date, destination, purpose and business kilometres. Do this while the reason for the trip is still clear.
Use a purpose that another person could understand, such as “client meeting,” “delivery to customer” or “purchase of shop supplies.” Avoid vague labels that will be difficult to explain later.
Every month
Compare the log with calendars, invoices, fuel receipts, parking records and service documents. Check for missing trips, duplicates, incorrect distances and personal trips that were classified as business.
If an automated tool detected a trip, review it rather than accepting it blindly. Trip detection can start late, stop early, split one drive or combine nearby drives. A device also cannot determine business purpose from movement alone.
At the end of the period
Record the ending odometer, calculate total and business kilometres, and preserve the supporting records. Test that backups or exports can actually be opened before changing apps, phones or accounts.
The CRA says supporting records generally need to be kept for six years from the end of the tax year they concern. Its motor vehicle guidance adds a specific rule for a full 12-month base logbook used for the simplified method: keep it for six years from the end of the last tax year for which it is used to establish business use. Confirm the current rule for your records.
Why a mileage log creates a privacy question
A destination list already contains personal information. A precise route history can reveal much more, including routines, regular stops and likely home or work locations.
Canada’s privacy regulators illustrated that risk in their Tim Hortons app investigation. They found that granular location collection enabled inferences about users’ homes, workplaces, travel and visits to other locations. The central lesson is not limited to one company: location collection should match a clear purpose, be transparent and remain proportionate to the benefit.
Third-party software also deserves attention. The United States Federal Trade Commission’s discussion of enforcement involving Avast, X-Mode and InMarket explains how embedded software development kits and mass data collection can expand location privacy risks. An app developer should understand the components included in the app, and a user should be able to understand how location information is used and shared.
How to keep the record without keeping every route point
Start by separating two datasets:
The mileage record contains the business facts you need to retain.
The optional route trace contains detailed coordinates used for detection, mapping or review.
If the detailed trace no longer serves a clear purpose after you confirm the trip, consider whether it needs to remain. Do not delete information required for your records, but do not assume every raw coordinate must be kept simply because it was collected.
Use this privacy checklist when choosing a logging method:
Purpose: Identify why location is needed and what would stop working without it.
Permission: Check whether access occurs only while using the app or in the background.
Detail: Prefer trip summaries over permanent point-by-point histories when summaries meet the need.
Access: Protect the log with device security, account security and appropriate encryption.
Sharing: Check whether data goes to analytics, advertising, data brokers or unrelated third parties.
Retention: Know how long summaries, routes, diagnostics and backups remain.
Deletion: Confirm how to delete data from the device, account and cloud copies.
Export: Make sure you can retrieve records in a usable form before closing an account.
Android’s background location guidance says apps should request only the location access critical to a user-facing feature, provide a clear benefit and make background access obvious. Its permission best practices also recommend asking in context rather than requesting every permission at startup.
Roadsy’s pre-release product direction is to make these choices visible. You can read about its trip-tracking approach and privacy controls without assuming that either page provides tax certification.
What automation still needs you to verify
Automation can reduce typing, but it cannot supply business judgement. Review:
Whether the trip belongs to the correct vehicle
Whether the start and end are accurate
Whether the distance is reasonable
Whether the trip was business or personal
Whether the stated purpose is specific and truthful
Whether a return journey needs its own entry
Whether supporting receipts or calendar records agree
Treat automated trips as candidates until reviewed. A clean interface does not make an unreviewed classification correct.
Frequently asked questions
Does the CRA require a specific mileage app?
The CRA guidance describes the records and supporting evidence to keep, not a required commercial app. Choose a method that produces accurate, accessible records and fits the requirements that apply to you.
Do I need to store the full GPS route?
The CRA’s listed fields include the destination, purpose and kilometres, but not a point-by-point route trace. Your circumstances may require additional support, so ask a qualified tax professional when a trip is unusual or disputed.
Can GPS prove that a trip was for business?
No. GPS can support time, movement and distance, but it does not establish the business purpose by itself. The classification and explanation still need review.
Is Roadsy CRA compliant?
Roadsy should not be described that way. It is a pre-release Android driving companion, not tax software or a guarantee that a record will satisfy an audit. Users remain responsible for checking their records against current CRA guidance.
For details about how the Roadsy website and app describe data handling, read the Roadsy Privacy Policy.