Right, but the time spent during the year is still time spent. Then there is stuff like, oh, say I bought a couple cases of oil on sale, and used some in vehicle A at 42 % business usage (plus the logging & figuring of % business usage!) and some in Vehicle B at 29% business use. So to be accurate I gotta track how much oil I used in A and how much in B. I looked some years at using the std. mileage rate, but usually did worse with that — and one still has to log miles, etc. I probably ought to have Wifey also create a better spreadsheet for vehicle expenses, and try to keep up with it better, but I’m just so damn backlogged with bills & accounting & paperwork all the time anyway — and this is just for a silly little 1-person business.
Where’s that cartoon about computers “reducing” paperwork...?
I keep up with mileage most of the time but not much else related to travel. Just too small potatoes. Even during the year it’s not that complicated or time consuming. I get interest/taxes/hoa electronically in one place and I have depreciation figured out easily. I usually only have 0-2 repairs a year per property so its not too bad keeping up with those. But yes, paperwork sucks. I’m sure if I was more of a stickler I might save a couple hundred bucks but I’d rather do one consulting call @ $300 per hour or push for another promotion at work which would increase my pay $100k/yr than worry about the little things.