It's a Team's Life
Can You Recreate History?
When talking to our accountant he asked if I print off our logs each month and I told him no I save them to a file and back them up to a thumb drive. He replied with as long as you can print them if needed. I next asked about drivers that are using calendars are nothing at all. His reply is that they will be in a world of hurt if audited and they cannot reproduce logs.
When talking with another driver who uses a calendar I told him what my accountant had to say on this subject. First, his response was my accountant says the calendar will work. My reply was the IRS is like accountants I believe and while one account says you must have the logs the other says no need. What happens if you get the IRS agent that says to produce the logs?
The next reply was I will get a bunch of log books and reproduce the logs needed. That might have worked in the past but I do not think that will work now. He asked why I thought that? I reminded him that the IRS is going to want to see the print out from the electronic logs, not a paper log. This comment was followed by silence and then more silence. The next words where I had better figure out how to save my electronic logs.
Is the accountant right or wrong? I do not know but I do know this is that if audited this is the easy way to prove per diem. If you have the time or relish a good fight in court then go for the calendar or nothing at all or hope for the IRS agent that does not want to see actual logs. It is your choice or your accountants choice on which way to go.
This is the start of the year start it off right by saving your logs or printing them out. Whatever ELD you are using they are only required to keep your logs for six months and after that, they are gone. If you do not download your logs to your device then they are gone and if leased to a company they still cannot be reproduced. It is up to us to produce those logs for the IRS and if we cannot produce them we will lose as owner-operators our per diem for those days.
Talk to the company you are leased to on how to download logs or find out from the ELD company you are using how to save the logs. If still in doubt give ATBS a call at 888 640 4829. Whichever way it is up to you to be proactive.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.