Vehicle as an expense

The courier's car guide: How to get your mileage and tax deductions right (without the hassle)

A car - or any other vehicle - is probably your most important tool right after your phone. Yet couriers have a persistent misunderstanding about its costs.

The most important thing right off the bat: Mileage allowances or car expenses are not paid directly to your account on top of your salary or fee.

When you report your mileage and car expenses correctly, they reduce your taxable income. In practice, this means you pay less tax and keep more in your pocket – the benefit comes through taxation, not as an extra lump sum in a bank transfer.

For this to work, things need to be in order on paper (or in the app). Here's how to get it done.

1. Report your car's details

So we can do your bookkeeping correctly, we need your car's details in the Truster app. We're not asking for them to judge your ride, but to make sure your tax deductions are secured.

We need at least the following details:

• Registration number
• The car's value in euros
• Usage rate: Do you drive the car for more or less than 50 % work use?

How to prove the car's value

The Finnish Tax Administration is interested in how much your car costs.

• Bought less than a year ago: Add the bill of sale to the app.
• Older car / no bill of sale: Get a free valuation online (e.g. Alma Ajo).

Here's how:

1. Go to the Alma Ajo service.
2. Enter the registration number and odometer reading.
3. Take a screenshot of the valuation under "Aikajana" (the screenshot must show the registration number, price, and date).
4. Upload the image to the Truster app: Menu → Vehicle details.

2. The "50 percent rule" - How are deductions calculated?

This is the part that determines how your vehicle is treated for tax purposes.

A) Do you drive more than 50 % work use?

If your car is on the road more for gigs than for your own trips, the Tax Administration treats it as a business tool.

• What you get: We deduct the car's actual expenses (fuel, washes, servicing, insurance) for tax purposes, as well as 25 % of the car's value as an annual depreciation.

B) Do you drive less than 50 % work use?

If the car is mainly for personal use, the Tax Administration treats it as your private car.

• What you get: You get a mileage allowance for tax purposes (in 2026: 0,55 €/km) based on the work trips driven.

3. The driving log is everything

This is no joke: No driving log, no deductions.

The Tax Administration wants it in black and white where you've driven. If the driving log is missing, the Tax Administration can deny the deductions, and that stings in your wallet.

Every work trip must include:

• Date and times (start & end)
• Exact addresses (from where to where, each gig separately)
• Kilometres driven
• Purpose of the trip (e.g. "food delivery")
• Odometer readings at the start and end

4. Forget Excel - Start using Driversnote

Nobody wants to log trips in a notebook in a dark car. That's why we recommend the Driversnote app. It does the dirty work for you: you just press Start at the beginning of a gig and Stop at the end.

Why Driversnote?

• It only tracks work trips. You don't need to log personal trips separately.
• As a Truster user, you get Driversnote for free.

Do this at year-end: When the year changes, create a report of the whole year's trips in the app.

1. Keep the report yourself (for at least 6 years). Don't send the report to Truster.
2. Just report the total kilometres to us in the tax return survey, which we send you early in the year.

Pro tip: If Driversnote isn't your thing, you can use any other method, as long as the details are recorded. The main thing is that they can be found if the Tax Administration asks.

In summary:

1. Add your car's details to the app right away.
2. Keep a driving log for every gig (Driversnote is your friend).
3. Remember: The money doesn't land in your account right away – the benefit comes as lower taxes in your final tax assessment.