Smartdriverclub is targeting self-employed workers with the launch of a new business mileage recording device.

The Business Miles feature of the device, which plugs into a car behind the steering column, allows business vs personal miles to be downloaded directly into an expense form.

Smartdriverclub also offers safety features such as crash alerts which can speed up the response of emergency services, breakdown recovery support and warnings of any emerging problems in the car. 

All the drivers’ information and services are viewable via a secure online portal or the Smartdriverclub app called Viewpoint.

Penny Searles, CEO of Smartdriverclub, said: “When you’re self-employed, as I have been at various stages in my life, jobs like recording business miles tend to get left to evenings and weekends, or put aside completely until tax return time when guesstimates often replace accuracy.

"With motoring costs escalating, it’s crucial self-employed workers accurately record their business mileage and claim what is rightly due to them.”

Self-employed workers can claim a fixed rate mileage allowance for business travel where the cost of buying the vehicle is included in the mileage claim.  They should ideally keep a note of all business journeys as evidence of the number of miles claimed in each tax year.

Smartdriverclub’s Business Miles allows drivers to tag journeys as Business or Personal, and even to set business hours into the app to ensure automatic tagging of any miles driven.

The tracking feature also enables the driver to provide ‘evidence of trip’ to validate any claims.