Rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft tracks some of your mileage, but not all of it — and not nearly everything that you can deduct. Uber and Lyft's driver app will record on-trip mileage, or how many miles you drive when you have a passenger in the car.

Yes, Lyft tracks your miles, but how you access that data depends on your needs. For drivers, Lyft provides a summary of "booked miles" (miles driven while a passenger is in the car) and often "online miles" (miles driven while the app is on and you are waiting for a request) in your weekly earnings statements and annual tax summary. However, for tax purposes, many independent contractors find that Lyft's internal tracking is insufficient because it may not include "commute miles" to your first pick-up or miles driven between different apps (like Uber). Therefore, many professional drivers use third-party apps like MileIQ, Everlance, or Gridwise to get a comprehensive, IRS-ready mileage log. For passengers, Lyft tracks the distance of your specific trip to calculate your fare, and you can view the total mileage for any past ride by looking at the "Ride History" or the emailed receipt, which serves as a digital record for business expense reimbursements.