Classify Drives as Business or Personal
A drive doesn't count toward your deduction until it's filed in a deductible category. Here's every way to classify drives, from a single swipe to rules that do it for you.
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Swipe to Classify a Drive
On the "Drives" tab, drag a drive card to the right to file it as "Business" or to the left to file it as "Personal". A colored backing appears behind the card as you drag. Once you've dragged far enough, the backing reads "Release for Business" (or "Release for Personal") and you'll feel a small click. Let go to commit. A confirmation pill appears with an "Undo" button, so a wrong swipe is a one-tap fix. If you've renamed the built-in categories, the swipe uses your names.
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Classify From the Drive Detail Screen
Tap a drive card to open it. Below the map and stats there's a row of category buttons, one per category. Tap one to file the drive; a short confirmation reads "Filed as Business" (or whichever category you chose). Tap the highlighted category again to clear it. The confirmation reads "Classification cleared" and the drive goes back to unclassified. This is also where you pick custom categories, since the swipe gesture only covers the two built-ins.
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Classify From the Notification
When automatic tracking logs a drive that still needs filing, MileMarker posts a "Drive logged" notification with the recorded distance and a prompt to tap and classify it. Press and hold the notification and two quick actions appear, "Business" and "Personal". Tap one to file the drive without opening the app. Automatic tracking is a Pro feature, included in your 7-day trial.
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Classify Several Drives at Once
Touch and hold any drive card, or tap the checklist button beside the search field (VoiceOver calls it "Select Drives"). The screen title changes to a count, for example "3 Selected". Tap cards to add or remove them, then tap "Classify" in the bar at the bottom. The menu lists "Business", "Personal", any categories you've added, and "Move to Unclassified". The bar also offers "Delete", "Merge" once you've picked 2 or more drives, and a "Job" menu if you've created jobs. Tap "Cancel" at the top, or the close button in the bar, when you're done.
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Clear a Backlog With Tag All
While you have unclassified drives, a reminder card sits above the list, for example "5 drives to classify". Tap it to jump to the "Unclassified" filter and swipe through them, or tap "Tag All as Personal" to sweep the whole queue at once. A confirmation asks first and notes "You can still reclassify any drive individually afterward." The card's close button hides it for the rest of the session. The sweep suits people whose driving is mostly personal with the occasional business drive.
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Add Your Own Categories
MileMarker starts with two categories, "Business" and "Personal". To add more, open the "Settings" tab, tap "Drives & Data", then "Categories", then "Add category". Give the category a name, color, and icon, and pick a type: "Business (deductible)", "Personal (not deductible)", "Charity (deductible)", "Medical (deductible)", or "Informational only". The type sets the tax treatment, so charity and medical categories value miles at their own IRS rates. Built-in categories can be renamed and recolored but not deleted. Custom categories show up in the drive detail control, the bulk "Classify" menu, and rule actions.
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Set Up Auto-Classify Rules (Pro)
Open the "Settings" tab, tap "Drives & Data", then "Rules", then "Add rule". Name the rule and add conditions: "Starts at place", "Ends at place", "Day of week", "Time of day", or "Distance range". All conditions on a rule must match. Then pick the action: any category, or "Skip / ignore" to keep matching drives out of the classify queue. Rules run in order and the first match wins; tap "Reorder" to change their priority. Rules classify new drives as they're saved. They don't reach back into your existing list, so clear a backlog with multi-select instead. A drive a rule filed shows a small "rule" badge on its row, and once you classify a drive yourself, rules leave it alone.
If Something's Off
A drive won't swipe and its row shows a "locked" badge.
That drive belongs to a locked tax year, and locked years can't be edited or reclassified. Open the "Reports" tab, select that year, and unlock it there. The unlock is permanently recorded in the audit trail, then the drive classifies normally.
My rules stopped classifying drives.
Rules pause when Pro access ends, including when the trial runs out. The "Rules" screen then shows "Rules are a Pro feature" and notes your existing rules are paused until you upgrade. Also check the rule's "Enabled" toggle is on and that it has at least one condition. A rule with no conditions never runs, and the "Rules" screen flags it.
A new rule didn't fix my old drives.
Rules apply to drives as they're logged, never retroactively. Deleting a rule changes nothing either; the confirmation notes "Already-classified drives keep their classification." Use multi-select and the "Classify" menu to file the backlog.
I swiped a drive the wrong way.
Tap "Undo" on the confirmation that appears right after the swipe. If it's already gone, open the drive and tap the other category, or tap the highlighted one to clear the classification.
The list scrolls when I try to swipe a card.
Drag straight sideways. The card only classifies on a clearly horizontal drag; anything mostly vertical scrolls the list instead. Keep dragging until the backing reads "Release for Business" or "Release for Personal", then let go.
Common questions
Why does classifying drives matter?
Only drives in a deductible category count toward your deduction, and each one is valued at the IRS rate in effect the day you drove. Personal and unclassified drives show "no deduction" on their row, and your reports only total what you've classified. An unclassified business drive is a deduction you haven't claimed yet.
Is classifying drives free?
Yes. Swiping, multi-select, custom categories, and manual logging are free forever. Auto-classify rules, automatic tracking, CarPlay auto-start, IRS PDF reports, Jobs, and multiple vehicles are Pro. Every install starts a 7-day all-Pro trial at first launch with no card, and subscriptions are monthly or yearly, managed through Apple.
Can I use categories besides business and personal?
Yes. Add your own under "Settings", "Drives & Data", "Categories", with types for business, personal, charity, medical, or informational-only tracking. Custom categories appear in the drive detail control, the bulk "Classify" menu, and rule actions. The swipe gesture stays reserved for "Business" and "Personal".
Do business drives need anything besides the category?
The IRS asks for a purpose on every business drive. MileMarker flags business drives missing one with a small "purpose" badge on the row; open the drive to add it. If the category alone is enough detail for you, turn off "Purpose reminders" under "Settings", "Drives & Data".
What does the Skip / ignore rule action do?
It tells MileMarker a matching drive doesn't need classifying. The drive stays unclassified for the math, but it leaves the classify queue: it's not counted in the "Unclassified" filter, the reminder card, or "Tag All". Use it for driving you never deduct and don't want to keep filing.
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