Per Diem Days Out Tracker

What it does

Drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can use the per diem method instead of saving every meal receipt — but only if the days are counted. This tracker lists every day of the tax year, you mark each one from a dropdown, and the totals your tax pro needs are waiting on the Summary tab.

• Days Log: 366 pre-dated rows (every day of the tax year, generated from the year you type on Settings — so the same file works next year; the Feb 29 row simply shows — in a non-leap year) with a Full / Partial / Home dropdown and a notes column for load numbers or cities
• Per diem for each day (full rate on Full days, the partial-day percentage on the day you leave and the day you return, $0 at home), the deductible share, and running totals down the page
• Summary: full days, partial days, home days, total per diem, deductible amount, days-out %, average per diem per day out — all live
• Month-by-month and quarter-by-quarter tables (days and dollars) so estimated-tax planning is a glance, not a project
• "Value at your tax rate": type your effective rate and see what the deduction is worth in real dollars — and per day out
• The daily rate, deductible percentage and partial-day percentage are inputs with notes on where to verify them, not hard-coded — when the published rate changes, update one cell

What's included

• 1 Excel workbook (.xlsx) with 4 tabs: Start Here · Summary · Days Log · Settings
• Settings tab: tax year, per diem daily rate, deductible %, partial-day % (ships with the figures that applied when the file was made, with a reminder to verify each fall) and the status list behind the dropdown, so you can add your own statuses
• Nine months of realistic example days already logged (an OTR driver out about three weeks at a time) so every total shows on first open
• Start Here tab with 4 steps and a color legend
• Instant digital download — no subscription, no macros

Tabs

• Start Here
• Summary
• Days Log
• Settings