Legal security of the electronic driver's logbook
14. Oct 2022 | By Malena Gärtner
Be sure how to use your vehicle - for yourself and the tax office!
Why do I need a logbook?
Well-kept logbooks allow you to track the use of your vehicle in a very simple and straightforward way. You record which routes you have traveled and whether these trips were of a private or professional nature. Careful and proper record keeping of such a book is essential, as it must be claimed as a basis for the calculation of the tax return.
You should also bear in mind that the 1% rule has disadvantages for you in the case of frequently used vehicles and that it is therefore better to use properly kept driver's logbooks.
Which logbooks are accepted by the tax office?
Avoid unnecessary expenses and missed tax refunds due to incorrect bookkeeping!
Not all logbook software is accepted by the tax office as part of the tax return. In particular, common programs such as Excel or Word are rejected as proof by the tax office. This is because changes can be made in these, which in turn means possible manipulation of the data. A change or manipulation of the logbook data is not permitted either by law or by the office, so logbooks must have both a change tracking and a manipulation protection. Just as strict as in the case of changes and manipulation attempts, the tax office is forced to disallow the entire logbook in the case of incorrect records.
Be on the safe side and only use programs that have been recognized as a driver's logbook by the tax office! The selection of accepted software solutions for driver's logbooks is not very broad, but on the other hand, these can be used in your vehicles without hesitation. By consistently using this software, you can ensure that your driver's logbooks are tax office-compliant and legally secure, and thus comply with all standards and specifications, and you will not suffer any disadvantages in terms of tax compensation.
Which program should I use for my logbooks?
Use Fleetster as one of the software for logbooks accepted by the tax office!
We recommend the fleetster program, which was developed together with tax advisors and strictly according to the law, so it complies with all legal standards and at the same time is a software accepted by the tax office.
The easy handling, both in everyday life and during installation speaks for this electronic driver's logbook. Within only thirty minutes after receiving the OBD2 plug, you can already put your electronic driver's logbook from fleetster into operation.
Of course, you can also use the software as a stand-alone recording device, but most of our customers use the variant of the hardware plug OBD2. In everyday life, you can conveniently view the data via an app and, if necessary, send it to the tax office as a PDF.
What about data backup with fleetster?
Your data is safe - even for years!
The tried and tested OBD2 connector documents every journey without gaps or errors. If required, we can also permanently install the hardware in the respective vehicle, so that you can rely on continuous route documentation without having to fear the wilful removal of the connector and the resulting gaps in tracking.
The transfer of data to the data center in Frankfurt/Germany is fully automatic and likewise all captured data is stored in the cloud.
Even in the long term, we take over the legal storage of the data for 10 years for you. The information stored in the data center will continue to be kept even if you should no longer be a customer of fleetster. So you have maximum data protection that you do not have to worry about yourself!
How secure is Fleetster with regard to manipulation?
The software does not allow changes without traceability!
fleetster records the time, date and distance traveled for each trip. This key data cannot be edited and thus cannot be changed or manipulated. In addition, there is no option to delete entries. This makes this electronic driver's logbook legally secure and compliant with the BFH ruling of 16.3.2006, BStBl. II, p. 625
In addition, the integrated change history documents every small adjustment of the changeable data. This means that you can track every change after the original first entry. With this change log fleetster complies with the BFH ruling of 16.11.2005 - VI R 64/04.
DSGVO at fleetster
We ensure compliance with the GDPR with expert management!
Like all other companies, we are subject to German data protection laws and regularly perform so-called penetration tests by external companies. fleetster's long-standing partnerships with major corporates have made it one of the leading companies in the industry when it comes to data protection.
We are certified regarding data security and also have an excellent data protection team in-house. In addition to this, sensitive user data is transported exclusively SSL-encrypted and secured and managed according to the latest technology in the data center in Frankfurt/Germany.
How can I export data from fleetster?
Easy handling and fast evaluation with a few simple steps!
You can export a freely selectable period of time as a PDF at any time. The unchangeable PDF documents can thus be easily forwarded to the tax office as a driver's logbook, thus providing a tax-compliant driver's logbook. In addition, you can also select the interface in a csv. format to have the stored data evaluated internally.
Is Fleetster also suitable for the privately used journeys of a company car?
Your privacy is assured!
The software includes the option to make private journeys unrecognizable to the extent that, for example, the addresses can be hidden for private use. This way, you can be sure that your data from private journeys will not be included in the documentation for the tax office and the 1% rule will be dispensable for you.