Why I Built Kilevo, a Mileage Tracking App Connected to Your Calendars

It All Started with a Spreadsheet

Like many self-employed professionals and small business owners, I used to track my mileage reimbursements in a spreadsheet. Every month, I'd log my business trips in a homemade Excel file: date, starting point, destination, miles driven, purpose of the trip.

On paper, it sounds simple. In practice, it was a nightmare.

Between forgotten trips, rough distance estimates calculated from memory, and evenings spent catching up on months of backlog at year-end, managing my mileage reimbursements had become a dreaded chore. Not to mention the anxiety every time I had to hand these documents over to my accountant — always with that nagging doubt: "Is this actually IRS-compliant?"

I searched for a mileage tracking app that could automate all of this. I tried several, but none of them really fit what I needed: either they were too complex, or they required manually re-entering every single trip, or they didn't generate proper documentation for tax purposes.

The Birth of a Simple Internal Tool

As a developer by trade, I eventually thought: "What if I just built my own mileage reimbursement app?"

The idea was straightforward: since all my business appointments are already in my calendar, why not use that as the data source? Instead of manually logging each trip, the app would pull appointments directly from Google Calendar, automatically calculate the distances, and apply the current IRS standard mileage rate.

I built a rough first version and started using it in my own company. We're a team of three, all regularly on the road for client meetings. The app saved us a ton of time: no more manual notes, no more calculations by hand, no more spreadsheets to maintain.

Over the following months, we kept improving the tool. We added the ability to connect multiple calendars — including ICS feeds for those using industry-specific software or Apple Calendar. We built in support for multiple vehicles, different trip types, and most importantly, automatic generation of a complete PDF report with all the information required for tax compliance.

But at that point, it was still purely an internal tool. The design was minimal, almost non-existent. We were focused entirely on functionality, with no intention of turning it into a commercial product.

The Turning Point: an IRS Audit

Two years ago, our company was selected for an IRS audit. Like any business that reimburses employees for mileage, we had to justify every payment: dates of travel, locations, purposes, distances driven, and how we calculated the reimbursements.

When the auditor asked for our records, we handed over the PDF report generated by our app. She reviewed it carefully, spot-checked a few trips, and looked up at us with a surprised expression.

"This is really well done. It's clear, organized, everything's here. What software did you use for this?"

I explained that it was an app I had built internally for our own needs. She nodded, visibly impressed by the level of detail: each trip with its origin and destination, the calculated distance, the mileage rate applied, and the formula shown.

Then, as she was packing up her documents, she added with a smile: "You should consider selling this. A lot of people could use something like this."

At the time, I took it as a joke. But that comment stuck with me.

From Internal Tool to Public App

After that audit, I started seriously considering the idea of turning our internal tool into a real mileage tracking app available to everyone.

The evidence was right there: if our scrappy little tool had impressed an IRS auditor, it clearly addressed a real need. And that need is shared by thousands of self-employed professionals, freelancers, and small business owners across the country. All those people spending their evenings catching up on expense reports. All those dreading the possibility of an audit. All those who know they're forgetting trips — and leaving money on the table.

So we rebuilt the app from scratch. We worked on the design to make it accessible to everyone, not just developers. We added features requested by our early testers: the ability to import past calendar history to catch up on the previous year, attached receipt management, and tracking of reimbursements already processed.

We also expanded the calendar connections: in addition to Google Calendar, the app now syncs with Outlook, Apple Calendar via iCalendar, and any ICS feed — which means you can import appointments from most CRMs and industry-specific software on the market.

That's how Kilevo was born.

A Mileage Reimbursement App Built for Simplicity

Today, Kilevo is a mileage tracking app that does the work for you. You connect your calendars — Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, ICS feeds — and the app automatically imports your appointments. It calculates the distances, applies the current IRS standard mileage rate based on your vehicle type, and generates a complete mileage log, ready for tax filing or an audit.

No more spreadsheets to maintain. No more forgotten trips. No more stress if the IRS comes knocking.

From day one, our goal was to offer an affordable tool. Because when you're self-employed or running a small business, every dollar counts. That's why Kilevo offers a free plan to get started, and full-access subscriptions starting at $69 per year — less than $6 a month to never worry about mileage tracking again.

What Kilevo Actually Does for You

If you're still using a spreadsheet or a notebook to track your business trips, here's what Kilevo can change for you:

Your appointments are already in your calendar. Kilevo pulls them automatically and builds your mileage log without you having to enter a single thing.

Distances are calculated accurately. No more guessing "roughly" how many miles you drove.

The IRS mileage rate is always current. Kilevo automatically applies the correct rate based on your vehicle type and trip category — whether it's business, medical, or charitable.

Your records are audit-ready in one click. A complete PDF with dates, locations, purposes, distances, and calculations — exactly what the IRS expects if they ever ask.