To create a mileage claim in Dext, select Add documents, then Create mileage, and enter your trip details. Creating a claim also creates a cost item in the Costs inbox, which records the expense. You view your trips on the Mileage page under Costs. This article also covers how to complete the cost item, how to view your trips, and answers to common questions.
These steps are for the Dext web app. For the mobile app, go to How to add a mileage claim using the mobile app
Before your first claim
Your first mileage claim for a personal vehicle needs some extra information. The Create mileage claim form shows a message when this applies.
Your first claim needs to be the total distance you've logged so far in the current tax year, including claims made in and out of Dext. This makes sure reimbursement rates apply correctly once a threshold is reached, such as the UK's 10,000-mile limit. You can archive this claim after you create it. If you haven't claimed any mileage for personal vehicles earlier in the tax year, you can ignore the message.
Note: You'll also need a vehicle before you can submit a claim. Select Add a vehicle on the form, or go to How to add, edit, and delete vehicles in Dext
Create a mileage claim
To create a mileage claim, open the Add documents panel and select Create mileage. You can also go to Costs > Mileage and select Create mileage claim.
Select Add documents, then select Create mileage under the Costs tab
Choose your Vehicle and the Date
If you chose an electric vehicle, choose the Charging location: Home charging or Public charging
Enter the From and To locations (optional), and select One-way or Round trip
Enter or confirm the Distance. If you didn't enter locations, add the distance manually
If you chose a personal vehicle, enter the number of Passengers
Add a Description (optional)
Select Create claim
To add a stop along the way, select Add stop (the + button) next to From. When you enter locations, the map shows your route. Drag the line to adjust it.
See how Dext calculates your claim
To see how Dext calculates the amount, select Show trip calculation before you create the claim. Dext shows the calculated amount (the distance multiplied by the rate), the total amount, and the tax amount. Select Hide trip calculation to close it.
Complete the mileage cost item
After you select Create claim, Dext creates a mileage cost item in the Costs inbox to record the expense, and opens it. You need to complete the Supplier and Category fields, which Dext flags until you fill them in.
If an Admin has set a default supplier or category in the mileage settings, Dext fills these fields in for you. For more details, go to How to manage mileage settings and rates in Dext
If a field is empty:
Choose the Supplier
Choose the Category
Mileage details
The Item details page for a mileage cost item has a Mileage details section. It shows the trip details you entered, such as the locations, trip type, vehicle, and distance.
Edit line items
Dext automatically splits a mileage claim into line items. To code or categorise them further, select Edit line items, update each line item as needed, then select Done.
For more details, go to How to manually create line items in Dext
When the cost item is ready, you can export or publish it to your accounting software from the Costs inbox.
View your mileage summary
The Mileage Summary page shows an overview of total distance travelled and potential reimbursement for the selected tax year. To open it, go to Costs > Mileage.
Each claim you create adds its trip to this page, alongside the cost item in the Costs inbox that records the expense.
Note: Admins, including accountants and bookkeepers working in a client account, can view all vehicles and all users' trips. Standard users only see their own vehicles and mileage activity.
Summary tab
The Summary tab shows totals for the selected tax year:
Total amount claimed
Total tax (if applicable)
Total claimed distance
Total number of trips
You can filter by:
Personal or company vehicles (UK only)
Vehicle or driver
Tax year
Selecting a driver opens the All trips tab, filtered for that user.
All trips tab
The All trips tab lists every individual trip logged for the selected tax year. From here, you can filter, sort, and export trips, and open a trip to see its details.
You can:
Choose a different tax year.
Select the filter icon to narrow the list by trip details, amounts, dates, vehicle, or driver, then select Apply. Select Reset to clear the filters.
Select the settings (gear) icon to choose which columns appear in the table, then select Apply. Some columns, such as passengers, tax, and charging location, are hidden by default.
Sort the list using the arrows in the column headings.
Select the trips you want, then select Export CSV. Select the checkbox at the top of the table to select every trip.
Trip details
Select a trip in the All trips tab to open its details. The page shows the claim summary, trip details, and how Dext calculated the amount, with a Mileage trip details panel beside it.
Use Previous and Next to move between trips, or Back to return to the list. You can also download or print the claim.
Important: You can't edit the details of a mileage trip after you create it. To code the resulting cost item, or export or publish it to your accounting software, go to the Costs inbox.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my mileage calculating?
Check the following:
A vehicle has been added
Your account is in a supported region
You've entered a manual distance or From/To locations
All required fields are completed
Refreshing the page or re-entering the distance can also resolve display issues.
Why does my first claim ask for year-to-date mileage?
This makes sure cumulative mileage calculations — such as the UK's 10,000-mile threshold — apply correctly from the start of the tax year.
Why can't I see other users' trips?
Only Business Admins can view all users' mileage activity. Standard users see only their own vehicles and claims.