A carpool log template that does the math
Download the trip template, log date, driver, riders and miles, and drop it back in: every balance and who pays whom.
| Pooltally | A blank spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Split | Per child or per family, rounded so it adds up to the cent | Write the formulas and fix the leftover cents yourself |
| Rate | IRS rate by trip date, your own rate, or gas ÷ mpg | Look up and type the rate |
| Settle-up | Fewest payments, plus turns owed | Work it out by hand |
| Price | Free: every family's balance, the settle-up and every flag. Pro: $7 for 7 days, $9/month or $49/year, any number of carpools — one price, not per child. | Free |
Honest take: if your spreadsheet already works, keep it and drop it into Pooltally to check the balances.
FAQ
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your files are read by JavaScript in your browser tab and never sent to us or anyone else. Trips aren't stored, so closing the tab clears them. The rate and split options can be saved in this browser if you ask; the carpool name never is.
What rate per mile should a carpool use?
Whatever the group agrees. Many use the IRS business standard mileage rate because it is public and covers the whole cost of a car: 72.5 cents a mile from January 1, 2026 and 76 cents from July 1, 2026 (70 cents in 2025). Gas money alone is gas price ÷ mpg, often 10–15 cents a mile.
Per child or per family?
Per child charges each family for the seats its children use, so a family with two kids riding pays twice the share of a family with one. Per family splits each trip equally between the households riding. Pooltally shows both.
How does the settle-up work?
Each family's balance is what the trips it drove are worth minus its share of every trip. The largest debtor pays the largest creditor, then the next, until everyone is even — at most one payment fewer than the number of families.
How are the cents handled?
Each trip's cost is rounded to the cent, then split among the riders by rounding every share down and giving the leftover cents to the largest remainders, so the shares always add up exactly to the trip.
Can I deduct carpool miles?
Generally no — driving your own and other people's children to school isn't business travel. Pooltally uses the IRS rate only as a fair price per mile. It is not tax advice.
What's free?
Every family's balance, the settle-up payments, the turns owed, every flag, 3 what-ifs and 12 trips on screen and in print (with a footer). Pro shows every trip and every what-if and adds a statement for every family, the Excel workbook and CSV exports.
Is this tax, legal or insurance advice?
No. Pooltally does the arithmetic on the trips you enter. Keep payments to the shared cost of driving; if you're unsure how your auto policy treats carpools, ask your insurer.