Fahrtenbuch app in English for your iPhone
The Fahrtenbuch app Spurbuch runs in English on your iPhone. A Fahrtenbuch is the German driving logbook, and Spurbuch keeps it for you in the background while you drive.
For iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Try it free for 7 days.
When you need a Fahrtenbuch
In Germany, a logbook is how you show the tax office (Finanzamt) how much of your driving is for work. Most people need one in one of two cases:
- You have a company car and want to move away from the 1 % rule, which taxes 1 % of the car's gross list price every month, however little you drive privately.
- You drive your own car for work and want to claim 0.30 € for every business kilometre.
In both cases you have to show when you drove where, and why. That is the list Spurbuch writes for you.
How Spurbuch keeps the logbook
Spurbuch uses your iPhone's GPS and motion sensors to notice when you drive. It saves the start and end time, both addresses, the route and the kilometres, without you opening the app.
Once you arrive, you swipe the trip to business, private or commute. For a business trip you then add the purpose and the business partner, and you have 7 days to do that. After those 7 days the trip is locked, and every later change is saved as a new version with your reason.
At the end of the year, you export a PDF logbook with this change log, plus a CSV file. You give both to your tax adviser or add them to your tax return.
The rules are in German tax law, § 6 EStG for the 1 % rule and the logbook method.
German words you will meet
Since your tax office works in German, these terms come up often:
- Finanzamt: the local tax office
- 1 %-Regelung: the flat-rate method for company cars
- Kilometerpauschale: 0.30 € per business kilometre with your own car
- Entfernungspauschale: the commuting allowance, 0.38 € from the first kilometre (2026)
- Steuerberater:in: tax adviser
Your trips stay on your iPhone
A logbook shows where you were every day, so Spurbuch keeps your trips on your iPhone only. You don't need an account or an email address, and there is no cloud holding your routes.
After the 7-day free trial, Spurbuch costs 4.99 € a month or 39.99 € a year, paid through the App Store. Both plans include every feature.
Spurbuch is coming soon to the App Store
Send us a short email and we will write back as soon as the app is live. From then on, your next trip goes straight into your logbook.
Not tax advice. The Finanzamt does not certify logbook software, so whether your logbook is accepted is up to them. Please check with your tax adviser.