Record keeping best practices

Good records are the foundation of a reliable FTC claim. They support claim accuracy, reduce rework, and make BAS preparation faster.

What records to keep

At minimum, maintain evidence across four areas:

  • Fuel acquisition records: tax invoices, receipts, supplier statements
  • Usage evidence: trip/activity logs, telematics outputs, job or asset allocations
  • Calculation evidence: method used, assumptions, rates applied, adjustments
  • Governance evidence: who reviewed/approved the claim and when

Keep records consistent and connected

The key is traceability. You should be able to follow a clear line from:

  1. Fuel purchased
  2. Fuel used in business activities
  3. Eligible litres
  4. FTC amount claimed on BAS

Practical controls that help

  • Reconcile fuel card totals to uploaded statement data each period
  • Lock the calculation period once reviewed
  • Version-control any manual assumptions
  • Keep an exception log for missing or corrected records
  • Retain both raw source files and processed outputs

Common issues to avoid

  • Using estimates without documented basis
  • Applying outdated rates
  • Mixing business and non-business use without a clear allocation rule
  • Keeping summary totals but not source evidence

Retention and timing

You generally need to retain records long enough to support ATO review and to align with claim timing rules (including the 4-year claim window). If in doubt, keep records longer and in both accessible and backed-up formats.

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