Transitioning into CRE from the military, how do I best prep for taxes?
CRE Community, 

I’ve spent the greater part of my adult life in the military on a W-2. Every year prior to this I’ve done my own taxes. One revenue stream and minimal deductions made that easy. 

I’ve recently been picked up by a small CRE company. I’m learning the ropes and have been questioning what I should be keeping track of.

Specific Questions:
1) How do you track your miles driven? I understand back and forth to the office doesn’t count, though, today I drove an hour one way for a listing. 
2) What receipts or expenses should I start keeping, or need to keep track of? 
3) Are there and apps that aid in this tracking? 
4) Should I hire a CPA? I’m only on my first month in CRE, so I’m not making any real money for the foreseeable future. 

Thank you for your time! Looking forward to your insight.  Hammer
[{"id": "e04rp9t", "text": "Hey bud, fellow vet and current broker. I use Everlance for miles. Ask your coworkers who they use for tax/accounting. Older guys usually have someone reliable that knows our biz so they can get you set up. Good luck.", "replies": [{"id": "e057cze", "text": "Thank you, looks like a good app. I\u2019m the youngest guy in the place by decades, not on the same level with income and tech. Thanks for the free candy. ", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "e04uoys", "text": "You are straight commission? \n\nAnything that could be tangentially related to the business you want to deduct. When you do your taxes, if you have any income, likely that income is not going to be taxed. And since it is your first year, you have no prior years to set a baseline for what they will withhold, so best case scenario, you will owe a scary bit in taxes at the end of the year, but will have the money to pay it. \n\nMore likely scenario, you will make nothing this year, and have a net loss for future years. \n\nNobody really checks milage all that often, but it helps to keep a notebook of when you left and where so you can add them up at the end of the year. Anything spent on uniforms, such as suits, gym memberships, food with clients, any and all things you want to keep track of. Having a separate card for business uses helps. Your computer is also a write off, your cell phone, if you use a portion of your house as an office you can write that off too. \n\nYou may not need to count your chickens before they hatch. You will need income before hiring a CPA, so maybe once you do your first deal you can think about those matters. \n\nSome brokers set up an LLC for them to operate under, as it allows taxes to be handled differently. If you do something like that, then a CPA would be necessary. Good luck. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "e057ixc", "text": "Woof! Reading your user name as one of the comments can make your BH pucker. \n\nThe LLC and separate account is good info. Thank you for the advice! ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "e05w3zu", "text": "A good rule of thumb for someone just starting out in a commission only industry is to put 20&amp;#37; of each commission away for taxes.  After the first year you will be able to better figure out how much or little you need to add to that amount.", "replies": [{"id": "e060erw", "text": "Good rule to follow. Thank you for that. ", "replies": [{"id": "e07pubc", "text": "I usually go with 1/3, just to be safe ", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}]