Logbook periods
Create, activate and validate the logging windows that establish a vehicle's business use percentage.
A logbook period is a continuous window of journey logging used to establish a vehicle's business use percentage. Periods are the foundation of the Operating Cost Method.
| Jurisdiction | Minimum period | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ATO) | 12 continuous weeks | 5 FBT years |
| New Zealand (IRD) | 90 continuous days | 3 years |
A period must represent the vehicle's typical use. A new logbook is required if usage patterns change by more than 10%.
Period lifecycle
A period moves through Draft → Active → Validated → Expired.
| Status | What it means | Editable? | Entries counted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | Created but not yet active. Dates and notes can be edited. | Yes | No |
| Active | Collecting entries. Journeys within the date range are linked to it. | No | Yes |
| Validated | Business use percentage calculated and locked, ready for FBT assessment. | No | Yes (locked) |
| Expired | Past its validity date. A new logbook period is needed. | No | Historical only |
Create a period
Open Logbook Periods
Go to Logbooks → Logbook Periods and select New Period.
Choose the vehicle and start date
Select the vehicle the period covers and choose a start date. The end date is calculated for you: 12 weeks (84 days) after the start for AU, or 90 days for NZ.
Add notes and create
Add any notes, then select Create Period. The period starts as Draft.
Activate it
When you're ready to start logging, open the period's actions and select Activate. Logbook entries dated within the period are linked to it automatically.
Validate a period
When the period is complete, with every week or day covered:
Select Validate
Open the period's actions and select Validate.
Check the summary
The dialog shows the business use percentage; business, private and total kilometres; and the expiry date. It warns you if any entries are still unclassified, because those are left out of the calculation.
Confirm
Select Validate Period. The business use percentage is locked, and the period can be used for Operating Cost Method assessments.
Expiry and renewal
Periods expire automatically once past their validity date: 5 FBT years from the year the logbook was prepared for AU, or 3 years for NZ. Fleet and Finance administrators get a renewal alert 90 days before a period expires.
Overlapping periods
Each vehicle can have only one active or validated period at a time. Vectis stops you creating overlapping periods for the same vehicle.
The logbook dashboard
Logbooks → Dashboard shows:
- summary cards: total vehicles, covered vehicles, expiring periods and average business use percentage;
- a compliance grid showing which vehicles have active or validated periods;
- alerts for periods about to expire;
- a calendar view of logging activity.