Note: This article contains affiliate links. This article is intended for general informational purposes and may not reflect your unique tax situation.
If you’re a driver in the gig economy, you are operating as an independent contractor and a sole proprietor โ A business owner!
And as the new owner of non-W2 business income, your taxes can be a lot more complicated.
Many rideshare & delivery drivers make five tax mistakes that result in higher taxes and potential trouble with the IRS.
These mistakes are easily avoidable, so take a look and make sure you’re avoiding these mistakes.
First: Quick tax facts for rideshare & delivery drivers
- Gig economy drivers are 1099 independent contractors
- No taxes are withheld from your earnings — It’s up to you to pay your taxes!
- All of the apps provide a Tax Summary that shows your earnings for the year
- You may only receive 1099 tax forms if you meet certain thresholds
- You report rideshare income on the Schedule C tax form, and pay Self Employment taxes on Schedule SE
- If you decide to file your own taxes, software like TurboTax Self-Employed makes the process easier
Mistake: Incorrectly reporting your income
There is one big mistake that some drivers might make when reporting their rideshare income on the Schedule C:
- Reporting the gross fares figure from your 1099s without deducting Uber and Lyft’s fees
Both Uber and Lyft report your gross earnings to the IRS, meaning they report the amount you earned AND the fees they took.
That means that if you only report your net earnings to the IRS, your number won’t match up with the number the IRS gets on your 1099 forms.
It’s also a mistake to report the gross earnings number from the Uber or Lyft 1099 without deducting Uber & Lyft’s fees.
That will make your taxable income way higher than it actual is, meaning you’ll pay more in taxes than you should.
To avoid this mistake: When doing your business income calculation, enter your gross earnings as your business income, and enter Uber & Lyft’s fees on Line 10 (Commissions and Fees) of the Schedule C.
That will result in the proper net earnings amount, and will make your return line up with the information Uber & Lyft sent to the IRS.
Mistake: Taking the standard mileage deduction without calculating your actual vehicle expenses
The biggest deduction Uber and Lyft drivers typically take is for vehicle expenses. There are two ways to calculate & deduct your vehicle expenses.
One option is to take the standard mileage deduction (67 cents per mile for the 2024 tax year), which includes all vehicle-related expenses like fuel, maintenance and repairs.
The other option is to deduct your actual vehicle expenses.
For most drivers, the standard mileage deduction is generally higher than your actual vehicle expenses, but it is possible that your actual vehicle expenses are greater than the standard mileage deduction.
It’s a mistake to take the standard mileage deduction without calculating your actual vehicle expenses!
Actual vehicle expenses may exceed the standard mileage deduction if:
- You had to pay for major vehicle repairs
- You drive a more expensive truck or van
If your vehicle expenses were very high this year, don’t automatically take the standard mileage deduction.
How to avoid this mistake: Carefully track all of your vehicle-related expenses and your business-related miles throughout the year. It’s easiest to use an app like Gridwise to track & categorize vehicle expenses.
At tax time, compare the amount you’d get from the standard deduction to your actual vehicle expenses and take whichever deduction is greater.
Mistake: Forgetting to track your mileage
The standard mileage deduction will likely be your biggest deduction as a driver, but if you simply report a mileage number without backing it up with any logs you could be in for a headache if you get audited by the IRS.
You can’t rely on the mileage numbers reported by the apps because they don’t include all the miles that most CPAs agree are deductible.
It’s safest and smartest to track your own miles.
How to avoid this mistake: Use apps like Gridwise to easily and automatically track & categorize your mileage. The old school way — a mileage logbook โ works well too, but it is a lot more work.
Mistake: Not deducting enough miles, or deducting too many
It’s tempting to rely on the gig apps to tell you how many miles you can deduct, but using the figures they provide is a mistake.
Uber and Lyft tell you the number of miles you drove while logged into Driver Mode. That number is likely lower than your actual deductible miles.
Most CPAs and online tax resources agree that the miles you drive to your passengers, other miles you drive during your shift, and some commuting miles are deductible.
If you don’t include those in the miles you deduct, you’re missing out on tax savings.
Another mistake is to deduct too many miles.
It’s tempting beef up your mileage number to increase the amount you get from the standard mileage deduction, but it’s a dishonest practice that could come back to haunt you if you’re audited.
It’s one thing to include some miles that you believe are deductible, such as certain commuting miles, but it’s another to simply pad the number with extra non-business miles.
How to avoid this mistake: Carefully track your miles to log and categorize mileage so you can correctly deduct business mileage. You want to strike the right balance between not enough (Uber and Lyft’s #’s), and too many.
Feel lost on taxes? Get help here
If you’re feeling confused and overwhelmed about your taxes, TurboTax Self-Employed is the best tool to help you figure out your situation and file your return on time.
It has special instructions for gig economy drivers, so you won’t need any special knowledge to get started.
Mistake: Failing to file your taxes
This is an obvious one, but it’s something more common than you might think.
Many people simply don’t file a tax return at all, or completely exclude income from Uber and Lyft from their taxes because it adds extra complications.
It’s clearly a mistake, but it’s an understandable one. Taxes are stressful. You might not have enough money to cover your full tax bill, or you might be so overwhelmed by the process that you simply don’t do it, or put it off until another year.
Even though taxes are stressful and expensive, it’s always less stressful and less expensive to file your taxes and pay for them to the best of your ability.
Filing several years worth of tax returns is far more stressful than doing it every year, and if you’re not able to pay for this year’s taxes, you can set up a payment plan with the IRS.
And if you’re delaying your taxes because you’re overwhelmed by the process, there is plenty of free and affordable software like TurboTax Self-Employed that walks you through the process step by step.
How to avoid this mistake: File your taxes! If you want to file them yourself, using tax prep software like TurboTax Self-Employed is a good option.
If you’re feeling in over your head, local tax preparers can do the job too. Now that rideshare has been around for a few years, even low-cost tax preparers will know how to handle your situation.
Mike says
I have a question I receive my Uber 1099 – NEC. They seem to have put the wrong amount I made much more than what they submittedto me.. If I file that amount will I get audited?
DougH says
The 1099 does not subtract Uber’s fees. Check out your tax summary at partners.uber.com to see the uber fees that you can deduct. The 1099 amount minus the fees should equal the deposits you received in 2020
Chris says
Is it possible that your deductions are greater than the net money you made for Uber? I make less than the .67 per mile.
If that is the case do I owe taxes?
Doug H says
Yes, it’s possible to owe little or no taxes. But I always recommend being honest about your deductions. And remember that you can either deduct mileage OR actual vehicle expenses, not both. Some drivers incorrectly think they can still deduct gas and maintenance even after taking the standard mileage deduction.
STEVEN Roantes says
So, I have been rideshare driving for 5+ years now…I have always received a 1099-k…..For 202, no 1099-K, in this case, does the IRS know about my Uber/Lyft income with no 1099-k filed to the IRS? Will my filing the income cause a discrepancy because they will not have documentation of the earnings…….
DougH says
The companies have until February first to send out the 1099s. If you still don’t get anything, check the Tax Summary provided by each. As far as I know, both companies closely follow the 1099 guidelines and will always send your income to the IRS.
Ingrid says
Hello, we are currently dealing with an Uber and Lyft TAX issue. We received a Tax Deficiency letter from our 2017 taxes. We did our taxes with Liberty Tax here in Vegas. We didn’t receive any type of 1099-K at the time, so we went by what the tax preparer told us and asked us for. It’s been almost 4 years and now we find out she messed up and that Uber and Lyft are reporting $20K more than what the tax preparer sent to the IRS. I am so lost and have no idea what to do. This wasn’t our fault, we did everything the tax preparer asked us to do and gave her all the paperwork and info we had in hand. So, what advice can you offer me?
Best Regards
Ingrid
DougH says
If you are able to log in at partners.uber.com, go to the tax section. There you should find a ‘tax summary’ which should include your uber income and deductible platform expenses. It should also have a record of logged in miles, which can be a major deduction. Most Uber drivers don’t end up paying a ton in tax because of the mileage deduction.
Since this is a pretty serious tax issue, you could ask around to people you know for tax preparers in your area who can help you. But getting that information from the Tax Summary is a good first step
Ed says
I was deactivated by uber and lyft. Can you help me?
DougH says
You might be able to get reactivated if you contact them and ask, but in the mean time the best move is to drive for similar services.
Donna says
Hello! ๐ I made this mistake twice: in 2017 and 2018 I reported the 1099 as my income and Did Not deduct Uber/Lyft’s fees. When I contacted my CPA to get this amended, his charge is $350 per return, so an additional $700 to correct this! Is there an easier more cost effective way of amending my tax returns on my own, perhaps a local accountant, or do you feel it’s necessary to pay my CPA these fees?
Thank you in advance!
DougH says
Ah, a common mistake! Consider doing it yourself. Here’s a guide from TurboTax that makes it seem doable. It looks like you’ll need all the documents from the old return, then a new Schedule SE (that’s where business deductions are reported). You might also be able to shop around for a better price from a professional. Your situation is fairly simple and could probably be handled by a chain tax place like H&R Block.
TOM hoey says
THANK YOU DOUG YOUR E MAILS ARE ALWAYS HELPFULL
Annie Fisher says
I ended up with a loss last year and I saw a question listed here and I have the same question. If a loss happens more than 3 times in a 5 year period, the IRS will consider it a hobby not self-employed.
I receive SSDI and I only drive a few days of the week and a few hours of those few days. So sometimes I don’t make that much money for the week.
So what would happen to me because I don’t drive that much?
DougH says
That’s a question for a tax professional. I wouldn’t want to put your SSDI at risk by giving specific advice