You can deduct the actual expenses of operating the vehicle, including gasoline, oil, insurance, car registration, repairs, maintenance, and depreciation or lease payments. Or you can use the standard IRS mileage deduction. For 2023 the rate is 65.5 cents per mile.
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For Tax Year 2022 (returns filed in 2023), the self-employment tax rate is 15.3 percent. Self-employment tax is paid in addition to your regular income tax. It is possible to owe $0 in income tax and still owe self-employment tax.
Uber and Lyft's driver app will record on-trip mileage, or how many miles you drive when you have a passenger in the car. In reality, you can deduct your mileage on the way to the first passenger, between passengers, and on the way home at the end of the day. This usually results in doubling your deductible mileage.
If you are an Uber driver, you are self-employed, and thus must make estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis. If you work it just right, you won't have to pay any additional tax at year end when you file your 1040, nor will you have a big refund. That's the best situation.
If an expense also benefits you personally, only the portion attributed to your business is deductible. For example, you may have a cell phone that you use for driving about 25 percent of the time. In that case, you can deduct 25 percent of the phone bill as a tax deduction.
Meals. Rideshare companies have referral programs that reward drivers with cash bonuses when their driver referrals sign up to drive with Uber/Lyft. Meals that you purchase while recruiting other drivers are also tax-deductible. Similar to passenger goodies, only 50 percent of the cost for these items can be deducted.
Driving for Uber as an independent contractor means you're self-employed so only your net earning will be counted. $18,240 is the max you can earn before your social security benefits are reduced driving for Uber.
For example, pretend you use your internet for client communications 40% of the time, and for Netflix, TikTok, and online shopping the other 60% of the time. You can only write off 40% of your internet bill.