Can I use my saved gas receipts for 1099 deductions if I didn't track miles?

You've got two options for vehicle deductions on a 1099, but you need to pick one method - either the standard mileage rate OR actual expenses (which includes gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.). The standard mileage rate is usually easier and often more beneficial for most gig workers. For 2025, it's 67 cents per mile. But here's the thing - you do need documentation of your business miles driven. Without a mileage log, you'll have a hard time claiming the standard deduction if you're audited. For the actual expenses method (using your gas receipts), you'd need to track ALL vehicle expenses AND determine what percentage of your vehicle use was for business vs. personal. Just having gas receipts without documentation of business use percentage isn't enough.

I had a similar issue last year with my rideshare driving. I tried using just gas receipts and got flagged for review. What saved me was finding this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me properly document and categorize all my expenses. They have this feature that analyzes your delivery app data and creates a compliant mileage log retroactively. I uploaded my delivery history and gas receipts, and they organized everything into a defensible format that satisfied my tax preparer. Seriously made the difference between getting a decent refund versus owing a bunch.

I want to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after being skeptical in my last comment. I decided to give it a try since I was in a similar situation with poor record keeping. It was actually legit! The system analyzed my delivery history and created a detailed mileage log showing all my work trips, dates, and calculated business miles. My tax preparer was impressed with the documentation - said it was better than what most of his clients bring in. The service even flagged some deductions I was missing completely. Ended up saving me about $2,100 in deductions I would have otherwise lost. Definitely using it from the start this year instead of trying to reconstruct everything later.

If you're stressed about potential issues with the IRS over this, I'd recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year and needed specific guidance from the IRS about reconstructing vehicle expenses. Spent DAYS trying to get through their phone system with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd wasted hours trying on my own. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation would be acceptable for my situation. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It's a lifesaver when you need answers directly from the IRS instead of just guessing or relying on internet advice that might not apply to your specific situation.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After struggling for almost 2 weeks trying to get through to the IRS myself about my 1099 deduction situation, I finally tried Claimyr out of desperation. No joke - I got a call back in 37 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent gave me specific guidance on reconstructing my mileage records and told me exactly what documentation would be acceptable for my situation. Turns out I CAN create a reasonable mileage log using my delivery app history combined with a written statement explaining my methodology. Saved me hours of frustration and potentially thousands in deductions. Sometimes the solutions that sound too good to be true actually work.

Another option nobody's mentioned yet: If you have a regular delivery territory or consistent routines, you could create a sample mileage log now for a month, then use that to extrapolate backward. I did this when I forgot to log miles for 3 months last year. For example, track meticulously for the next 4 weeks, then calculate your average miles per dollar earned. If you find you drive approximately 2 miles for every $1 earned, and you earned $20,000 on your 1099, you could reasonably claim about 40,000 business miles.

Has anyone actually been audited over mileage deductions? I've been driving for UberEats for 3 years and just guesstimate my miles each year. Never had a problem.

FYI - If you drive primarily for 1099 work, you might want to keep a dedicated credit card JUST for vehicle expenses. That's what I do for my DoorDash work - everything car-related goes on one card, which makes it super easy to calculate percentages for business use vs personal use at tax time.

Just want to add another perspective here - I'm a tax preparer and see this situation constantly with gig workers. The good news is you're not completely out of luck, but you do need to be strategic about how you approach this. First, DON'T just estimate or guess at your mileage without any supporting documentation. That's asking for trouble if you get audited. The IRS expects "adequate records" which means some form of contemporaneous tracking OR a reasonable reconstruction method with supporting evidence. Your delivery apps are your best friend here. Most platforms (DoorDash, UberEats, etc.) keep detailed trip histories that include pickup/dropoff locations and timestamps. Download all of this data ASAP - some platforms only keep it for a limited time. You can use mapping tools to calculate the actual mileage between locations and build a defensible log. For your $4,300 in gas receipts - these could still be valuable if you choose the actual expense method, but you'll need to determine your business use percentage. Without proper records, this becomes much harder to defend. Consider consulting with a tax professional before filing. The potential deduction savings (likely several thousand dollars) usually justify the cost of getting expert guidance on your specific situation.