Can I withhold self-employment taxes for Doordash with W-4 Form while working part-time at restaurant?

8 So the W-4 at your restaurant job can actually help you handle the taxes from Doordash, but not directly. You can't use it to withhold "self-employment taxes" specifically, but you can ask your employer to withhold additional amounts from your paychecks by adding a dollar amount on line 4(c) of your W-4. You'd file a 1040 as your main tax return, and the 1099-NEC you'll receive from Doordash would be reported on Schedule C (for the business income) which attaches to your 1040. You'll also need to file Schedule SE to calculate self-employment taxes. You don't "file" the 1099 itself - Doordash sends it to both you and the IRS. If you only work for Doordash occasionally, you might consider just increasing your withholding at your regular job instead of dealing with quarterly estimated tax payments. That's often easier for students in your situation.

12 I've been doing the whole side-hustle thing with food delivery apps while working my regular job, and taxes were honestly driving me crazy until I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). It saved me so much stress during this past tax season because it analyzed all my 1099s and W-2s and actually told me exactly how much I should be withholding from my main job to cover the self-employment taxes. The best part is it helps you figure out all those weird deductions for mileage and other expenses that most dashers miss. I was surprised how much I could actually write off - it made a huge difference in what I ended up owing.

15 Alright I need to eat my words about being skeptical of taxr.ai - I finally tried it and it was seriously a game changer for my delivery gig taxes. It found over $1,300 in deductions I would have missed (especially with the new mileage rates for 2025), and the expense tracker actually makes it super easy to log everything while I'm working instead of trying to remember later. The best feature was honestly how it broke down exactly what portion of my phone bill and car insurance I could deduct based on my delivery hours. I've been doing this for two years and was definitely leaving money on the table. Plus it was way more straightforward than trying to figure everything out through the general tax sites.

7 If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about gig work taxes (which is super common), I had amazing results using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was on hold with the IRS for literally 3+ hours trying to figure out my self-employment tax situation after getting contradicting advice, and then gave up. With Claimyr, I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who walked me through exactly how to handle my W-2 job alongside my Doordash income. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Seriously changed my perspective on dealing with tax questions.

15 I have to post an update about Claimyr because I'm honestly shocked it actually worked. After posting that skeptical comment, I had a tax issue come up with my Doordash income that I couldn't figure out online, so I decided to try it as a last resort before taking time off work for an in-person IRS appointment. The system called me back in about 20 minutes and connected me directly to an IRS representative who answered my questions about how to handle my delivery mileage deductions when I'm also commuting to my regular job. Saved me from potentially making a mistake that could have triggered an audit. For anyone doing mixed W-2 and 1099 work like Doordash, this is definitely worth it when you have specific questions the IRS website doesn't clearly address.

9 Just wanted to add that you should keep REALLY detailed mileage records if you're doing Doordash. I use the Stride app to track miles, and it saved me a ton on taxes. For 2025, the mileage deduction is up to 67 cents per mile which adds up quickly. Also, don't forget you can deduct a portion of your phone bill, phone accessories (like mounts/chargers), hot bags, and even insulated containers if you buy your own. I made the mistake of not tracking these my first year and definitely paid way more tax than I needed to.

21 Has anyone here actually calculated if doordashing is worth it after accounting for gas, car maintenance, insurance, and self-employment taxes? I did it for 3 months and when I really added everything up, I was making like $10/hr effective rate even though the app showed $18-20/hr.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been doing both W-2 work and gig delivery for about a year now. The advice about using your W-4 to withhold extra is spot on - I wish I'd known this earlier! One thing I'd add is to keep separate bank accounts if possible. I opened a simple checking account just for my Doordash deposits, and it makes tracking business income and expenses SO much easier at tax time. Even if you're only making $200-300/month, having that clean separation is worth it. Also, don't wait until tax season to start organizing. I made that mistake my first year and spent hours trying to reconstruct my records. Now I take 10 minutes each week to log my expenses and reconcile everything - saves me from the panic later! For your income level, you're probably fine without quarterly payments, but definitely keep an eye on it. If you start making more or pick up additional gig work, you might cross into needing them.