Can I write off a car for food delivery when there are 2 names on the title?
Hey everyone! 👋 My dad and I are planning to purchase a car together in November, and we're putting both our names on the title. We're going to be using this vehicle exclusively for my DoorDash and UberEats gigs starting in November. Since the car will be used 100% for food delivery services, I'm wondering if we can deduct the full cost on our 2024 taxes? The car will literally only be used for deliveries, nothing personal at all. Can we write off 100% of it even though there are two names on the title? Does that complicate the deduction process? Any advice would be super appreciated!
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GamerGirl99
This is a good question about business vehicle deductions! You can absolutely claim business use of the vehicle even with two names on the title, but there are some important considerations. Since you'll be using the car 100% for business purposes (food delivery), you have two options: the standard mileage deduction or actual expenses method. For a new car used exclusively for business, the actual expenses method might be better in the first year as you can potentially take advantage of depreciation. The title having two names doesn't prevent the deduction, but it does affect HOW you claim it. If you're the only one using it for business purposes, you would claim the business percentage (100% in your case) on your Schedule C. Your dad wouldn't claim any business use on his taxes. Keep in mind that the IRS is very strict about the 100% business use claim, so be prepared to provide logs and documentation. Even a single personal trip can disqualify you from claiming 100% business use.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•But what about the fact that they're buying it in November? Can they still write off the full amount for 2024 or would it be prorated for just two months of use?
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GamerGirl99
•You'll only be able to deduct the business use from when you actually start using the vehicle, so in your case, just November and December of 2024. If you choose the actual expenses method, you'll need to prorate most expenses for just those two months, but you might be eligible for bonus depreciation or Section 179 expensing on the purchase price, which could give you a significant deduction even for just two months of use. The rules can get complicated though, so I'd recommend consulting with a tax professional before making this decision.
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Isabella Costa
I was in a super similar situation last year with my delivery gig and vehicle expenses. I spent hours trying to figure it all out until I found this AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai that literally saved me thousands in deductions I would have missed. It analyzed my delivery work situation and explained exactly how to handle vehicle deductions with multiple owners. It showed me all the documentation I needed to keep (which was way more than I thought!) and even helped me understand the difference between standard mileage vs. actual expenses in my specific situation. The best part was it found some delivery-specific deductions I had no clue about - like a portion of my phone bill and even some insulated delivery bags I bought. Way more thorough than the generic advice I got elsewhere.
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Malik Jenkins
•Does it actually work with situations where there are two owners on the vehicle title? That's pretty specific and I've had tax preparers give me conflicting advice on this exact scenario.
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Freya Andersen
•Hmm, sounds interesting but I'm not sure if an AI would know all the updated tax rules. Like for 2024, didn't they change some of the vehicle deduction stuff? I've been burned before by tax tools that weren't up to date.
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Isabella Costa
•Yes, it actually specializes in those "gray area" situations where typical tax software falls short. It explained that the deduction follows the business use, not the title ownership - so if you're the only one using it for business, you claim the deduction regardless of who else is on the title. You just need to document your ownership percentage. The system is updated regularly with the latest tax code changes. For 2024, it incorporated the updated standard mileage rates and the changes to bonus depreciation phase-outs, which directly affect delivery drivers. It even flagged that certain electric vehicles might qualify for additional incentives that could affect the decision.
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Freya Andersen
Wow, I actually tried https://taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here, and I'm genuinely impressed. I was skeptical since my situation with a jointly-owned vehicle for my GrubHub work was complicated. The tool immediately clarified that I could still take the deduction based on my business use percentage, not ownership percentage. It walked me through setting up a proper mileage log (apparently just having delivery app records isn't enough!) and showed me how to calculate partial-year depreciation since I bought my car mid-year. It identified that in my specific situation, I'd save about $1,800 more using actual expenses for the first year rather than standard mileage. No way I would have figured that out on my own! Definitely worth checking out if you're doing delivery work.
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Eduardo Silva
I had a nightmare trying to reach the IRS about a similar vehicle deduction situation last year. After being on hold for HOURS multiple times, I finally used https://claimyr.com and got a callback from the IRS within 30 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They connected me directly with an IRS agent who confirmed that for joint ownership vehicles used for business, the person operating the business can claim the appropriate percentage of vehicle expenses on their Schedule C, regardless of how many names are on the title. As long as you're tracking mileage and usage properly, you're good to go. This saved me from making a costly mistake on my delivery driver taxes. The IRS agent also clarified the documentation needed if you're claiming 100% business use, which is heavily scrutinized.
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Leila Haddad
•Wait so this service just gets you through to a real IRS person? Do they answer specific tax questions like this? I thought the IRS doesn't give tax advice.
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Emma Johnson
•This seems like BS honestly. The IRS wait times are terrible because they're understaffed. No way some random service can magically get you through faster than everyone else waiting in queue. Sounds like a scam to me.
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Eduardo Silva
•They don't get you special treatment - they just use technology to wait on hold for you. When an IRS agent finally picks up, you get a call back. It saves you from being stuck on hold yourself. The IRS will indeed answer questions about how tax rules apply to specific situations like vehicle ownership and business use - they just won't prepare your return or tell you exactly what to do. In my case, they clarified how joint ownership affects business deductions and what documentation is required, which was incredibly helpful. They don't give "advice" but they will explain how the rules work in your situation.
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Emma Johnson
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had a similar vehicle deduction question that was driving me crazy. It actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back from an IRS agent in about 45 minutes. The agent confirmed that for food delivery work, I could claim vehicle expenses on Schedule C even though the car is co-owned with my spouse, but emphasized I needed to be meticulous with my mileage logs if claiming 100% business use. This saved me hours of frustration and probably a costly mistake on my taxes. The IRS agent also mentioned that vehicle deductions are a common audit trigger, especially with 100% business use claims, so proper documentation is crucial. Definitely worth it!
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Ravi Patel
Something important nobody mentioned yet - if u claim 100% business use, u CANNOT take even a single personal trip in that car. IRS is super strict about this! My friend got audited last year for his doordash car because he claimed 100% but then had a gas receipt from a vacation trip 300 miles away from his delivery zone. Ended up owing thousands plus penalties! If ur gonna share the car with ur dad, might be better to claim like 90% business use to be safe unless ur absolutely certain it will NEVER be used personally.
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Amina Diallo
•Thanks for this warning! This is making me rethink our plan. Maybe instead of claiming 100%, we should just track the mileage super carefully and go with the actual percentage. I definitely don't want to deal with an audit. Do you know if we need to keep paper logs or if the delivery apps' records are enough proof?
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Ravi Patel
•The delivery apps aren't enough for the IRS if you get audited. You need a detailed mileage log showing starting and ending odometer readings for each delivery shift, dates, and business purpose. There are some good apps like MileIQ or Stride that make it easier. Also don't forget you can deduct more than just the car itself! Hot bags, phone mounts, portion of phone bill, extra car chargers - all that stuff is 100% deductible separately from your vehicle expenses. I even deduct part of my Spotify since I play music during deliveries lol.
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Astrid Bergström
Lots of good advice here but nobody's mentioned Section 179! If you use the car 100% for business and buy it in 2024, you might be able to deduct the ENTIRE purchase price in year one instead of depreciating it over several years. There are limits tho - I think the vehicle needs to be over 6000 lbs for full Section 179 and there are dollar limits for cars under that weight. Worth looking into!
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PixelPrincess
•That's somewhat misleading. Most food delivery people aren't driving vehicles over 6000 lbs - that's like a large SUV or truck. For regular cars, the Section 179 deduction is capped MUCH lower - around $19,200 for 2024 I believe. And remember you can't claim more in deductions than you earn from your delivery work!
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Astrid Bergström
•You're right - I should have been clearer about the weight limitations. For most standard cars used for food delivery, there are lower caps on Section 179. For 2024, passenger vehicles are limited to around $19,200 for the first year if they weigh less than 6,000 lbs. And you made another great point - your total deductions can't exceed your business income, so if you're just starting out in delivery, you might not have enough income to take advantage of the full deduction in year one. Any unused portion can be carried forward to future years though!
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