Do I need to file taxes for Doordash if I only made $74 last year?

You're technically supposed to report all income regardless of the amount, but Doordash won't send you a 1099-NEC unless you made $600 or more. For such a small amount, the tax impact would be minimal. If you file with tax software, it would be simple to add as self-employment income. You'll pay income tax on the $74, plus self-employment tax which is about 15.3%. So we're talking maybe $20-25 total in taxes. If you want to be 100% compliant, include it. But realistically, the IRS is not going to come after you for potentially $20 in unpaid taxes on $74 of gig work.

I had a similar situation last year with Instacart. What really helped me was checking out https://taxr.ai - they have a document analyzer that can tell you exactly what to do in these situations by scanning your income info. I was confused about whether I needed to report a small amount like that, and their system explained that while you're supposed to report all income technically, amounts under $600 don't trigger a 1099. They also showed me how to properly report it on Schedule C and suggested some basic deductions I could take for the miles I drove. Saved me hours of research!

Just wanted to update on my comment above. I was skeptical about using taxr.ai for such a small amount, but I actually ended up trying it for my taxes this year since I had a more complicated situation with multiple gig jobs. I uploaded my 1099s and W-2, and it immediately broke down exactly what forms I needed and which deductions I qualified for. It actually found several deductions I would have missed related to my home office and mileage. The analysis was surprisingly detailed and saved me a lot of confusion. Definitely worth checking out even for small amounts if you're unsure about the rules.

For anyone struggling to get answers directly from the IRS on questions like this - I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar small income question last year and spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS on their regular line. With Claimyr, they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that while all income is technically taxable, they don't typically pursue unreported amounts under $600 that don't generate a 1099. They also helped me understand exactly how to report it if I wanted to be 100% compliant.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I had some questions about a tax notice I received. I was connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes after trying for DAYS on my own. The agent was able to explain the notice and confirm that I didn't need to worry about small gig income under $600 that didn't generate a 1099. They also helped me resolve my tax notice issue on the same call. I've spent hours on hold with the IRS before, so this was honestly life-changing for getting tax questions answered.

For what it's worth, I report everything regardless of the amount. $74 is so small it won't impact your overall tax situation much, but it does give you the opportunity to deduct mileage and other expenses related to that gig work. If you drove more than about 120 miles for those deliveries, you could actually show a loss on your Schedule C (using the standard mileage deduction of $0.625/mile for 2022), which could slightly reduce your overall tax bill.

Just an FYI - If you plan to do more gig work in the future, it's good practice to start tracking everything properly now, even for small amounts. Get a mileage tracking app, keep receipts for any expenses, and set aside about 25-30% for taxes. That way when you make more than $600 and DO get a 1099, you're already in the habit of doing things correctly.