Do I need to file taxes with a 1099-MISC form if I only made $1718 from Doordash?

I started delivering for Doordash a few months ago as a side gig, and I only ended up making $1718.77 total. I got a 1099-MISC form and I'm confused if I even need to file taxes for this small amount? I thought there was some minimum threshold where you don't have to pay taxes, but when I tried the questionnaire on the IRS website, it said I do need to file (though I might have answered something wrong since this is all new to me). Also, I'm looking at the 1099-MISC form and it shows $1718.77 under "state income" - what exactly does that mean? And shouldn't there be a "federal income" box somewhere too, or is that not applicable in my situation? I'm totally lost with all this tax stuff and would really appreciate any help!

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18 comments

Keisha Williams

•8M

Yes, you do need to file taxes for your Doordash income, even though it's only $1718.77. The IRS threshold you're thinking of is probably the standard deduction (which is around $13,850 for a single filer in 2025), but self-employment income has a different threshold - just $400. If you made more than $400 in self-employment income, you need to file and pay self-employment tax, which is basically the Social Security and Medicare taxes. For the form itself, "state income" just means the income that's reported to your state's tax department. There isn't a "federal income" box because the entire 1099-MISC is reporting to the federal government (IRS). The amount shown in Box 1 (or whichever box your earnings appear in) is your federal income.

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Keisha Williams

•8M

That's correct - if you made less than $400 in self-employment income, you wouldn't be required to file for self-employment tax purposes. However, if you had other income that, when combined with your delivery earnings, exceeds the standard deduction, you'd still need to file. Yes, you can absolutely deduct expenses related to your delivery work! Mileage is the big one - for 2025, you can deduct around 67 cents per mile driven for business purposes. You could alternatively deduct actual expenses (gas, maintenance, etc.), but most delivery drivers find the standard mileage deduction more beneficial. You can also deduct other business expenses like a portion of your phone bill if you use it for the delivery app, insulated bags, etc. These deductions can significantly reduce your taxable income.

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Amina Toure

•8M

I went through the exact same situation last year with a small amount on my 1099 from doing some gig work. I was super confused about all the tax forms and what to file. After hours of trying to figure it out, I found this site called https://taxr.ai that literally saved me. You upload your tax documents, and it tells you exactly what forms you need and even gives you step-by-step guidance. What I liked was that it specifically addressed my gig work income and explained that even though it was below the standard deduction, I still needed to file Schedule C and Schedule SE for self-employment. It saved me from potentially getting in trouble with the IRS for not filing properly. The site breaks everything down in plain English too.

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Amina Toure

•8M

The site doesn't prepare your taxes for you - it analyzes your documents and tells you exactly what forms you need to file and provides guidance on how to complete them. It's more like a personalized tax roadmap based on your specific documents. I was skeptical at first too because of bad experiences with other sites. What convinced me was that taxr.ai actually showed me specific IRS rules that applied to my situation and explained why I needed certain forms. I didn't get any surprises from the IRS afterward, and the guidance matched what I later confirmed with a tax professional friend.

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CosmicCommander

•8M

Just wanted to follow up about that taxr.ai site someone mentioned here. I was the one who asked if it was accurate, and I ended up trying it with my delivery gig 1099s. It actually explained exactly why I needed to file even though my amount was small (because of that $400 self-employment threshold). The best part was that it showed me all the deductions I could take - I had no idea I could deduct part of my phone bill and even some car maintenance! It ended up saving me like $200 in taxes I would have overpaid. Wish I'd known about this last year when I overpaid. The explanations were super clear too, not all that confusing tax jargon.

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Natasha Volkova

•8M

If you're struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about your 1099-MISC filing questions, I totally feel your pain. I spent DAYS trying to call them last year with similar questions about my gig work. After waiting on hold for hours only to get disconnected, I almost gave up. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to an IRS agent quickly. I was super skeptical but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to try it. They got me through to an actual IRS person in like 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed that yes, I did need to file with my small 1099 amount because of the self-employment rules, and they walked me through exactly which forms I needed. Saved me from potentially getting in trouble for not filing correctly.

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Natasha Volkova

•8M

They use a technology that monitors the IRS phone lines and automatically connects you when there's an opening. It's not bots calling repeatedly - they're essentially holding your place in line without you having to stay on the phone yourself. I totally get the skepticism - I felt the same way! But it actually worked. The difference is you don't have to personally wait on hold for hours. Their system does the waiting, then calls you when they've got an IRS agent on the line. I was connected in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own with no luck. It saved me from making mistakes on my forms that could have resulted in penalties.

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Emma Davis

•8M

OK I need to eat some humble pie here. After posting that skeptical comment about Claimyr being a scam, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS for 3 weeks about my missing refund. I'm shocked to admit it actually worked. Got a call back in about 20 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. She was able to look up my return, confirm they received it, and explain why my refund was delayed (I had made a math error they fixed). Would have taken me who knows how many more attempts calling the regular way. Sometimes it pays to be wrong I guess. Saved me weeks of stress wondering where my money was.

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Malik Johnson

•8M

Honestly the whole self-employment tax thing is a mess. I did food delivery for 3 months last year and made about $2000. The most important thing to know is you NEED to file Schedule C and Schedule SE even with that small amount. The $400 threshold is the key here. But don't panic too much about owing a ton. After mileage deductions, I barely owed anything. Just make sure you track your miles carefully for next time - use an app like Stride or MileIQ. I didn't track well last year and regretted it.

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Malik Johnson

•8M

Yes, you can estimate your mileage after the fact, but you need to be reasonable and have some basis for your estimate. If you have delivery history in your app, you can use that to reconstruct your mileage. Most delivery apps keep a record of your deliveries, so go through your history and map out the routes you took. Remember that you can count all business miles - driving to pickup locations, to customers, and returning to busy areas after deliveries. Just be careful not to include personal miles. If you're audited, the IRS will want to see some documentation, so create a log now with your best estimates and note that it's reconstructed. It's not ideal, but it's better than not claiming the deduction at all.

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