Need advice on finding all my DoorDash deductions to lower my tax bill

I earned about $2,678 doing DoorDash last year and now I'm totally panicking about taxes. I seriously have no idea how to claim any deductions for this gig work. I stupidly didn't keep track of my miles or any expenses while I was delivering. This was just supposed to be a side hustle to help with bills, and I didn't realize I'd need to track all this stuff. Will I end up paying a ton in taxes now? Can I still claim anything even though I didn't keep records? I'm really stressing about this since I don't have much saved up for a big tax bill. Any tips from other dashers or tax people would be super helpful!

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18 comments

Diego Rojas

•8M

So the good news is you can definitely still claim deductions even if you didn't track everything perfectly. For DoorDash and other gig work, you're considered self-employed, which means you file Schedule C with your tax return. The biggest deduction for most dashers is mileage. Even though you didn't track contemporaneously (which is the IRS's preference), you can still create a reasonable reconstruction. Go through your DoorDash app history to see which days you worked and approximately how many deliveries you made. Then estimate reasonable mileage based on average delivery distances in your area. Just be sure to keep it realistic. Besides mileage (which is usually the better option than actual car expenses), you can also deduct a portion of your phone bill, insulated bags, car chargers, parking fees, and even a percentage of your auto insurance. Any direct costs of doing business are potentially deductible.

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Diego Rojas

•8M

While contemporaneous mileage logs (recorded at the time of driving) are definitely preferred by the IRS, they recognize that reconstructed logs may be necessary in some cases. Your reconstruction should be reasonable and based on actual work patterns - you can use your DoorDash records, delivery history, and maps to create a credible estimate of business mileage. For future tax years, I strongly recommend using a mileage tracking app that automatically records your trips. This will save you a lot of stress and ensure you get every deduction you're entitled to without worrying about documentation.

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StarSeeker

•8M

After my first year of dashing I was in the EXACT same boat! Totally freaked about taxes and had zero records. I found this amazing AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out all my potential deductions. You just upload your DoorDash statements and answer a few questions, and it creates a list of all possible deductions you might qualify for based on your specific situation. It even helped me reconstruct a mileage log using my delivery history data from the DoorDash app! The tool analyzed my earnings statements and gave me a reasonable mileage estimate based on typical delivery patterns in my area, which saved me literally hundreds in taxes.

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StarSeeker

•8M

The accuracy is actually really good because it bases estimates on your actual delivery data rather than just random guessing. It creates documentation that shows how the estimates were calculated, which gives you something to show in case of questions. It's way better than just making up numbers or claiming nothing at all. Yes, it works with pretty much all the major gig platforms! I've used it for both DoorDash and Uber Eats. You can upload statements from different platforms and it consolidates everything for your Schedule C. Super helpful if you're multi-apping like a lot of us do.

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Zara Ahmed

•8M

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was seriously a game changer! I was in the same boat with terrible record keeping across multiple apps. The tool helped me identify over $3,400 in legitimate deductions I would have missed otherwise! It was super straightforward to use - just uploaded my statements from all my gig apps and it did the heavy lifting. The mileage reconstruction feature was especially helpful since that was my biggest potential deduction. Now I feel way more confident about filing my taxes without overpaying or getting in trouble for missing documentation.

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Luca Esposito

•8M

For anyone struggling with their gig work taxes, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually talk to someone at the IRS about your specific situation. I had so many questions about my DoorDash deductions that weren't answered clearly online, and I couldn't get through to the IRS for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes! The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed for my gig work deductions even though I didn't have perfect records. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was shocked at how helpful the IRS person was once I actually got through to them. They explained that I could use a reasonable method to reconstruct my mileage and gave me specific guidelines that would hold up if questioned.

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Luca Esposito

•8M

It's definitely not BS - they use a specialized system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent finally answers, you get a call back connecting you directly to them. It saved me literally hours of hold time and frustration. The service does have a fee, but for me it was worth every penny because of the tax money I saved with the correct information. I can't give specific pricing here, but I will say that the deduction advice I got saved me way more than what the service cost. Plus the peace of mind was priceless.

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Nia Thompson

•8M

Holy crap, I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After being skeptical, I decided to try it because I was desperate for answers about my DoorDash deductions. The service actually worked exactly as advertised - I got connected to an IRS representative in about 15 minutes without sitting on hold. The agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance on reconstructing my mileage based on my DoorDash delivery records and even explained how to document it properly to avoid issues. They also confirmed I could deduct part of my phone bill and other expenses I wasn't sure about. I've spent YEARS avoiding calling the IRS because of the nightmare hold times, but this made it painless. Would definitely use again.

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GalaxyGuardian

•8M

Former tax preparer here - one thing nobody mentioned yet is that you should absolutely keep ALL your delivery receipts/statements from the DoorDash app for at least 3 years. These can help you reconstruct a reasonable mileage estimate AND prove your income if ever questioned. Also, don't forget about the little deductions that add up: portion of your phone bill, hot bags, car chargers, cleaning supplies for your car, etc. Many gig workers miss these because they focus only on mileage.

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GalaxyGuardian

•8M

For your phone bill, you need to determine what percentage is used for business purposes. If you use your phone for DoorDash about 30% of the time, you can deduct 30% of your bill. Be honest but don't shortchange yourself. Some dashers keep track for a typical week to establish a pattern, then apply that percentage to the whole year. The same concept applies to other mixed-use items. Just make sure you can explain how you arrived at your percentage if asked. And always keep your monthly phone bills as documentation - digital copies are fine.

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