What gas and mileage deductions can I claim for part-time Schedule C gigs?

Hey everyone, I could use some advice about claiming mileage for my PT gigs on Schedule C. I've been driving for Uber and DoorDash on weekends for about 8 months now (started in April) while keeping my regular job. I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle my car expenses on my taxes. I've been tracking my miles using the Stride app, which shows I've driven about 4,800 miles so far just for these gigs. I'm also paying a ton for gas - probably around $115 a week when I'm actively driving for these apps. Can I deduct both the standard mileage rate AND my gas expenses? Or is it one or the other? I'm also wondering if I can deduct any car maintenance I've done this year - had to get new tires ($650) and an oil change ($75). This is my first year doing these gigs, and I want to make sure I'm maximizing my deductions without getting in trouble with the IRS. Any guidance would be super helpful!

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19 comments

Dmitry Popov

•8M

You'll need to choose between the standard mileage rate OR actual expenses - you can't do both. Most part-time drivers are better off with the standard mileage deduction. If you choose standard mileage (which for 2025 filing is 67 cents per mile), that INCLUDES gas, oil changes, repairs, insurance, and depreciation. Based on your 4,800 miles, that would give you a deduction of about $3,216. You can't also claim gas or maintenance on top of that. If you choose actual expenses, you'd need to track EVERYTHING (gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, etc.) and then calculate the percentage of business use (business miles ÷ total miles driven). This method requires much more record keeping but might be better if you have a very expensive vehicle with high costs. Either way, keep detailed records of your mileage with dates, starting/ending locations, and business purpose. The Stride app is good for this.

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StarSailor}

•8M

Hey there! I was in the exact same situation last year with my rideshare driving. I was so confused about tracking all these expenses and worried about missing deductions that I decided to try https://taxr.ai after someone recommended it on Reddit. It was super helpful because I could just upload my bank statements and Uber/DoorDash summaries, and it identified potential deductions I hadn't even thought about. It also analyzed my mileage logs and showed that in my case, the standard mileage deduction was WAY better than actual expenses (saved me like $700). The best part was that it gave me a clear explanation of what I could and couldn't deduct beyond mileage - like my phone holder, cell phone bill percentage, and even a portion of my car insurance that the standard mileage doesn't cover. Definitely made filing Schedule C much less stressful.

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StarSailor}

•8M

Yes, it works with any gig app! It's designed to analyze income/expenses from any 1099 work, so Instacart and TaskRabbit would definitely be covered. It's especially good at categorizing those mixed-purpose expenses that are partly personal and partly business. As for cost, I won't get into specific pricing, but I will say it was way less than what my friend paid an accountant, and the deductions it found basically paid for the service many times over. Regular tax preparers can do this too, but they often charge hourly and don't always understand the specific deductions available for gig workers. This is specifically built for independent contractors.

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Miguel Silva

•8M

I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow - it saved me so much time with my Instacart and TaskRabbit taxes! I was shocked at how many legitimate deductions I was missing. It caught that I could deduct a portion of my phone bill (since I use my phone for gig work), found some car insurance expenses the standard mileage doesn't cover, and even identified some home office deductions I qualified for since I handle all my bookkeeping at home. What really helped was the explanation of when the standard mileage made sense vs. actual expenses. For my older car, standard mileage was definitely better, but it showed me the exact calculation so I could see why. It also warned me about some deductions I was planning to take that might trigger an audit flag. Super helpful!

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Connor O'Neill

•8M

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS for questions about Schedule C deductions (which I definitely was), try https://claimyr.com - seriously changed my tax filing experience. After three weeks of trying to get an IRS agent on the phone about some gig worker questions, I was about to give up. Their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for days. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I had specific questions about how to handle mileage deductions when I was sometimes making deliveries and running personal errands in the same trip, and the agent was able to give me clear guidance that I couldn't find online. Saved me from potentially making a mistake that could have led to an audit.

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Connor O'Neill

•8M

It's not a special number - they use technology that automatically redials and navigates the IRS phone tree for you. When they reach a human agent, they call you and connect you right away. It basically does all the waiting and navigating for you. I was super skeptical too. The way it works is they have a system that keeps dialing and working through the phone menu options automatically. I didn't believe it would work either, but after weeks of trying myself, I was willing to try anything. I was honestly shocked when my phone rang and it was an actual IRS agent on the line.

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Keisha Robinson

•8M

I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try https://claimyr.com anyway because I was desperate to get an answer about my Schedule C deductions before filing. I honestly can't believe it worked. After trying for WEEKS to reach someone at the IRS, I got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes. The agent answered all my questions about separating personal and business mileage for my gig work and confirmed exactly what documentation I need to keep. The time it saved me was incredible - I had been spending hours trying to get through on my own. Was able to correctly file my Schedule C with confidence instead of guessing and risking an audit. For anyone doing gig work with complicated tax questions, it's definitely worth it to get actual IRS confirmation on your deduction questions.

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GalaxyGuardian

•8M

You can deduct Spotify if you're using it specifically for your business - like providing music for passengers as part of your service. It's considered a business expense if it's primarily for your customers' experience. If you're just listening to it yourself while doing DoorDash deliveries, that would be much harder to justify as a business expense since there are no passengers benefiting from it. It's all about whether it's necessary for your business operations versus personal enjoyment.

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Amina Toure

•8M

Yup, this is super important! I made that mistake with my first delivery car. I used actual expenses the first year when the car was new and had higher value for depreciation. When the car got older and needed fewer repairs, standard mileage would have been better but I was stuck with actual expenses. For parking and tolls - gig drivers should use apps that track these separately! I use the Stride app for mileage and the Everlance app to snap photos of parking receipts. Makes tax time way easier.

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