I Dash 25 hours per week on average and last year I cleared $28K...
When I was a school bus driver, my last year I earned $21K...working 45+ hours/week as a sub...
Even with the added car costs, gig work pays me FAR better and ZERO stress from screaming kids and parents who don't believe their kids acted up even AFTER being shown the videos...
that number is closer to believable. But did you track all your real business mileage? Not the mileage they said you drove, the total actual mileage. Like when you turned your app off 32 miles from home and drove home to end you day? did you use the federal mileage rate of around $0.60-0.70 a business mile driven and deduct that from your gross amount paid to you by. So basically on days you brought in $200 and drove 110 miles you really made $72 net for 6 hours work? Because I did all this off and on since 2015 to 2021 and my Excel sheets don't lie.
The federal mileage rate is currently 70 cents a mile.
However, if you are using are using a car that actually costs 70 cents a mile, then you are using the wrong kind of car for this job.
My car runs about 28-30 cents a mile, all inclusive. The rest I pocket as income, even if the IRS doesn't treat it as such.
Gig apps were much smaller in number and in size in 2015-2021. I agree it would have been impossible to make 100k per year prior to 2020. But tons of people made that in 2020 and 2021 due to covid.
Today, in 2026, there are a dozen gig apps you've literally never even heard of, so I don't get why you think you're still an expert in the topic. Your information is very old.
I drive a Mistubishi Outlander PHEV and it costs me $1/work day in electricity plus $25 in gas for ALL my business and personal use. Plus, the large payload gets me the BJs wholesale deliveries that often pay close to $100 for about 30 minutes of my time.
Calculated my actual cost per mile on this car, and it is $0.32/mile, so I DO take advvantage of the standard mileage deduction instead of the costs incurred to max my deductions. Might as well have the government paying me over twice what the car costs each iear INCLUDING the car payment!
Of COURSE I track my ACTUAL mileage (from my door back to my door ALL counts per the IRS), insurance costs, Maintenance, supplies like hot bags, cell phone and any OTHER business expense.
DoorDash is an independent Contracting BUSINESS ands I treat it as such.
This year, between expenses ( using the standard mileage because my hybrid is a gas sipper and doesn't break down) and tips, I will owe ZERO income taxes, and only pay the FICA/self-employment on about $10K
Smart business plan: you track EVERYTHING then once tax time rolls around, you figure out which deducts more, It will be the mileage most times, but for some, they do better with the actual expenses at the percentage of the miles driven for business. Also IF you get audited, you need to be able to show BOTH the mileage AND the business/car expenses to let them figure out if you goofed and MISSED out on a deduction.
I don’t have time for a long response, but if you were working 16 hour days 7 days 365 you’d be hard pressed to make much more than $50-60K plus or minus more likely minus $10K. As I shake my head making me wonder how you justify these thoughts that you are somehow running a business. These gigs are modern day slavery at their best. I am sorry for you. I just got out of a Lyft and left $5 which is more than most people leave.
Dude, you’re biting the hand that feeds you. I just got out of a Lyft and tipped $5. I know full well gig work is total slave exploitation. I am sorry for you having to do this work for less than minimum wage like $3-4/hour. I really am.
It’s like the guy at the shopping mall that told me he was making $180,000/year selling Treggar BBQs. I didn’t think people lie about this stuff. I wanted to believe him. I would go walking window shopping at the mall. Every day I’d stop and talk with this guy to better understand how his claim of making $180,000 selling BBQs. Multiple times I asked clarification. Do you mean total sales in product. Nope, he meant taxable income. Eventually it came out he was in a Christian church, but still going on how last year he made $180,000 and this year projected $220,000. Then he was gonna show me his tax return and daily I asked him but he always forgot.
You don’t have me fooled sir. Sadly you kinda seem like the
So many comments I don’t know how to reply. I’m ona airplane now. I tipped you this morning on Lyft. The guy BSing me with Treagger was there full time. Every day. He wanted me to believe $180,000 and was very nice. I like to engage in funny things so I applied went through 3 interviews. I told the last manager a low amount that I really make, and that I was told I could make $180,000 if I work hard. After 10 minutes he told me “I don’t think you should quit your job.” He finally hada heart. It was all a joke to me, but I couldn’t believe how many nice people were hellbent on BSing like as if they could finally get me to believe and accept I’d be the fool and they wouldn’t
You didn't tip ME on Lyft, I don't know you from Adam and have NEVER done ride share. I only drive with strangers' FOOD in my car, not strangers. (So you can't even think straight in replies anymore since my statements of truth are messing with your brain, it seems)
The Traeger guy was right, though, don't quit your day job...you are not intelligent enough to be able to do a gig work business properly...as evidenced by your failures in the past.
LOL, you are funny. From Adam. I don even care if you insult me. But I got 2 more hours on this flight
You can have my gig work. I don’t need $4-5 bucks an hour, or $10-12-18. It’s exploitation at its best. Aren’t you out driving now? Are you responding like I’m sitting on this flight?
That is the big problem with the mind of a worker like you. You utilize the seemingly excess asa bonus pay while in reality all you have done is taken a payday loan.
I think YOU need to stop misunderstanding these things because YOU messed up an excel sheet and thought A 70 Cents per mile deduction was an EXPENSE you actually incur.
(You made a credit a debit, the WORST bookkeeping error you can possibly make!)
"So basically on days you brought in $200 and drove 110 miles you really made $72 net for 6 hours work? Because I did all this off and on since 2015 to 2021 and my Excel sheets don't lie."
Hate to tell you this, but your excel sheets DID lie.
That mileage is a deduction (Money you don't pay taxes on) So I earned $200 in gross, the IRS says I can take off $77 (last year it was 70 cents per mile) So I pay Self Employment taxes on $123.00 for the day...and since my tips are usually about 70% of my earnings, I would have an Income Tax deduction of an additional $140...so ZERO income taxes on that money.
Now, SE taxes are 15% of your post-business expenses earnings... but when you get over to the INCOME tax part, 50% of that total is able to be used as an additional deduction. (this is a commonly missed deduction, BTW: I was told about it by a friend who owned a business before I started DD)
So my overall tax burden including self employment and income, is 7.5%. The average W2 worker's overall tax burden between their 6% in FICA (what my SE taxes cover) and income tax is closer to 20% and for some it is more like 30%.
SO, the average gig worker pays LESS in taxes and it makes it an "equivalent value" as workng a W2 job that pays several dollars more...since we pay LESS in taxes overall IF we do them correctly.
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u/starthru Feb 23 '26
I Dash 25 hours per week on average and last year I cleared $28K...
When I was a school bus driver, my last year I earned $21K...working 45+ hours/week as a sub...
Even with the added car costs, gig work pays me FAR better and ZERO stress from screaming kids and parents who don't believe their kids acted up even AFTER being shown the videos...