How Dashers are taxed
When you deliver for DoorDash you are an independent contractor, not an employee. That has two consequences for your taxes:
- Nothing is withheld. DoorDash pays you your full earnings, and you pay the IRS yourself.
- You owe two federal taxes on your profit: self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of profit, for Social Security and Medicare) and federal income tax.
You report your Dasher income and expenses on Schedule C as a small business, just like any other self-employed worker. If this is new to you, start with our beginner’s guide to 1099 taxes.
Your DoorDash 1099-NEC and where to find it
DoorDash reports what it paid you on a Form 1099-NEC when you earned $2,000 or more in 2026 (the threshold was $600 through 2025). The form is delivered through Stripe Express: DoorDash’s payment partner emails you an invitation to create an account, and your form appears there by February 1, 2027.
- Make sure the name and taxpayer ID (SSN or EIN) in Stripe Express match what the IRS has on file. A mismatch can block your form.
- If you earned less than the threshold, you may not get a form, but you still report all of your earnings.
- Your 1099-NEC shows what DoorDash paid you, which generally includes base pay, promotions and customer tips. Compare it with the earnings history in your Dasher app.
Read more about the form in our 1099-NEC guide.
How much to set aside from each payout
This is what a typical year looks like for a Dasher filing single, with only DoorDash income:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Earnings from DoorDash | $38,500 |
| Mileage deduction (12,000 miles) | −$8,912 |
| Phone, tolls and supplies | −$900 |
| Net profit | $28,688 |
| Self-employment tax | $4,054 |
| Federal income tax | $845 |
| Total to set aside | $4,898 |
That is about 13% of every payout, or $94 a week. Logging those miles saved this Dasher about $1,975 in federal taxes. Your number depends on your miles, your other income and your state, so run it in our gig driver tax calculator.
Mileage: the deduction that matters most
For most Dashers, miles are by far the biggest deduction. In 2026 the IRS standard rate is 72.5¢ per mile from January to June and 76¢ from July to December.
- Track your own miles. Mileage figures from the app may only cover part of your driving, such as the miles on an active order. Driving to restaurants, between orders and back into your zone can add up.
- Compare with actual expenses. If your car is costly to run, check whether deducting your actual car expenses gives you more.
- Keep a log with the date, miles and purpose, or use a mileage-tracking app that records it automatically.
- The rate replaces your actual car costs: gas, oil changes, repairs, insurance and depreciation are already included. Parking fees and tolls while dashing can be deducted on top.
Other deductions for Dashers
- The business share of your phone and data plan.
- Insulated bags, phone mounts, chargers and other supplies.
- Parking and tolls while delivering.
- Subscriptions you need for the work, such as a mileage-tracking app.
Some expenses lower income tax but not self-employment tax, such as half of the self-employment tax itself and health insurance premiums for self-employed people.
Pay during the year
If you will owe $1,000 or more for the year, the IRS expects quarterly estimated payments. For 2026 the due dates are April 15, 2026, June 15, 2026, September 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027. Our quarterly estimated tax calculator shows how much to pay by each date and how to catch up if you missed one.
If you also have a W-2 job, you can raise your withholding there with a new Form W-4 to cover your Dasher taxes instead.
Filing checklist for Dashers
- Download your 1099-NEC from Stripe Express, or your earnings history if you did not get one.
- Add up your miles, split between January–June and July–December.
- Gather receipts for your phone, supplies, parking and tolls.
- Report everything on Schedule C, figure self-employment tax on Schedule SE, and file Form 1040 by April 15, 2027.
- Subtract the estimated payments you already made.
Also shop for Instacart? See our Instacart shopper taxes guide.