Short answer: Driving 300 business miles a week for 48 weeks, half before July 1, is a $10,692 mileage deduction at the 2026 IRS rates of 72.5¢ and 76¢ a mile (IRS Announcement 2026-11). If you log only 70% of those miles, you deduct $7,484 and save about $1,871 at a 25% tax rate. What counts: Mileage Deduction for Delivery and Rideshare Drivers: What Counts in 2026.
Check our math
Here is the result above, step by step, using the numbers already filled in.
- Business miles per year300 × 48 weeks = 14,400
- Before July 1 at 72.5¢7,200 × 72.5¢ = $5,220.00
- From July 1 at 76¢7,200 × 76¢ = $5,472.00
- Full deduction$5,220.00 + $5,472.00 = $10,692
- Deduction from the 70% you log$10,692 × 70% = $7,484
- Tax saved at 25%$7,484.40 × 25% = $1,871
- Tax you'd save by logging every mile$802 more
How this calculator works
Every business mile you can prove lowers the profit you pay both self-employment tax and income tax on. For 2026 that's 72.5¢ a mile for miles driven January 1 through June 30 and 76¢ for miles from July 1 (IRS). The rate already covers gas, repairs, insurance and depreciation, so you don't deduct those too; business parking and tolls are added separately (IRS Topic 510: Business use of car).
The calculator's extra step is the share of miles you actually log. Drivers often record trips with an order in the car and miss the rest. The miles that usually go missing:
- Driving to a pickup.
- Driving between orders while you're online and waiting for the next one.
- Driving back toward a busy area after a delivery.
- Trips for the work itself, like picking up a delivery bag or a car wash before rideshare driving.
Year-end summaries from the apps may show only some of your miles. Your own log, made as you drive, is what supports the deduction. The drive from home before you go online is often treated as commuting; ask a tax pro how it applies to you.
2026 mileage deduction by miles per week
| Business miles per week | Miles per year | Deduction | Tax saved at 25% | Lost if you log only 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 4,800 | $3,564 | $891 | $267 |
| 150 | 7,200 | $5,346 | $1,337 | $401 |
| 200 | 9,600 | $7,128 | $1,782 | $535 |
| 300 | 14,400 | $10,692 | $2,673 | $802 |
| 400 | 19,200 | $14,256 | $3,564 | $1,069 |
| 500 | 24,000 | $17,820 | $4,455 | $1,336 |
| 600 | 28,800 | $21,384 | $5,346 | $1,604 |
48 weeks a year, half the miles before July 1. Tax saved assumes you log every mile.
Worked examples
Weekend driver
150 miles a week for 40 weeks, logs only about half of them, 20% tax rate.
| Result | |
|---|---|
| Full deduction | $4,455 |
| Tax saved now | $446/yr |
| Missed by not logging | $446 a year |
Full-time driver with a tracking app
600 miles a week for 50 weeks, 95% of miles logged automatically, 28% tax rate.
| Result | |
|---|---|
| Full deduction | $22,275 |
| Deduction logged | $21,161 |
| Tax saved | $5,925/yr |
Using your result
Fix the log first, then the number takes care of itself. A tracking app that runs in the background records every drive with date and distance; you mark which ones were for work. A notebook works too if you write down the odometer at the start and end of every shift.
Then put the deduction into your tax estimate. The gig tax calculator subtracts it from your earnings and shows what you'll owe. If your car is expensive to run, check whether actual expenses would be bigger with the standard mileage vs. actual expenses calculator.
What it doesn't cover
- Tax saved uses one combined rate, not your exact brackets.
- It assumes you use the standard mileage rate. If you deduct actual expenses instead, the mileage rate doesn't apply.
- Only miles you can document count. An estimate made at tax time is easy to challenge.
- Rules for which trips count can depend on how you work; a tax pro can confirm yours.
Read more
- Mileage Deduction for Delivery and Rideshare Drivers: What Counts in 2026
- IRS Mileage Rate 2026: 72.5¢, Then 76¢ From July 1
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 mileage rate for delivery and rideshare drivers?
72.5¢ a mile for business miles driven through June 30, 2026, and 76¢ from July 1, 2026. Drivers who are independent contractors use the same business rate as anyone self-employed.
Can I deduct miles between deliveries?
Generally yes, when you're online and working: driving to pickups, between orders and back toward a busy area are business miles. Keep them in your log.
How much is 300 miles a week worth at tax time?
About $10,692 of deduction a year over 48 weeks, saving roughly $2,673 at a 25% combined tax rate.
Can I deduct gas if I use the mileage rate?
No. Gas, oil, repairs, tires, insurance and depreciation are built into the standard rate. Business parking and tolls are the extras you can add.
What if I didn't log miles earlier in the year?
Start a log now and keep it going. For past months, records made from app trip histories, shift times and maps are better than a guess, but they're weaker than a log kept as you drive. A tax pro can tell you how to handle the gap.
What does a mileage log need?
The date, the miles and the business purpose of each trip, written at or near the time. With two rates in 2026, the dates also show which rate each mile gets.
Sources
- IRS: 2026 business standard mileage rate (January announcement)
- IRS Announcement 2026-11 (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29): 76¢ from July 1, 2026
- IRS Topic 510: Business use of car
- IRS Publication 463: Travel, gift and car expenses
- IRS Gig Economy Tax Center
Reviewed against IRS sources: October 2026 · Updated October 2026 · By the NetTakeHome team. Estimates for planning, not tax, legal or financial advice. NetTakeHome is not affiliated with DoorDash, Uber, Lyft or Instacart.