Taxes for Gigs
Tax year 2026

Lyft driver tax calculator

Your Lyft 1099-K shows what passengers paid, fees included. Subtract Lyft's fees and your miles to see what you really owe.

Ride payments from your Lyft Annual Summary or 1099-K: what passengers paid, tips included.

$
$0$50k$100k

Tips can be deducted from income tax through 2028.

$
mi
mi

Online miles from your Annual Summary, or your own log. The IRS rate is 72.5¢ a mile until June 30 and 76¢ from July 1.

Platform fees and other charges Lyft kept before paying you, from your Annual Summary.

$

Business share of your phone, insulated bags, parking, tolls.

$
h
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Filing status

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Estimated federal tax as a Lyft driver

$0

Lyft does not take this out of your pay. You pay it yourself.

0 %Set this much aside from every Lyft payout.
  • Mileage deduction $0
  • Tips deduction $0
  • Tracking your miles saves you $0 in tax.
Self-employment tax$0
Income tax$0
After tax, per hour$0

Quarterly estimated payments

  1. Q1$0Apr 15, 2026
  2. Q2$0Jun 15, 2026
  3. Q3$0Sep 15, 2026
  4. Q4$0Jan 15, 2027

The per-hour figure is after tax and the expenses above, but before gas and other car costs. Federal tax only, standard deduction.

Gross ride payments vs your deposits

Lyft reports gross ride payments, which include the platform fees it keeps. In our example of $36,000 gross with $9,000 of Lyft fees, filing the gross without the fees adds about $1,540 in federal tax.

The tax rules are the same as for Uber; see Uber driver taxes explained for forms, miles and the tips deduction step by step. Drive for both apps? Add the profit together in the self-employment tax calculator.

Questions

Does Lyft take out taxes?

No. Lyft drivers are independent contractors, so Lyft withholds no income tax, Social Security or Medicare. You pay them yourself with quarterly estimated payments and your yearly return.

Why is my Lyft 1099-K more than I was paid?

Box 1 of the 1099-K is the total passengers paid for your rides, including fees and taxes they paid. Lyft takes its platform fees before paying you, so the amount is higher than your deposits. Deduct the fees shown on your Annual Summary; that is the fees field above.

Will I get a 1099-K from Lyft?

In most states, only with $20,000 or more in gross rider payments and at least 200 rides. Lyft lists lower limits in Illinois and New Jersey ($1,000) and in California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont and Virginia ($600). Puerto Rico uses Form 480.6G. You report all earnings either way.

Can I use the online miles from my Lyft Annual Summary?

The Annual Summary shows your total rides and online miles for the year. It is a good starting point; keep your own log too, with the date, miles and purpose of your trips.

Sources

Last updated November 3, 2026. Figures for tax year 2026 from IRS and SSA sources.