Thumbtack Tax Deductions: What Pros Can Write Off

Pros who book work through Thumbtack are independent contractors, not employees, which means the job-related costs you cover yourself are generally deductible against your Thumbtack income. That includes mileage between jobs, the fees Thumbtack charges for leads, and the tools and supplies the work requires.

Your tax status on Thumbtack

Thumbtack connects pros, cleaners, handymen, movers, photographers, and dozens of other service categories, directly with customers and takes a fee for the leads or bookings it delivers. You're running your own business on the platform, so income and expenses are reported on Schedule C, same as any other self-employed contractor.

Mileage between jobs

Driving from one Thumbtack job to the next is deductible business mileage, and so is driving to pick up supplies or materials for a job. What's not deductible is the drive from home to your first job of the day, treated the same as a commute, unless your home qualifies as your principal place of business.

Thumbtack's own fees

The lead fees and service charges Thumbtack deducts from your payouts, or bills you separately for, are a deductible business expense. Report your gross earnings as income and the platform fees as a separate expense line, rather than only reporting your net payout.

Tools, supplies, and equipment

• Tools and equipment used specifically for jobs booked through the platform
• Consumable supplies (cleaning products, small parts, materials) bought for a specific job
• Work-specific safety gear or uniforms not suitable for everyday wear
• A portion of vehicle costs beyond mileage, if you use the actual-expenses method instead of standard mileage

What this is worth

A pro driving to six jobs a week, averaging 12 miles between stops, logs about 3,600 miles a year in inter-job driving alone. At 2026 rates of 72.5 cents through June 30 and 76 cents after, that's roughly $2,673, before counting tool purchases or Thumbtack's own fees.

Does Thumbtack send a 1099?

If you're paid through Thumbtack's payment processing and cross the relevant threshold, you may receive a 1099-K. If not, you're still required to report all Thumbtack income using your own records of what customers paid you.

Sources: IRS, About Schedule C. IRS, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-29, 2026 standard mileage rates.

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