Mileage Tracking for Lyft Drivers
Many Lyft drivers drive 15,000 to 38,000 business miles a year. At the 2026 IRS standard rate of 72.5 cents per mile, that is a deduction range of $10,875 to $27,550 for the workers who can claim it.
Who can deduct
Lyft drivers are independent contractors. You file Schedule C and deduct every business mile at the 2026 IRS rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
How Lyft drivers actually drive
Full-time Lyft drivers regularly clear 28,000 business miles a year. Part-time drivers working a few evenings and a weekend day commonly log 12,000 to 18,000.
Typical deductible trips
The trips below are the ones Lyft drivers most commonly forget to log, plus the obvious ones. Auto-tracking catches all of them, including the small ones that add up.
- On-trip miles with a passenger in the car
- En-route miles after accepting a ride request
- Online-and-waiting miles in your driving area
- Repositioning to a higher-demand zone or surge area
- Driving to a Lyft Hub or required vehicle inspection
How TruMile helps
TruMile auto-detects every drive using motion plus location, so the trips above get logged whether you remember them or not. Smart classification learns your repeat routes (between regular client homes, between job sites, to your supply store) and starts tagging them automatically after a few trips.
At year-end, one tap turns your trip log into an IRS-compliant CSV or PDF you can hand to your accountant or paste into Schedule C. The math is already done.
Free for 40 auto trips a month, every month. If you are anywhere near the high end of the typical mileage range, the unlimited Pro tier at $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year usually pays for itself in the first week of tax season.
FAQ for Lyft drivers
Are Lyft's mileage records enough for the IRS?
Lyft's annual summary lists on-trip miles but typically excludes en-route and online-waiting miles. The IRS allows all three. An auto-tracker that captures the full driving session gives you a more accurate (and usually larger) deduction.
Can I deduct driving for both Uber and Lyft on the same Schedule C?
Yes. Both are independent-contractor delivery and rideshare work. One Schedule C, one mileage log, miles combined.
What about car washes and detailing for rideshare?
Under the standard mileage method, gas and maintenance are baked into the 72.5-cent rate, but you can still deduct car washes if they are specifically for keeping the car presentable for passengers. Keep receipts.
Start tracking your Lyft drivers miles for free.
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