Mileage Tracking for Uber Drivers
Many Uber drivers drive 15,000 to 40,000 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 $29,000 for the workers who can claim it.
Who can deduct
Uber 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 Uber drivers actually drive
Full-time drivers commonly clear 30,000+ business miles a year. Part-time drivers running evenings and weekends often log 12,000 to 18,000.
Typical deductible trips
The trips below are the ones Uber drivers most commonly forget to log, plus the obvious ones. Auto-tracking catches all of them, including the small ones that add up.
- Driving with a passenger in the car (period 3, on-trip)
- Driving to pick up a passenger after accepting a ride (period 2, en-route)
- Driving while online and waiting for a request (period 1, app-on but no ride yet)
- Driving from a drop-off back to your usual driving area
- Driving to the airport queue or a known surge zone
- Driving to a vehicle inspection or rideshare-required maintenance appointment
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 Uber drivers
Does Uber's tax summary already include all my deductible miles?
No. Uber's tax summary only counts miles when a passenger is in the car (period 3). The IRS lets you deduct period 1 (online and waiting), period 2 (en route to pickup), and period 3. For most full-time drivers, Uber's summary undercounts deductible miles by 30 to 50 percent.
Can I deduct miles I drove between platforms?
Yes. Drives that have a clear business purpose (positioning to a higher-demand area, returning to your driving zone after a long trip out) are deductible whether you are logged into Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or any combination. Personal errands during your shift are not deductible.
What about commuting from home to my first pickup?
If your home is your principal place of business (your tax home for rideshare purposes), the drive from home to start your shift is deductible. If you have another full-time job and rideshare is a side gig, the drive from home to where you start driving is generally a commute, not deductible.
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