MileGravy
Blog
Mileage, taxes and the parts of gig driving nobody explains. Written by Sabett, who has delivered full time since 2013 and got tired of tracking it all by hand.
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The IRS raised the mileage rate mid-2026. Here's what it means for your miles.
The 2026 business mileage rate is two rates, not one: 72.5¢ through June 30 and 76¢ from July 1. You have to split your miles by date. Doing it wrong overstates your deduction by hundreds of dollars.
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DoorDash mileage deduction: which miles count and which don't
Miles between deliveries and back toward your zone are deductible. The drive from home to your first pickup is generally commuting and isn't — unless your home is your principal place of business. The gap is bigger than most drivers think.
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Standard mileage or actual expenses? I ran my own van both ways.
Standard mileage usually wins for high-mileage delivery drivers in a paid-off vehicle. Actual expenses wins for expensive vehicles driven fewer miles. The first-year election matters more than either — choose wrong and you can never switch.
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What the IRS actually wants in a mileage log
Every entry needs a date, the miles, where you went and why. Records must be kept as you drive, not rebuilt in April. A log that fails takes the whole deduction with it, plus a 20% accuracy-related penalty.
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Quarterly taxes for gig drivers: how much to set aside and when
Self-employment tax is 15.3% on 92.35% of your net earnings, and nobody withholds it. The 2026 due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15, 2027. Setting aside 20–25% of net covers most drivers.
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Tax write-offs for delivery drivers beyond mileage
Tolls and parking deduct on top of the standard mileage rate. So does the business share of your phone plan and your delivery gear. Tickets never do, meals almost never do, and normal clothes don't either.
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