Tax Tips for Gig Workers

🔧 Essential Resources for Gig Workers

Navigating taxes and expenses can feel overwhelming, but these tools and websites are designed to make your life easier—whether you’re tracking miles, filing taxes, or learning the basics.

🧾 FreeTaxUSA

• What it is: An affordable and user-friendly online tax filing platform. We are not affiliated with FreeTaxUSA but we highly recommend their services for basically anyone who needs to file their taxes.
  
  

• Why use it: Perfect for gig workers who want to file their taxes accurately without paying high fees. It supports self-employed tax forms and deductions.
  
  

• Example: File your 2024 taxes easily with step-by-step guidance and maximize deductions for your gig work.
  
  

🌐 IRS.gov

• What it is: The official website of the Internal Revenue Service.
  
  

• Why use it: The most authoritative source for all tax laws, updates, forms, and guidance.
  
  

• Example: Check the latest mileage rates, learn about deductible expenses, and find forms like Schedule C for reporting self-employment income.
  
  

🚗 Stride

• What it is: A free app designed to track your miles and expenses. Perfect for gig workers.
  
  

• Why use it: Keeps an accurate log of your business miles and expenses on the go.

💼 Tax Deductions for Full-Time Gig Workers

As a full-time gig worker, you likely use your vehicle, phone, and other tools almost exclusively for work. This means you can generally deduct a larger portion—sometimes even 100%—of your related expenses. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you save big at tax time.

🚗 Mileage

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of the business miles driven at the IRS standard mileage rate (currently 67.5 cents per mile for 2025).
  
  

• Example: If you drive 2,000 miles delivering orders, you can deduct $1,350.
  
  

🍔 Business Meals

• Deduction: Deduct 50% of meal expenses while working (e.g., grabbing lunch during a shift).
  
  

• Example: If you spend $30 on a meal during work, you can deduct $15.
  
  

📱 Cell Phone Bill

• Deduction: Deduct up to 100% if your phone is used exclusively for work (or the business portion if you also use it personally) A safe bet is to deduct just 50% of your monthly phone bill.
  
  

• Example: If your monthly phone bill is $100 and used mostly for work, you could deduct the full amount or a high percentage.
  
  

🎧 Phone Accessories

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of the cost of work-related accessories like cases, chargers, and mounts.
  
  

• Example: A $50 phone mount used solely for deliveries is fully deductible.
  
  

🧰 Work Supplies

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of supplies necessary for your job, like delivery bags, gloves, or cleaning supplies.
  
  

• Example: If you buy a $60 insulated delivery bag, you can deduct the full amount.
  
  

💻 Software Subscriptions

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of subscriptions used exclusively for work purposes (e.g., route planning, scheduling apps).
  
  

• Example: A $15 monthly subscription to a navigation app is fully deductible.
  
  

🧼 Car Cleaning

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of car cleaning costs if you keep your vehicle presentable for work.
  
  

• Example: A $20 car wash after a busy delivery week is fully deductible.
  
  

🛠️ Roadside Assistance

• Deduction: Deduct 100% if the roadside assistance plan is used for your work vehicle.
  
  

• Example: Paying $60 annually for roadside assistance on your delivery vehicle is deductible.
  
  

🅿️ Tolls & Parking

• Deduction: Deduct 100% of tolls and parking fees incurred during work hours.
  
  

• Example: $10 spent on tolls and parking fees during a busy delivery day is fully deductible.