# I'm a newbie with A LOT of questions



## UberNewbie (Aug 25, 2014)

1.What's up with the iPhone? Long term deductions from pay? Plan and carrier details etc any info about it pros&cons!

2. How do I go about the taxes and claim gas? 

3. My rent is always adjusted to be 30% of my income before taxes. Gas deductions are not allowed. Any one else have this ordeal and how do you handle it? 

4. Will I actually make any money after gas&phone& 30% rental expenses?


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## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

UberNewbie said:


> 1.What's up with the iPhone? Long term deductions from pay? Plan and carrier details etc any info about it pros&cons!
> 
> 2. How do I go about the taxes and claim gas?
> 
> ...


1. Usually a deposit of $100-300 taken out of your first two checks. Carrier varies. The plan is only good for Uber data stuff. Then $10 per week.
2. You will probably have a tax loss using the .56 per mile driven irs rate.
3. Your rent might go down since you will have a tax loss. Personal gas is probably different than what you are allowed to expense from the business income.
4. You might if your rent goes down because of a tax loss from driving. Also consider wear / depreciation of the car. It's easier to seem to make money if you only subtract gas.


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## RS King (Aug 18, 2014)

1. Uber only allows their app to be run on their provided iPhones. These phones are locked and only allow you to run the Uber app. You can not add other apps, send texts or make calls from this phone. Uber is now charging their drivers $10 per week for the "data plan". They typically do not charge you for the iPhone for your first few weeks and in some areas, where they are short on drivers, they may wave the fee, but they will, at some point, begin charging for it.

2. I'm not a tax professional, but this is what I understand after doing my research. When you drive for Uber, you are self employed. The IRS requires you to pay 15.3% self employment tax on your actual earnings. This is in addition to your standard income tax. You will receive a IRS form 1099 from Uber at the end of the year. The IRS allows you to claim $0.56 per mile for business miles driven. This deduction includes the cost of gas and maintenance for the vehicle. The IRS bulletin is here : http://www.irs.gov/2014-Standard-Mileage-Rates-for-Business,-Medical-and-Moving-Announced. I am saving all of your business related receipts and tracking all of my miles. I am not relying on Uber to track miles for me because, as far as I can tell, Uber doesn't track my dead miles (miles without a passenger), so I use mileage log. I'll let a tax professional figure it out for me at the end of the year.

I can't help you with questions 3 and 4, because I don't know how they determine your income.


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## RS King (Aug 18, 2014)

What area are you in?


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## David Madrid (Aug 11, 2014)

UberNewbie said:


> 1.What's up with the iPhone? Long term deductions from pay? Plan and carrier details etc any info about it pros&cons!
> 
> 2. How do I go about the taxes and claim gas?
> 
> ...


No


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## chi1cabby (May 28, 2014)

Hi @UberNewbie! Welcome to the forum! 
You have some good questions. Many polices and practices at Uber are different in


UberNewbie said:


> 1.What's up with the iPhone? Long term deductions from pay? Plan and carrier details etc any info about it pros&cons!
> 
> 2. How do I go about the taxes and claim gas?
> 
> ...


Hi @UberNewbie! Welcome to the forum!
Please tell us what market would you be working in, what kind of car are going to use for UberX, are you planning on doing this full time or post time...
Then we'll be able to offer you some guidance on your potential earnings.


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## UberPissed (Aug 13, 2014)

If you claim mileage, you are not able to deduct actual expenses, such as gas, oiled changes etc. you can deduct parking and tolls, though. 

I suspect that you are on some sort of means tested welfare for your rent - if that is the case I think you certify annually, not sure how it is being reported. 

RSking's advice is spot on. 

Don't deduct meals. 

Don't get cute with other deductions.


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## Ubertron (Aug 14, 2014)

UberNewbie said:


> 1.What's up with the iPhone? Long term deductions from pay? Plan and carrier details etc any info about it pros&cons!
> 
> 2. How do I go about the taxes and claim gas?
> 
> ...


Read the Orlando forum section, low, low $$$$$....more like peanuts or negative after gas, tolls, waiting around


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## UberNewbie (Aug 25, 2014)

chi1cabby said:


> Hi @UberNewbie! Welcome to the forum!
> You have some good questions. Many polices and practices at Uber are different in
> 
> Hi @UberNewbie! Welcome to the forum!
> ...


A 2006 Chrysler Town&Country in Worcester County, Massachusetts


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## Opportunivore (Aug 26, 2014)

Hi Newbie, and all. I just found out about a free website you can use to track earnings, estimate taxes, view hours, etc., if you drive for Uber, Lyft, and/ or Sidecar. It is called Sherpashare. Use my referral code SP2720 and I might be able to buy us all a drink (to share, of course).


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

based on my entire one week career with uber, here's what you can make and here's what you're actual taxable income will be.

It turns out for me, my miles driven and my billable fares are almost equal. It's about a dollar a mile. So the magic number is $330 a shift.

On a $330 shift you will probably drive 330 miles so your tax deduct will be 184.80. Now take out the rider fee $16 and then 20% of what remains (330-16)x(.8)= 251.12.

251.12-184.80=$66.40 is your actual taxable income.
Actual income before actual depreciation and fuel is 251.12. In my case fuel is $40 so my actual income is 211.12.

This is a good gig if you are on benefits. You can make almost $4,000 a month is actual money and still show low enough taxable income to stay on benefits.

Now that I think about it, the federal government is subsidizing uber just like walmart.


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## Ubertron (Aug 14, 2014)

$330/ shift is a dream, won't happen in Orlando. I barely scratch $25 to $60/ "shift"


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## Orlando_Driver (Jul 14, 2014)

What does 330 a shift look like ? Not going to happen in Orlando


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## Ubertron (Aug 14, 2014)

*Oooooooh! He's in Phoenix, AZ!! I noticed how another "driver", I'll call him "bling boy" who's videos' have been removed from YouTube claiming $1600-$2000 / week doing Uber. Obviously an Uber employee reeling in us suckers...*


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## Daemoness (Aug 27, 2014)

Lol, I watched those videos. They were funny. Wonder what happened to him. Claimed to be making 6 figures or close to it. I don't think he was a shill, because the videos would still be up, plus he tended to ramble. "Bling Boy" is a perfect description!!


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

I've done $300 in a day. My first week, I billed 920 and that was with taking my car out of service to get the front end repaired and the inside detailed. And I didn't know what I was doing the first week. Early mornings rock here. I did $120 from 4am to 9am. 2 airport runs, one short hop and one ride of shame.


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## Randy Shear (Jul 25, 2014)

Ubertron said:


> *Oooooooh! He's in Phoenix, AZ!! I noticed how another "driver", I'll call him "bling boy" who's videos' have been removed from YouTube claiming $1600-$2000 / week doing Uber. Obviously an Uber employee reeling in us suckers...*


I watched him too.. Guy Uber, then Guy Lyft, now, just Ivan Vanity. All videos are gone. His payout screen looked NOTHING like mine from Oklahoma City, or Indianapolis. I have a YT channel too, Uber Man. Soon joining Lyft as well. I bring home on average $350 for my 2 day work week. Friday and Saturday evenings. 431 trips in OKC, 4.81*, $8129 in fares. Indianapolis, 318 rides, 4.82*, $5262 in fares.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

UberNewbie said:


> A 2006 Chrysler Town&Country in Worcester County, Massachusetts


HI UberNewbie,
As a fellow Worcester driver, I am finding the Worcester area to be a very thin market. I usually go in toward Boston. What has been your experience in the Worcester market?


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

There aren't enough hours in a day to make $2000 a week in PHX driving. Maybe a city with more of a cab culture can do it. You could maybe bill that much if you worked 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. no way you could net that much, even with an electric car with unlimited range and free electricity.


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## Orlando_Driver (Jul 14, 2014)

osii said:


> There aren't enough hours in a day to make $2000 a week in PHX driving. Maybe a city with more of a cab culture can do it. You could maybe bill that much if you worked 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. no way you could net that much, even with an electric car with unlimited range and free electricity.


LMAO, the same in Orlando...


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## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

osii said:


> There aren't enough hours in a day to make $2000 a week in PHX driving. Maybe a city with more of a cab culture can do it. You could maybe bill that much if you worked 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. no way you could net that much, even with an electric car with unlimited range and free electricity.


UberGuy was making most of his money from signing up drivers.
He was also running with 3 cars X, XL and SUV.
These two facts were inflating his earnings.
Of course with 3 cars you have much more expenses.
When Uber lowered the referral bonuses
his whole "business model" collapsed.


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

Yeah, I find most of the people claiming to make big money are doing from referrals. haven't seen any examples of drivers making that kind of cash. I'd be happy do to referrals, but I haven't seen anything in writing that says I'll be paid anything if I refer someone. They just throw a number at you and there's all these secret terms to qualify. Even Lyft has a qualifier on there lower commission bonus that you have to maintain a 90% acceptance rate (whatever that is).


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## SunSmith (Apr 20, 2014)

On Thursday I drove for 12 hours and brought in $322 before commission and expenses and ... After expenses it works out to $12.97 an hour. This is in Seattle where a number of drivers have turned in their phones to protest the low rates. After Labor Day and they all return to driving, I expect the number of calls I get to drop.


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## Randy Shear (Jul 25, 2014)

I just posted a "Guy Uber" parody on my YT channel. Uber Man.


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## Randy Shear (Jul 25, 2014)

I brought in (after 20% comm, after fuel, after safe rider fee) $428 for the weekend. Pretty decent weekend in Indy.


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## BeachBum (Aug 6, 2014)

Randy Shear said:


> I brought in (after 20% comm, after fuel, after safe rider fee) $428 for the weekend. Pretty decent weekend in Indy.


I used to net about $700 driving 4 days, maybe 6 hours per day. This was during the heyday here about 3 months ago. I shot for 30 bucks an hour and if it wasn't happening, I'd turn off the app and go home. Now I only work midnight to 3 am on the weekends and I'm lucky to net 15 bucks an hour. Cash in while you can, the end is in sight.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

BeachBum said:


> I used to net about $700 driving 4 days, maybe 6 hours per day. This was during the heyday here about 3 months ago. I shot for 30 bucks an hour and if it wasn't happening, I'd turn off the app and go home. Now I only work midnight to 3 am on the weekends and I'm lucky to net 15 bucks an hour. Cash in while you can, the end is in sight.


I am afraid that you are right.


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## Randy Shear (Jul 25, 2014)

BeachBum said:


> I used to net about $700 driving 4 days, maybe 6 hours per day. This was during the heyday here about 3 months ago. I shot for 30 bucks an hour and if it wasn't happening, I'd turn off the app and go home. Now I only work midnight to 3 am on the weekends and I'm lucky to net 15 bucks an hour. Cash in while you can, the end is in sight.


You could be correct, or not. Time will tell. Uber has been in INDY over a year now. We are flooded with drivers, and our rates have dropped as low as I can see them going. Sometimes being an aggressive driver can help compensate for the negative effects of driver flooding. I know where to be, and what times to be there, and it never lets me down. Just have to work a little harder, and smarter. I face problems head-on, and always innovate. Instead of me getting depressed when there were floods of drivers, and rates dropped, I went looking for a solution. Innovate to compensate. It's working for me. Best to you all.


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