# Need Help Calculating Expenses for Wear and Tear on Car



## House_of_Elnino (Jul 18, 2014)

How do I calculate how much Wear and tear is on my car.. I am driving a 2013 Prius C that I bought brand new middle of March 2013...


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## Oc_DriverX (Apr 29, 2014)

The simplest, but not the most accurate way, is to use the IRS figure of $0.56/mile. That includes everything, including gas. You can also try to track everything separately. Try taking a look at this:
http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/YourDrivingCosts2013.pdf

It describes the average costs for various sized vehicles as determined by AAA.

I am going to guess that using $0.56/mi. might overstate your expenses since you drive a high mpg car. However, that is a good thing come tax time. If you don't use the $0.56 then you should definitely figure out a depreciation rate for your car. A quick and dirty method would be to guess how many miles the car will go and divide it into the price. (i.e. $20,000 price / 200k/mi = $0.10/mi.) Thee AAA brochure suggests that you should use at least $0.05/mi for maintenance. As your car gets older, the maintenance costs are likely to increase.


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## House_of_Elnino (Jul 18, 2014)

i keep track of my gas expenses which is about $20 a day and about $10 in food when on break..Does the expenses on food count when it comes to taxes?


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## troubleinrivercity (Jul 27, 2014)

I hate to depress people, but you should consider packing a lunch and fixing a coffee thermos instead of hitting Starbucks. Our margins can be a little tight. $10 a day on food is a significant expense. If you're in this as a pseudo-business, this is fat you should be trimming. If you're in it for fun and some cash, by all means hit up the Thai noodle place on break.


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## kalo (Jun 28, 2014)

House_of_Elnino said:


> Does the expenses on food count when it comes to taxes?


Absolutely not. Google it..


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## House_of_Elnino (Jul 18, 2014)

that is pack food lol.. I eat at least 2 to 3 times when I work two 4hr shifts...Sometimes I only eat once per 4hr shift but i usually pack 2 packs of food...thats basically $3.33 each time I take a 15 to 20min break to eat...I don't think I can go any lower than $10 a day on food


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

I work a 14 hour shift with 2 two hour breaks. I don't carry food in the car, and rarely do I have coffee (though sometimes I'm caught with a cup out). I eat at home during the breaks, and drink my coffee and exercise. If you can change up your schedule a little, you could probably save a bit!


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## troubleinrivercity (Jul 27, 2014)

House_of_Elnino said:


> that is pack food lol.. I eat at least 2 to 3 times when I work two 4hr shifts...Sometimes I only eat once per 4hr shift but i usually pack 2 packs of food...thats basically $3.33 each time I take a 15 to 20min break to eat...I don't think I can go any lower than $10 a day on food


That's fine, it's a demanding job and you've got the right to a decent meal while doing it. I forget to eat all day myself, and it's gotta stop, it's dangerous.


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

House_of_Elnino said:


> How do I calculate how much Wear and tear is on my car.. I am driving a 2013 Prius C that I bought brand new middle of March 2013...


Don't waste your time calculating anything. You know in your heart you are getting ****ed and are simply destroying your car for Uber. If you can get past the fact that your car will be worthless in a couple years then keep driving. Uber on. You don't need any mathematical formula to realize this is a one sided game. Common sense is all you need.


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## Crownan (Jul 28, 2014)

Previous to the current fare reductions, I may have offered an opposition to what Realityshark stated. But, in the current state, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO DRIVE FOR UBER. You would do better standing outside you local Home Depot with the illegals getting a 3 or 4 hour job for $50. Try it, if you think I'm kidding.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

House_of_Elnino said:


> i keep track of my gas expenses which is about $20 a day and about $10 in food when on break..Does the expenses on food count when it comes to taxes?


generally your food will not be deductible however there are some exceptions if you go a certain distance from your house or go to another city and spent the night there for example it would be you should check with the IRS for the exact details


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## jsixis (Dec 14, 2014)

The simplest, but not the most accurate way, is to use the IRS figure of $0.56/mile.

The above is the best way to not get hassled by the IRS and will reduce your tax rate to almost 0 if you are keeping good records. The reason your tax rates are so low is you are buying gas at almost the same rate your tax payments would be.
The IRS can crunch numbers with the best of them


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## uber_sea (Jan 9, 2015)

jsixis said:


> The simplest, but not the most accurate way, is to use the IRS figure of $0.56/mile.
> 
> The above is the best way to not get hassled by the IRS and will reduce your tax rate to almost 0 if you are keeping good records. The reason your tax rates are so low is you are buying gas at almost the same rate your tax payments would be.
> The IRS can crunch numbers with the best of them


This is perfect. Thank you.


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