# Uber 2014 Tax Summary and On-Trip vs On-Line mileage.



## PTB (Feb 3, 2015)

Uber 2014 TAX SUMMARY indicates the On-Trip Mileage(2) along with a comment stating additional mileage may be deductible. I need to know the ON-LINE MILEAGE. Can Uber provide this number if the driver did not keep his/her log?


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

No they can't, they did not record that info...at least not officially. Besides you might have applicable off app miles as well, like heading to the hot spots for the night to start or heading back home after logging off.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Just do a guesstimate, it is really that difficult..


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> Just do a guesstimate, it is really that difficult..


That becomes bad if you get audited, but if you don't have a mileage log it's the only thing you can do, and not claiming those miles could easily cost you $1000 or more. If you are guesstimating make sure to not claim so many as to show a loss, at least make some effort to not get audited.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> That becomes bad if you get audited, but if you don't have a mileage log it's the only thing you can do, and not claiming those miles could easily cost you $1000 or more. If you are guesstimating make sure to not claim so many as to show a loss, at least make some effort to not get audited.


Where in the it's tax law does it say you can't show a loss,

For many companies a loss is just another form of advertising, like uber paying a rate guarantee or paying $500 to a lyft driver and a $500 finder fee to the uber driver.


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## PTB (Feb 3, 2015)

Uber has office hours invitations to ask account questions. Perhaps the ON-LINE miles question can be asked at this meeting.
Thankfully, Lyft provides DRIVER MODE MILES in their yearly stats.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> That becomes bad if you get audited, but if you don't have a mileage log it's the only thing you can do, and not claiming those miles could easily cost you $1000 or more. If you are guesstimating make sure to not claim so many as to show a loss, at least make some effort to not get audited.


$1000 dollars or more, really, what are you smoking, May i have a hit..


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> $1000 dollars or more, really, what are you smoking, May i have a hit..


I've only driven for Uber since August and my mileage over what Uber listed was close to 10,000 miles. 10,000 miles times $.56 is $5,600. Just SS is over 15% of our profit, so an extra $5,600 deduction is $840 less paid to the Feds for SS, not to mention the actual tax reductions which easily put it over $1,000. Had I driven the whole year my non-trip mileage could easily have been high enough to save $3,000-$5,000.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> Where in the it's tax law does it say you can't show a loss?


Nowhere, but showing a loss greatly increases your chance of an audit, if you are making up your mileage numbers you don't want an audit.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

PTB said:


> Thankfully, Lyft provides DRIVER MODE MILES in their yearly stats.


It gets wierd there because if you had the total app-on miles for both apps then the total mileage shown of both apps together will be higher than your actual miles driven. Better to just keep a mileage log.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> Nowhere, but showing a loss greatly increases your chance of an audit, if you are making up your mileage numbers you don't want an audit.


Why would you flag an audit if you show reasonable miles to get to and from a client, the IRS knows you did not use a star trek transporter.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Fauxknight said:


> I've only driven for Uber since August and my mileage over what Uber listed was close to 10,000 miles. 10,000 miles times $.56 is $5,600. Just SS is over 15% of our profit, so an extra $5,600 deduction is $840 less paid to the Feds for SS, not to mention the actual tax reductions which easily put it over $1,000. Had I driven the whole year my non-trip mileage could easily have been high enough to save $3,000-$5,000.


You actually made my point, the guesstimated miles and the actual miles would not be so far off the you would save a $1,000 or more in taxes.


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## Sean Smith (Oct 29, 2014)

painfreepc said:


> You actually made my point, the guesstimated miles and the actual miles would not be so far off the you would save a $1,000 or more in taxes.


You'll get audited in a heartbeat if you "guestimate" your miles. You've probably never had to deal with the IRS before, and they don't accept and estimates or guesses when it comes to expenses and especially mileage.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

Being aggressive or being conservative when applying deductions is a personal decision that each individual makes. This is a personal decision and also one to discuss with your CPA/Tax preparer (if you have one). This is true whether you keep "perfect", "decent", or even "creative" expense records for your business.

Some people keep bad records but just aren't stressed out by the possibility of an Audit. Others keep everything by the book and are totally stressed about by the possibility of an Audit. Do what is good for your comfort level.

I'm guessing that with the 1099-Ks and the changing economy towards a greater % of the workforce doing full or part-time OnDemand / 1099 work, the IRS will just end up having to do random Audits to keep up with this higher % of the workforce.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

Sean Smith said:


> You'll get audited in a heartbeat if you "guestimate" your miles. You've probably never had to deal with the IRS before, and they don't accept and estimates or guesses when it comes to expenses and especially mileage.


I am talking about a realistic guesstimated uber mileage log, you can do that using trip info in your payment statements,

I am not talking about guesstimateing every item expense,

We don't log every trip, just the mileage at start of work day and mileage at end of work day,

You are not the only one filing taxes as a uber driver, I think the IRS already knows ubering/lyfting/sidecaring this is a high mileage dead mile job.


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## Sean Smith (Oct 29, 2014)

Ridesharing is getting the special attention of the IRS this year. Reading forums like this makes it clear that many drivers are spreading completely wrong tax suggestions, as if they are CPAs. These ridesharing sole proprietorships are simple, small businesses. Although the type of work is new, taxes are not. The IRS knows how mileage deductions are exploited, and you will not out-smart them.

Our taxes are black and white and the only personal decision is whether to follow the rules or not. If you don't follow the rules I suppose your level of confidence will affect your stress level over the next 6 years (IRS can+will audit you up to 6 years from now).

Welcome to the world of small business. You either do things correctly or deal with the repercussions.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

If you didn't keep good records (Date, Start/Stop Odometer mileage, & locations traveled), you could recreate this on a spreadsheet. Cut and paste all trips from the Uber Dashboard (I find this easier to cut and paste into spreadsheet over the weekly pay statement). The Dash Board gives you this:

*Time* *Duration*  *Mileage* *Fare* *Status*

Then add for mileage reporting and delete what you don't need.

*Time* *Mileage* * Start End Total Location*

Time consuming but y0u can just go through your Dashboard under "Trips" and Cut and Paste into your spreadsheet.

You will have the "On-Trip Mileage" provided by Uber Dashboard "Per Trip". You will need to input your own Total Miles Driven by Day by grouping the Days/Dates and Summing each day's worth of trips .

Since you did not keep records but probably know what your percentage of "On-Trip Mileage" vs "Total Uber Related Miles" are, you could just use a percentage. Mine is usually 50 /50. So for example, you can work around this number. Double the "On-Trip Mileage for each day or whatever works for you. Vary the multiplier by day slightly.

Don't want to do this. For 2014 double or use whatever multiple of your "On-Trip Mileage" is your average for the total "Non-Trip Mileage" Uber has on the Summary.

Then start today keeping good records of all of your Business Mileage starting today and backtrack for January 2015.


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## painfreepc (Jul 17, 2014)

SCdave said:


> If you didn't keep good records (Date, Start/Stop Odometer mileage, & locations traveled), you could recreate this on a spreadsheet. Cut and paste all trips from the Uber Dashboard (I find this easier to cut and paste into spreadsheet over the weekly pay statement). The Dash Board gives you this:
> 
> *Time* *Duration*  *Mileage* *Fare* *Status*
> 
> ...


Thanks for that, this is not rocket science.


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## gman (Jul 28, 2014)

Sean Smith said:


> You'll get audited in a heartbeat if you "guestimate" your miles. You've probably never had to deal with the IRS before, and they don't accept and estimates or guesses when it comes to expenses and especially mileage.


Seems a little harsh. Highly doubt some Uber driver with piddly ass earnings is going to "get audited in a heartbeat", lol. Just make sure your "guesstimate", if you have to do one, is reasonable. And of course if you are going to continue to Uber this year now would be a good time to start a mileage log.


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## 49matrix (Feb 3, 2015)

I have an issue with Commuting mileage. In this business there is no commuting, once your on line you're 'At Work' is my credo. I also believe the mileage driven to pick up the rider is part of the deductible mileage not just once their ass in your car. We've all driven 8/10 miles to get a $3 minimum. Right?
Once I'm on line I can sit in the driveway and wait, it's not long before I get a request.


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