# I entered my miles and my refund went down



## tomboy (Jan 28, 2020)

I worked Lyft last year. They sent me my tax summary saying I don't need 1099K or 1099 Misc. I earned 11.299.05 with 127.07 ride earnings. I am using the Lyft sponsored TurboTax. After inputting my income my lyft, my tax refund increased to 1,700. Then I entered my miles driven as a tax deduction and the refund went down to nothing. Is this normal. What I am doing wrong? I don't understand taxes sorry


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## TemptingFate (May 2, 2019)

You didn't pay taxes so you don't get a refund. You didn't make any money so you don't have to pay taxes. Just plug in the numbers and let TurboTax report your income to the IRS. If anyone questions you, plead ignorance and tell them you're a simpleton like most Lyft drivers.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

tomboy said:


> I worked Lyft last year. They sent me my tax summary saying I don't need 1099K or 1099 Misc. I earned 11.299.05 with 127.07 ride earnings. I am using the Lyft sponsored TurboTax. After inputting my income my lyft, my tax refund increased to 1,700. Then I entered my miles driven as a tax deduction and the refund went down to nothing. Is this normal. What I am doing wrong? I don't understand taxes sorry


Whats the Worst that could Happen ?


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## tomboy (Jan 28, 2020)

tohunt4me said:


> Whats the Worst that could Happen ?


did you go through the trouble of adding those pictures sir/



TemptingFate said:


> You didn't pay taxes so you don't get a refund. You didn't make any money so you don't have to pay taxes. Just plug in the numbers and let TurboTax report your income to the IRS. If anyone questions you, plead ignorance and tell them you're a simpleton like most Lyft drivers.


You are not the one that can answer questions


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## TemptingFate (May 2, 2019)

tomboy said:


> You are not the one that can answer questions


There is nothing inaccurate in my answers. Prove me wrong.


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## Jon Stoppable (Dec 11, 2019)

Could be the lower income caused you to qualify for less earned income credit, but that's just a wild guess.


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## tomboy (Jan 28, 2020)

TemptingFate said:


> There is nothing inaccurate in my answers. Prove me wrong.


You are very rude. If someone doesn't know something they ask. For you to call me a simpleton and every other Lyft driver is a reflection of your nasty character. I do forgive you though.


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## TemptingFate (May 2, 2019)

tomboy said:


> You are very rude. If someone doesn't know something they ask. For you to call me a simpleton and every other Lyft driver is a reflection of your nasty character. I do forgive you though.


Ask most anyone on this forum what they think of Lyft and they will tell you it's a big ripoff for drivers. How much does Lyft pay per mile in your town? Here it's 33 cents. That's less than the cost to operate a vehicle. So only a simpleton would drive for Lyft.


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## tomboy (Jan 28, 2020)

TemptingFate said:


> Ask most anyone on this forum what they think of Lyft and they will tell you it's a big ripoff for drivers. How much does Lyft pay per mile in your town? Here it's 33 cents. That's less than the cost to operate a vehicle. So only a simpleton would drive for Lyft.


I don't work Lyft anymore. It was a just a gig job for me and I won't do it for 33 cents a mile. Btw you are wrong. Some drivers might be forced to work under that condition for a short time as they might be desperate until they find a job. I don't judge poor people like you do that. If the person isn't desperate and is working Lyft for 33 cents a mile then they are fooling themselves, yes.

The point is that you need to stop judging people. You don't know people as you think you do.


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

tomboy said:


> I don't work Lyft anymore. It was a just a gig job for me and I won't do it for 33 cents a mile. Btw you are wrong. Some drivers might be forced to work under that condition for a short time as they might be desperate until they find a job. I don't judge poor people like you do that. If the person isn't desperate and is working Lyft for 33 cents a mile then they are fooling themselves, yes.
> 
> The point is that you need to stop judging people. You don't know people as you think you do.


Yeah!! What the hell is wrong with you... Judging people... As if.


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## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

tomboy said:


> They sent me my tax summary saying I don't need 1099K or 1099 Misc.


not to bring this back on topic...but.....lyft or your post is wrong. If you make $600 from any single entity Jan-Dec you WILL get a 1099misc; guaranteed.


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

Yeah marry a sugar Momma and none of this even matters.... Now you know our secret... Your welcome...


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## tomboy (Jan 28, 2020)

SHalester said:


> not to bring this back on topic...but.....lyft or your post is wrong. If you make $600 from any single entity Jan-Dec you WILL get a 1099misc; guaranteed.


I would really suspcious of that but on the my tax form, it clearly says I don't need to one. I don't know if there is hidden motive behind this from Lyft.

Here is what they wrote: You earned less than 600 in non ride payments so you don't need a 1099 Misc form.

Thats doesn't make any sense to me.



Dekero said:


> Yeah marry a sugar Momma and none of this even matters.... Now you know our secret... Your welcome...


Please hop out my thread. If you want to troll someone, troll one of your passengers. The reason I quit rideshare is that it only attracts immature drivers. Please grow up. I am asking a tax question. Answer it and say something meaningful or move out.


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## SHalester (Aug 25, 2019)

tomboy said:


> You earned less than 600


well duh. My post said if you made $600 from any single entity. That is IRS and a 1099m would be auto generated IF you hit $600. NOW if you work 5 different gigs and all paid $599 you would get NO 1099, but IRS requires you to self report.

<sarcasm level set to medium>


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Uh, you might have been getting the Premium tax credit maybe?

You need a certain level of income before it pays out.

At a certain point raising your income increases the premium tax credit.


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

tomboy said:


> I would really suspcious of that but on the my tax form, it clearly says I don't need to one. I don't know if there is hidden motive behind this from Lyft.
> 
> Here is what they wrote: You earned less than 600 in non ride payments so you don't need a 1099 Misc form.
> 
> ...


Ummmm NOPE.... BUT THX FOR ASKING...


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## Bbonez (Aug 10, 2018)

tomboy said:


> Here is what they wrote: You earned less than 600 in non ride payments so you don't need a 1099 Misc form.


That means you didn't earn $600+ in bonus or promotion money. If that is true and you had less than $20k in rides money (including Lyft's cut) you will not get a 1099.

I'm guessing your mileage write off lowered your income below the required amount to qualify for EITC, like @Jon Stoppable suggested.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

SHalester said:


> not to bring this back on topic...but.....lyft or your post is wrong. If you make $600 from any single entity Jan-Dec you WILL get a 1099misc; guaranteed.


You are wrong about this.uber and Lyft don't issue a 1099misc for rideshare payments
$20,000 (gross income) and 200 transactions is the trigger for a 1099k for payment processors like Uber and Lyft

to the op: if you don't understand at least a little about taxes talk to someone that does, not a bunch of idiots you meet online


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

SHalester said:


> not to bring this back on topic...but.....lyft or your post is wrong. If you make $600 from any single entity Jan-Dec you WILL get a 1099misc; guaranteed.


You have been told And have had it explained that you are incorrect. Yet you continue to propagate your incorrect assertion. You aren't doing anyone favors continuously giving wrong information.


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## WAHN (May 6, 2019)

Seamus said:


> You have been told And have had it explained that you are incorrect. Yet you continue to propagate your incorrect assertion. You aren't doing anyone favors continuously giving wrong information.


Gotta wonder how many people here never drove or did it for like a week and became "experts".


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

WAHN said:


> Gotta wonder how many people here never drove or did it for like a week and became "experts".


Exactly. It's obvious they have never filed a tax return with Rideshare Taxes yet. Every year people who have never done it tell people who have done it for years they are wrong. SMH. It's one thing to not know and accidentally spread misinformation to new people, but it's quite another to have been informed and provided with detailed explanations, and yet not learn.

When I was new to rideshare, I listened and learned a lot from experienced drivers. Learning takes a degree of humility to open the mind and realize some of the assumptions we have made of the world are incorrect. Without being humble enough to have an open mind then the closed mindedness and stubbornness takes over.

I could care less if he remains wrapped in ignorance as he has had the correct information explained to him and has chosen to ignore it. However, many newer people are lost when it comes to taxes and come here looking for help. People who don't actually know what they are talking about really lead new people who want to learn astray with their misinformation.


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## DexNex (Apr 18, 2015)

tomboy said:


> I worked Lyft last year. They sent me my tax summary saying I don't need 1099K or 1099 Misc. I earned 11.299.05 with 127.07 ride earnings. I am using the Lyft sponsored TurboTax. After inputting my income my lyft, my tax refund increased to 1,700. Then I entered my miles driven as a tax deduction and the refund went down to nothing. Is this normal. What I am doing wrong? I don't understand taxes sorry


What did your account have to say?


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

Seamus said:


> Exactly. It's obvious they have never filed a tax return with Rideshare Taxes yet. Every year people who have never done it tell people who have done it for years they are wrong. SMH. It's one thing to not know and accidentally spread misinformation to new people, but it's quite another to have been informed and provided with detailed explanations, and yet not learn.
> 
> When I was new to rideshare, I listened and learned a lot from experienced drivers. Learning takes a degree of humility to open the mind and realize some of the assumptions we have made of the world are incorrect. Without being humble enough to have an open mind then the closed mindedness and stubbornness takes over.
> 
> I could care less if he remains wrapped in ignorance as he has had the correct information explained to him and has chosen to ignore it. However, many newer people are lost when it comes to taxes and come here looking for help. People who don't actually know what they are talking about really lead new people who want to learn astray with their misinformation.


Yeah... Thankfully your here to give us the proper info.... Lord forbid anyone of these sorry ass RS drivers offer their experiences up as a response.... What a bunch of dumbasses.... Man thank you again for endowing us with your knowledge...I for one appreciate you taking the time to correct these idiots and give us the CORRECT info...


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

Jon Stoppable said:


> Could be the lower income caused you to qualify for less earned income credit, but that's just a wild guess.


This. There's a sweet spot where you can get a decent chunk from EIC (a credit so you get it even if you paid no taxes). In your case I would avoid claiming the mileage deduction, to maximize your return.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

Bubsie said:


> This. There's a sweet spot where you can get a decent chunk from EIC (a credit so you get it even if you paid no taxes). In your case I would avoid claiming the mileage deduction, to maximize your return.


IRS regs require that you include all your eligible business deductions/expenses, so I don't think you want to go down that road.

IRS Publication 596 (p. 19, 2014) Earned Income Credit says, "When figuring your net earnings from self-employment, you must claim all your allowable business deductions."


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Bubsie said:


> This. There's a sweet spot where you can get a decent chunk from EIC (a credit so you get it even if you paid no taxes). In your case I would avoid claiming the mileage deduction, to maximize your return.


Pretty hard to show Rideshare revenue without mileage expense. Seems that would raise a pretty big flag!


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

tomboy said:


> You are very rude. If someone doesn't know something they ask. For you to call me a simpleton and every other Lyft driver is a reflection of your nasty character. I do forgive you though.


You dont have to forgive him
He gets off on it &#129315;


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

Seamus said:


> Pretty hard to show Rideshare revenue without mileage expense. Seems that would raise a pretty big flag!


My apologies, I just talked to an ex hr block guy at work and he confirmed that the IRS is well aware of such hijinks in terms of reducing earned income to qualify for EIC they otherwise wouldn't have (and they have the mileage from Uber/Lyft). So def don't follow my flawed logic


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## WAHN (May 6, 2019)

Bubsie said:


> So def don't follow my flawed logic :smiles:


You mean fraud logic.


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## percy_ardmore (Jun 4, 2019)

Jon Stoppable said:


> Could be the lower income caused you to qualify for less earned income credit, but that's just a wild guess.


This is a good, plausible answer. Find the Earned Income table for 2019, I assume you're single, line up your income with the EIC amount you got. It fluctuates with income reported.


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## Jon Stoppable (Dec 11, 2019)

Bubsie said:


> My apologies, I just talked to an ex hr block guy at work and he confirmed that the IRS is well aware of such hijinks in terms of reducing earned income to qualify for EIC they otherwise wouldn't have (and they have the mileage from Uber/Lyft). So def don't follow my flawed logic :smiles:


You can decide which miles to deduct though (deadhead vs. booked), and in the first year you drive a car you can choose standard mileage or actual expenses (actual ought to be lower, I should hope). In doing so, you can manipulate your net earnings as you like. There are other refundable credits at play, as well as of course the increased SECA tax, so plan accordingly.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Jon Stoppable said:


> You can decide which miles to deduct though (deadhead vs. booked), and in the first year you drive a car you can choose standard mileage or actual expenses (actual ought to be lower, I should hope). In doing so, you can manipulate your net earnings as you like. There are other refundable credits at play, as well as of course the increased SECA tax, so plan accordingly.


Just realize that if you choose actual expenses you are locked into doing it that way in the next years. Can't switch back and forth every year to what is most advantageous. Not saying he shouldn't do as you suggest, he just needs to understand the ramification of that for next year.


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