# Write off deadmiles- No request wanted



## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

As we know, to write off those dead miles legally, we must be (on) Uber or Lyfts app so they count as a business expense. What if you've made enough money and want to head home, or just feel like heading home for any reason, but want to include those miles you aren't working as a "working" expense. Well put that good Lyft destination filter to use. Throw it on to the location you're heading and maybe you will get a nice request right towards where you're heading, or include those dead miles legally into your taxes. This also works when dead mile driving back into an area you want to be at, but don't want a request in that area, that may put you into a poor earnings environment. Hope this helps, or hope people already utilize this idea.


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## Lyftonly (Nov 12, 2015)

Thanks. I plan to write off all my dead miles


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Nice, I wish Lyft was in CT


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

Where is the destination filter on the app?


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## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

cheerose said:


> Where is the destination filter on the app?


Just go to where your driver stats are WHILE driving, not from the home menu options. Then it should say "Set filter" etc is implicit.


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## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

Lyftonly said:


> Thanks. I plan to write off all my dead miles


Yah, also do this while normal driving, it's kinda a great way to really save.


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## Lyftonly (Nov 12, 2015)

melxjr said:


> Yah, also do this while normal driving, it's kinda a great way to really save.


We can write off pax miles too?


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

melxjr said:


> Just go to where your driver stats are WHILE driving, not from the home menu options. Then it should say "Set filter" etc is implicit.


Thanks!


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## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

cheerose said:


> Thanks!


I hope you're finding it useful!


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

melxjr said:


> As we know, to write off those dead miles legally, we must be (on) Uber or Lyfts app so they count as a business expense.


A driver doing that may also want to make sure they have proper insurance coverage during phase 1 driving if that is the plan.


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## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

Huberis said:


> A driver doing that may also want to make sure they have proper insurance coverage during phase 1 driving if that is the plan.


Let's also now assume that's true.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Commute miles are not allowed.. so the ratio of dead miles to paid miles needs to make sense.

I have not been thru an audit, I do keep daily mileage logs/odometer readings from start and end of shift... 

I do know for 2015 I will have more dead miles than I had in 2014, driver saturation means driving more for position.


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## melxjr (Sep 10, 2015)

As LAuberx is saying, make it something sensible. Don't abuse this method. I personally use it mostly to avoid a request and stay working to gain position as well.


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## afrojoe824 (Oct 21, 2015)

yeah. I always set my destination filter from work to Santa Monica. SO that way those dead miles are always tax deductible. hence why my drive from Home to Westlake village is always logged as "commute" but going home it's "uber/lyft". Same thing when I'm dead miling it back home after my shift or back to LA after dropping off in the middle of nowhere Ontario on a Saturday morning. At least i'm getting paid 57cents/per mile lol I have Farmers insurance so I'm covered with ridesharing. So I got that peace of mind.


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## gman (Jul 28, 2014)

melxjr said:


> As we know, to write off those dead miles legally, we must be (on) Uber or Lyfts app so they count as a business expense. What if you've made enough money and want to head home, or just feel like heading home for any reason, but want to include those miles you aren't working as a "working" expense. Well put that good Lyft destination filter to use. Throw it on to the location you're heading and maybe you will get a nice request right towards where you're heading, or include those dead miles legally into your taxes. This also works when dead mile driving back into an area you want to be at, but don't want a request in that area, that may put you into a poor earnings environment. Hope this helps, or hope people already utilize this idea.


In my case I start each uber session with a ping from my house. When I'm done ubering I go offline and head home. I log my miles from when I leave the house to when I return, and write those off. If uber was the sole reason I left the house then I believe all the miles until I get back to the house should be deductible. I realize that might not be totally to the letter of the law but it is a logical argument to make. In the highly unlikely event of an audit I can't imagine an auditor asking you to prove when you were and weren't "online". It can't be done anyway. In any given week I can show how many hours I was online, but nothing more specific than that. As long as you have a written mileage log, and the total miles seem reasonable as compared to miles with PAX (which uber does provide), then I think you will be fine.

That said, when uber comes out with their own destination filter I will certainly use it as you described.


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## rosco_78 (Nov 26, 2015)

melxjr said:


> As we know, to write off those dead miles legally, we must be (on) Uber or Lyfts app so they count as a business expense. What if you've made enough money and want to head home, or just feel like heading home for any reason, but want to include those miles you aren't working as a "working" expense. Well put that good Lyft destination filter to use. Throw it on to the location you're heading and maybe you will get a nice request right towards where you're heading, or include those dead miles legally into your taxes. This also works when dead mile driving back into an area you want to be at, but don't want a request in that area, that may put you into a poor earnings environment. Hope this helps, or hope people already utilize this idea.


I plan on multiplying my Uber trip miles by 3x to cover any surge on my taxes ;-)


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## radzer0 (Oct 26, 2015)

melxjr said:


> Just go to where your driver stats are WHILE driving, not from the home menu options. Then it should say "Set filter" etc is implicit.


Kinda wish I had an android phone so i could have this. Over a month ago they showed pics saying coming soon and all. Ive updated many times and gained none of the new features.


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## Ubercentralnj (Oct 2, 2015)

gman said:


> In my case I start each uber session with a ping from my house. When I'm done ubering I go offline and head home. I log my miles from when I leave the house to when I return, and write those off. If uber was the sole reason I left the house then I believe all the miles until I get back to the house should be deductible. I realize that might not be totally to the letter of the law but it is a logical argument to make. In the highly unlikely event of an audit I can't imagine an auditor asking you to prove when you were and weren't "online". It can't be done anyway. In any given week I can show how many hours I was online, but nothing more specific than that. As long as you have a written mileage log, and the total miles seem reasonable as compared to miles with PAX (which uber does provide), then I think you will be fine.
> 
> That said, when uber comes out with their own destination filter I will certainly use it as you described.


Sorry, but I'm in the same boat - many pings accepted from home, then go back home. I read the IRS publication and those miles are always considered commuting unless you claim a Home office which I will likely do. You should explore this yourself.


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## radzer0 (Oct 26, 2015)

The miles going home after a ping cant be writen off, thats considered commute. The miles leaving your home and going to a ping is considered work miles as your going to a client. Same rules as a taxi.


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## Ubercentralnj (Oct 2, 2015)

radzer0 said:


> The miles going home after a ping cant be writen off, thats considered commute. The miles leaving your home and going to a ping is considered work miles as your going to a client. Same rules as a taxi.


Hey where can I find the taxi rule you are citing? Can you post a link?


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## radzer0 (Oct 26, 2015)

Im referring to Louisiana so its possible you may be different. I know it from talking to taxi drivers. From the moment your on the clock its considered company miles. Miles conducting business. I guess technically if you leave the app on all the way home you were still on "company" time. Dont know how that one would go in the long run tho.


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## gman (Jul 28, 2014)

radzer0 said:


> The miles going home after a ping cant be writen off, thats considered commute. The miles leaving your home and going to a ping is considered work miles as your going to a client. Same rules as a taxi.


Well I disagree unless you can show me something specific.

How is it different than this situation. I call a plumber to come unclog my drain. The plumber works out of his home, so he leaves his home and comes to my place to do the repair. After he's done he doesn't have another call so he goes home. It was 5 miles each way. I'm pretty sure he's going to be writing off the full 10 mile round trip mileage. Why would he only write off the miles to come to my place, the only reason he left the house was for business, so assuming he doesn't do anything personal in between it's logical the whole round trip should be deductible.

Anyway like I said earlier as long as you have a mileage log and the total miles claimed seems reasonable compared to the miles with PAX, I don't foresee a problem in an audit. There's no way to prove I went offline to drive home or stayed online.

The thing I wouldn't claim would be mileage when I don't have any customers. When this destination filter hits I can see a lot of people using it for their commute to and from work, and writing off that mileage whether or not they pick someone up or not. I would think that would be more of a red flag in an audit, especially if you have many days like this and are showing a loss.


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## radzer0 (Oct 26, 2015)

Plumber works out his house. Taxi and uber the car is considered the office in the tax mans eyes.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

radzer0 said:


> The miles going home after a ping cant be writen off, thats considered commute. The miles leaving your home and going to a ping is considered work miles as your going to a client. Same rules as a taxi.


Taxi rules? What are you referring to? Transportation/Taxi companies that have 5 vehicles or more can't even use the mileage deduction. They have to use the actual expense method for vehicle costs.


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## radzer0 (Oct 26, 2015)

Referring to taxi drivers that own there own vehicle. Not fleet. Down here we have a lot of owner operators and they pay a set amount per day to the company for use of license,insurance and dispatch.


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## gaj (Nov 11, 2014)

I have a business that services a handful of clients per week.

Per my accountant:

If I drive to the office before seeings any clients, these are "commute miles" and cannot be deducted.

Office to first client miles can be deducted.

If I drive to the first client from my house, these are "commute miles" and cannot be deducted.

Miles between each client can be deducted.

If I go back to the office after my last client, these miles can be deducted.

If I leave the office and go home OR if I leave the last client and go home, these are "commute miles" and cannot be deducted.

Basically, "going to work" or "going home from work" cannot be deducted, as this is considered your "commute". Miles between the office and clients or clients and clients are considered business miles.

I specifically asked about starting from home, going to one client, and going back home and he said this is considered a "commute" as well. I thought some/all of these miles could be deducted, but he said the IRS does not see it that way. 

For Uber, be basically told me the same thing. If the app is on and ready to accept a job, it can be deducted. (Even if I start at home, turn the app on, and drive to a hotspot.) If you turn off the app on your way home, it is considered "commute" at that point because you don't have the ability to do pick up another fare (work), so it is just like driving home from your job.

And keep detailed mileage logs (start/end mileage date/time each day.)

YMMV

g


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## gman (Jul 28, 2014)

gaj said:


> If you turn off the app on your way home, it is considered "commute" at that point because you don't have the ability to do pick up another fare (work), so it is just like driving home from your job.


That may be technically correct, but who's to say when you went offline? No way to prove you went off line before you actually got home. I'll maintain that if you have a written log and the total miles are reasonable compared to miles with PAX only that you would pass an audit with flying colors.


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## gaj (Nov 11, 2014)

I would not disagree with you 

g


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

afrojoe824 said:


> yeah. I always set my destination filter from work to Santa Monica. SO that way those dead miles are always tax deductible. hence why my drive from Home to Westlake village is always logged as "commute" but going home it's "uber/lyft". Same thing when I'm dead miling it back home after my shift or back to LA after dropping off in the middle of nowhere Ontario on a Saturday morning. At least i'm getting paid 57cents/per mile lol I have Farmers insurance so I'm covered with ridesharing. So I got that peace of mind.


How are you getting PAID 57.5 cents per mile?

Or is there a 100% tax bracket of which I'm not aware?


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## afrojoe824 (Oct 21, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> How are you getting PAID 57.5 cents per mile?
> 
> Or is there a 100% tax bracket of which I'm not aware?


You can write off all the miles you drive when driving for uber/lyft. This includes dead miles, driving to pick up pax and driving to find pings. So for example if someone drives 1000 miles, 57.5 miles = $1150 in write off. So "technically" I'm getting "paid" that amount to offset maintenance and depreciation.


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## Bob-in-Pasadena (Dec 22, 2015)

afrojoe824 said:


> You can write off all the miles you drive when driving for uber/lyft. This includes dead miles, driving to pick up pax and driving to find pings. So for example if someone drives 1000 miles, 57.5 miles = $1150 in write off. So "technically" I'm getting "paid" that amount to offset maintenance and depreciation.


When I get in my car to drive for Uber or Lyft, first thing I do is set a Trip counter in my car and write down the ODOM reading in a little journal. You can write off every mile driven at $.575 per mile on your Form 1040, Schedule C .... and you're crazy if you don't !


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## Bob-in-Pasadena (Dec 22, 2015)

gman said:


> Well I disagree unless you can show me something specific.
> 
> How is it different than this situation. I call a plumber to come unclog my drain. The plumber works out of his home, so he leaves his home and comes to my place to do the repair. After he's done he doesn't have another call so he goes home. It was 5 miles each way. I'm pretty sure he's going to be writing off the full 10 mile round trip mileage. Why would he only write off the miles to come to my place, the only reason he left the house was for business, so assuming he doesn't do anything personal in between it's logical the whole round trip should be deductible.
> 
> ...


Commuting is something that regular employees do .... we're NOT employees, we're independent contractors. On UBER or LYFT days, I will write off every mile I drive from the time I leave my garage until the time I return. I also turn my app ON on when I leave the garage .....


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