How to Track Mileage for Taxes as a DoorDash Driver
As a Dasher you're a 1099 contractor, which means your car is a business expense — and mileage is usually the biggest one. The catch: the miles DoorDash shows you are not all the miles you can deduct.
The miles DoorDash doesn't count for you
DoorDash's own summary generally reflects miles on an active delivery. But as a self-employed driver you can typically deduct far more than that:
Miles a Dasher can usually deduct
| Type of driving | Often deductible? |
|---|---|
| On an active delivery (store to customer) | Yes |
| Driving to a hotspot / waiting to get an order | Often yes — while dashing |
| Between deliveries and back to a busy area | Often yes |
| Your commute from home before you start dashing | Usually no |
Relying only on DoorDash's mileage figure can leave a big chunk of deductible driving — and real money — on the table. The fix is your own trip log that captures the driving DoorDash doesn't.
How to track it
Tracking your Dasher miles for taxes
- Log your drives automatically from the moment you head out to dash until you're done for the day.
- Mark dashing-related driving as business and your personal errands as personal.
- Note the purpose so the log is credible — 'dashing' is enough.
- At tax time, total your business miles and multiply by the year's rate ($0.70/mi for 2025).
- Export the log and keep it — you don't file it, but you need it if the IRS asks.
Milvo captures drives in the background so you're not tapping start/stop at every restaurant, and a swipe sorts business from personal. It keeps a running total of what your business miles are worth, and exports an IRS-ready logbook at tax time — one purchase, no monthly fee eating into your earnings.
Frequently asked questions
Does DoorDash track my miles for taxes?
DoorDash provides an estimate, but it generally covers active-delivery miles only. As a self-employed driver you can usually deduct additional miles — waiting between orders, repositioning — so keeping your own log almost always captures more.
How much is DoorDash mileage worth at tax time?
Each business mile is worth the standard rate — $0.70 for 2025 in the US. A Dasher who drives 15,000 business miles could deduct around $10,500, which meaningfully lowers the self-employment tax bill.
Can I deduct miles driven while waiting for an order?
Time spent driving to a hotspot or repositioning while you're actively dashing is generally deductible business mileage. Your commute from home before you clock in usually isn't. Log it and mark it so you have the record.
Do I need to track mileage if I already track expenses?
For most Dashers the standard mileage deduction beats itemizing gas and repairs, and it needs only a mileage log — no receipts for fuel. You generally pick one method, so track your miles either way.