DoorDash Driver Profit Calculator

How the DoorDash profit calculator works

Start with what you earned in a typical week, including tips. The calculator then subtracts what it costs you to earn it: gas based on your miles and fuel economy, wear on the car (maintenance and tires), and smaller expenses such as parking, insulated bags and your phone. What is left is your profit after costs. It then estimates the self-employment and income tax on that income and shows your take-home per hour.

Why real hourly pay is lower than the app suggests

• Time you are available but not paid. If you are logged in and waiting for offers, that time is part of the job. Use all of your available hours, not only the minutes spent on deliveries, to see the true hourly figure.
• Miles between orders. The drive to the restaurant and back to a busy area counts toward gas and wear even when the app only pays for part of it.
• Tips are not the whole story. They count as income and are taxed as such, even though part of them may qualify for the new tips deduction.
• Taxes are paid by you. With no withholding, part of every payout needs to be set aside for self-employment and income tax. The calculator estimates how much.

The mileage deduction in 2026

Most drivers use the IRS standard mileage rate rather than tracking every car expense. For 2026 the IRS first set the business rate at 72.5 cents per mile, then revised it to 76 cents per mile for miles driven from July 1, 2026. The rate covers gas, wear, insurance and depreciation (the IRS treats 35 cents of each mile in 2026 as depreciation), so you generally cannot also deduct those costs for the same vehicle.

• You need a record of each business trip: date, miles and purpose. A mileage app or a simple log both work.
• If you own the car, you generally must choose the standard rate in the first year you use it for business to keep that option later.
• Commuting miles are not deductible. The rules for the drive to your first stop of the day are nuanced, so keep records and ask a tax professional about your case.

The standard rate is a tax number, not your real cost. That is why this calculator shows two views: your cash profit using your real gas and car costs, and your tax using the IRS mileage deduction.

How taxes work for DoorDash drivers (Dashers)

DoorDash drivers (Dashers) are treated as independent contractors, so nothing is withheld from your payouts. You are responsible for two federal taxes on your net profit (income minus allowable business expenses):

• Self-employment tax of 15.3%, made up of 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare, applied to 92.35% of your net profit. The Social Security part stops at $184,500 of earnings in 2026. Half of this tax is deductible when working out income tax.
• Federal income tax at your bracket rates, after the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household for 2026) and, for most people at these income levels, the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction.

Because no tax is taken out for you, the IRS expects estimated payments during the year, due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15 for the 2026 tax year. A good habit is to move your estimated set-aside percentage into a separate account every time you are paid.

The qualified tips deduction

For tax years 2025 through 2028, eligible workers can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips from taxable income. The deduction phases out at higher incomes, applies only if your occupation customarily receives tips under Treasury rules, and for the self-employed it cannot exceed the profit of the business that earned the tips. It lowers income tax only. It does not reduce self-employment tax. This calculator applies the deduction to the tips you enter, so check eligibility for your situation before relying on it.

Worked example

Take a Dasher who earns $650 in a week (including $220 in tips) over 28 available hours and 420 miles. The app shows $23.21 gross per hour. Gas costs about $50 and other car costs about $42, leaving $19.52 per hour in cash profit. At the IRS mileage rate, the deduction is about $312 for the week, which shrinks taxable profit so much that estimated tax is only about $46 a week (a set-aside rate near 14%). Take-home is about $17.87 per hour. Each mile earned $1.55 and cost $0.22 in gas and car costs, a quick way to judge whether a single order is worth accepting.

Accepting orders: a simple rule of thumb

Divide the order’s pay by the miles it will take, including the drive to the restaurant. If the result is not clearly above your gas-and-car cost per mile (shown in the calculator), the order may cost you more than it earns before you even count your time. Your own number depends on your car, so use your real figures.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• IRS: 2026 business standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile (Dec. 29, 2025)
• IFEBP: IRS raises the 2026 business mileage rate to 76 cents from July 1, 2026
• IRS: 2026 tax inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
• IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare)
• IRS Publication 463: Travel, gift, and car expenses
• IRS Publication 505: Tax withholding and estimated tax
• IRS Publication 15 (2026): qualified tips and Social Security wage base

Estimates only, not tax advice. See our disclaimer.

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