TurboTax Premier handles self-employment income from Uber Eats, but you enter it differently than W-2 wages

TurboTax Premier includes the self-employment tax forms you need to report Uber Eats revenue. You will enter your income on Schedule C (Form 1040), which is where self-employed people report business profit or loss. TurboTax Premier's interview will walk you through the questions that populate Schedule C, then automatically calculate your self-employment tax on Schedule SE.

The key difference from other TurboTax versions: Premier includes Schedule C and Schedule SE in its standard interview. Other versions (like TurboTax Deluxe) do not, so you would have to pay extra to add them. If you only have W-2 income, you would not need Premier; if you have self-employment income from Uber Eats, Premier is the lowest-tier version that includes what you need.

Key Takeaways

  • TurboTax Premier includes Schedule C and Schedule SE, the forms required to report self-employment income from Uber Eats.
  • You report your total Uber Eats revenue (before expenses) and then list deductible expenses separately; TurboTax calculates your net profit.
  • Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare) is calculated on Schedule SE and is in addition to income tax.
  • You will need your 1099-NEC or 1099-K from Uber Eats, or your own records if Uber Eats did not send one, to know your total revenue.
  • Deductible expenses include vehicle mileage, phone and data plan, tolls, parking, and a portion of car insurance and maintenance.

What documents you need before you start

Gather your Uber Eats income documents first. If you earned more than $600 in a calendar year, Uber Eats sends a 1099-NEC (or sometimes a 1099-K, depending on your payment method) to both you and the IRS by January 31. This form shows the total amount Uber Eats paid you. If you earned less than $600, Uber Eats may not send a form, but you still owe tax on the income — you will need to track your own records.

You will also need records of your business expenses. TurboTax will ask you to enter these by category. Keep receipts, credit card statements, or mileage logs for: vehicle mileage driven while delivering, phone and internet costs, tolls and parking fees, car insurance, vehicle maintenance and repairs, and fuel. If you use a vehicle for both personal and business driving, you will need to separate the two — only the business miles are deductible.

How to enter Uber Eats revenue in the TurboTax Premier interview

Start TurboTax Premier and open a new return. When the interview asks about income sources, select "Self-employment income" or "I had income from self-employment." TurboTax will then ask what type of business — select "Delivery services" or "Gig economy work," depending on the wording in your version.

Enter your total Uber Eats revenue for the year. This is the gross amount before any expenses — the number on your 1099-NEC or 1099-K, or your own total if you did not receive a form. TurboTax will then open Schedule C and ask you to list expenses by category. Go through each category and enter what you spent. If a category does not explore to you, leave it blank.

The most common deduction for delivery drivers is vehicle mileage. You can either enter the total miles driven for delivery and let TurboTax explore the standard mileage rate (which changes each year), or enter your actual vehicle expenses (fuel, maintenance, insurance, registration) and claim a percentage based on business use. The standard mileage method is simpler if you tracked miles; actual expenses are better if you have high repair or insurance costs.

Self-employment tax and what it means for your refund

Once you enter your net profit (revenue minus expenses) on Schedule C, TurboTax automatically calculates your self-employment tax on Schedule SE. This tax covers Social Security and Medicare and is separate from income tax. In 2024, the self-employment tax rate is 15.3% of your net profit (after a small deduction), which is roughly double what an employee pays because you pay both the employee and employer portions.

Self-employment tax increases the total tax you owe, which can reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe at filing. If you had taxes withheld from a W-2 job, those withholdings may cover some or all of your self-employment tax, depending on how much you earned from each source. TurboTax calculates this automatically when you enter both types of income.

Deductions TurboTax Premier will ask about

TurboTax Premier's Schedule C interview includes fields for the expenses that delivery drivers most commonly claim. Vehicle expenses are the largest: you can deduct mileage, fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and registration. Phone and internet costs are deductible if you use them for the business — enter the percentage of your bill that is business use, not personal. Tolls and parking fees are fully deductible.

You can also deduct supplies (phone chargers, insulated bags, cleaning supplies), home office expenses if you have a dedicated space for business records, and vehicle depreciation if you choose the actual expense method instead of mileage. TurboTax will not ask about every possible deduction in the interview, but you can add line items manually on Schedule C if you have expenses that do not fit the standard categories.

One deduction to be careful about: you cannot deduct meals or entertainment, even if you eat while delivering. You also cannot deduct the cost of the vehicle itself in the year you buy it if you use the standard mileage method — the mileage rate is meant to cover depreciation. If you use the actual expense method, you can claim depreciation separately.

Estimated tax payments if you expect to owe

If TurboTax shows that you will owe a large amount at tax time (usually more than $1,000), you may want to make estimated tax payments throughout the year instead of paying it all on April 15. This is optional but can help you avoid penalties and interest. TurboTax will tell you at the end of your return whether you owe enough to consider estimated payments.

Estimated payments are made quarterly (April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year) directly to the IRS using Form 1040-ES. You can pay online through IRS.gov, by mail, or by phone. TurboTax does not process estimated payments for you — you handle them separately with the IRS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need TurboTax Premier if I only have Uber Eats income?

Yes. TurboTax Premier is the lowest-tier version that includes Schedule C and Schedule SE. If you have any self-employment income, you need at least Premier. Deluxe and lower versions do not include these forms, even if you pay extra.

What if Uber Eats did not send me a 1099-NEC?

You still owe tax on the income. Use your own records — bank deposits, payment history in the Uber Eats app, or your own ledger — to calculate your total revenue. Enter that amount in TurboTax even without a 1099-NEC. The IRS may not have a record of your income, but that does not change what you owe.

Can I deduct my car payment?

No. Car payments are not deductible. You can deduct mileage (which includes depreciation), actual fuel and maintenance, insurance, and registration, but not the loan or lease payment itself. If you lease a vehicle, you can deduct the lease payment as a business expense.

How do I know what percentage of my phone bill is business use?

Estimate honestly based on how much you use it for Uber Eats versus personal calls and texts. If you use it 60% for delivery and 40% for personal use, deduct 60% of the bill. Keep a note of your estimate in case the IRS asks. You do not need to track every minute, but be reasonable.

What happens if my expenses are more than my revenue?

You have a business loss. TurboTax will show this on Schedule C as a negative number. You can use this loss to reduce your other income (from a W-2 job, for example), which lowers your overall tax. However, if losses continue for several years, the IRS may question whether you are running a real business or a hobby, which has different tax rules.