Tax deductions for rideshare & delivery drivers
As a rideshare or delivery driver you can generally claim the work portion of your car running costs, your phone and data, and app or platform fees.
Build your checklistDriving is a business, and the ATO treats it that way — including a GST twist most new drivers don’t expect. Here’s what to track.
The three rules for any claim
- You paid for it yourself and weren’t reimbursed.
- It directly relates to earning your income.
- You have a record — a receipt, invoice or bank statement.
Checked against ATO guidance: September 2026
What you can usually claim
Car expenses
The business-use portion of fuel, servicing, insurance, registration and depreciation — via a logbook (usually the better result for high kilometres) or cents-per-kilometre. Tracking your work vs private split is the whole game here.
Phone, data and accessories
The work-use portion of your phone plan and data, plus mounts, chargers and other accessories used for the driving.
Platform and running costs
Commissions and service fees charged by the platform, cleaning of the vehicle, tolls incurred while working, and water or amenities you provide to passengers.
Buying bigger gear: what happens at tax time
Rideshare drivers must be GST-registered, so the GST credit on a dash cam, a phone mount or the car itself is claimed on the activity statement — the car’s cost is then claimed over its effective life under the logbook method, with the car limit applying. Your private kilometres set the share you claim each year, not the value you carry.
General information, not personal tax advice. What you can claim depends on your circumstances — check the ATO's own occupation guides or a registered tax agent, and keep records for every claim.
Keep in mind
- The private portion of your car use.
- Fines and parking tickets.
- Normal meals while driving (unless travelling away overnight for work).
Where mistakes happen
The claims most likely to get adjusted — not because they're disallowed outright, but because the split or the timing was off.
- Assuming the $75,000 GST threshold applies to ride-sourcing — it doesn't; registration is required before your first ride, regardless of turnover.
- Claiming 100% of car running costs without a logbook to support the business-use percentage.
Take it further
Add or remove GST/VAT on any amount, with the formula shown every time.
2Fin for rideshare & delivery drivers →Every shift adds itself up
Track it: the asset register →Log the purchase once and 2Fin carries the effective life, the yearly deduction and the private-use share for you.
GST (Goods and Services Tax) →Australia’s flat 10% tax on most goods and services.
Logbook method (car expenses) →Claim your car’s real business-use share of running costs.
Sole trader →The simplest business structure — you and the business are one.
ABN (Australian Business Number) →The 11-digit number that identifies your business.
Effective life →How many years an asset is expected to be used — the base of every depreciation rate.
Capital purchase (GST on Capital) →An asset you buy to use over years — G10 on the BAS, then depreciated.
Rideshare & delivery drivers — common questions
Do I need to register for GST as a rideshare driver?
Rideshare (ride-sourcing) drivers in Australia generally must be registered for GST before taking their first trip, regardless of turnover — the usual $75,000 threshold doesn’t apply to ride-sourcing. Food-delivery-only drivers may be treated differently. Check your situation with the ATO or a tax agent. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Logbook or cents-per-kilometre?
A 12-week logbook captures your real business-use percentage and usually gives a bigger claim if you drive a lot; cents-per-kilometre is simpler for lighter use, and you can switch between years. Both are open to you because a rideshare vehicle is a car for tax purposes — built to carry under one tonne and fewer than nine passengers — which is the test that decides whether these two methods are available at all. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Can I claim my phone?
Yes — the work-related portion of your phone and data is generally claimable, based on a reasonable work-use percentage. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Can I claim tolls, car washes and water for passengers?
Generally yes. Tolls incurred while working, cleaning of the vehicle, platform commissions and service fees, and water or amenities you provide to passengers are typically claimable as running costs of the driving. Keep the receipts and the platform statements together so the year totals itself. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Are parking fines deductible for a rideshare driver?
No — fines and parking tickets are not claimable, however they arose during a shift. The same goes for normal meals while driving, unless you are travelling away overnight for work. The claim sits with the work portion of your car running costs, phone and platform fees instead. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Let Fin surface these for you
On a PAYG wage, an ABN or both, 2Fin tags each expense work-related, business or personal as it lands, keeps the receipt with it, and exports your deductions to ATO myDeductions. Record the PAYG withheld from each pay and it shows a live estimate of your refund or what you owe across your salary, business and rental income. See what it does. Free to start, no card needed.
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