2026 tax year · Illinois
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Illinois
DoorDash, Uber, Lyft and the rest report your gross and withhold nothing. The gap between that and what you are actually taxed on is mileage, in Illinois that gap is worth $3,914 in tax.
Take a driver who grossed $42,000 over 18,000 business miles. After mileage at 74.3 cents and the rest of the stack, worked through on the delivery and rideshare driver page $14,505 comes off and $27,495 is left as taxable profit. That profit is what Illinois and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Illinois
Illinois taxes income at a flat 4.95% for 2026, applied on top of federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Illinois income tax | $1,265 |
| Total tax | $5,906 |
| Effective rate on gross | 14.1% |
Earning more in Illinois
A single filer taking the standard deduction, standard mileage method, this work as the only income, the calculator above handles the other filing statuses. Miles rise with earnings, so the deduction rises too, and the effective rate on gross climbs more slowly than it would for someone whose income grew without expenses attached:
| Volume | Gross | Mileage off | Taxable profit | Illinois tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time, a few evenings | $15,000 | $4,826 | $10,174 | $468 | $1,906 | 12.7% |
| Steady side income | $42,000 | $13,365 | $28,635 | $1,317 | $6,204 | 14.8% |
| Full-time dashing | $68,000 | $22,275 | $45,725 | $2,103 | $10,850 | 16.0% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Driving across an Illinois line
Driving income is sourced to where the wheels were, not where you live. Take a fare or a delivery that ends in the next state and that state can claim the income earned inside it. Most drivers near a border never file the second return, the amounts are small and the platforms do not split earnings by state. But the obligation exists, and it is the state you drove INTO that would come asking.
On $27,495 of profit, what the states around Illinois would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $811 | −$550 |
| Kentucky | $962 | −$399 |
| Iowa | $1,045 | −$316 |
| Wisconsin | $1,081 | −$280 |
| Missouri | $1,150 | −$211 |
- Indiana would take $550 less, $811 against Illinois's $1,361.
- Kentucky would take $399 less, $962 against Illinois's $1,361.
- Iowa would take $316 less, $1,045 against Illinois's $1,361.
- Wisconsin would take $280 less, $1,081 against Illinois's $1,361.
- Missouri would take $211 less, $1,150 against Illinois's $1,361.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Illinois
How much should an Illinois driver set aside?
About 14.1% of gross on the $42,000 example, $5,906 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and $1,265 to Illinois. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Illinois taxes?
No. Illinois taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so the Illinois bill is $1,265 rather than what gross alone would suggest.