2026 tax year · Tennessee
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Tennessee
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 Tennessee that gap is worth $3,247 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 Tennessee and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Tennessee
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Tennessee income tax | $0, no state income tax |
| Total tax | $4,641 |
| Effective rate on gross | 11.1% |
Earning more in Tennessee
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 | Tennessee tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time, a few evenings | $15,000 | $4,826 | $10,174 | , | $1,438 | 9.6% |
| Steady side income | $42,000 | $13,365 | $28,635 | , | $4,887 | 11.6% |
| Full-time dashing | $68,000 | $22,275 | $45,725 | , | $8,747 | 12.9% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Driving across a Tennessee 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 Tennessee would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $962 | +$962 |
| Arkansas | $995 | +$995 |
| North Carolina | $1,097 | +$1,097 |
| Mississippi | $1,100 | +$1,100 |
| Missouri | $1,150 | +$1,150 |
| Virginia | $1,323 | +$1,323 |
| Alabama | $1,335 | +$1,335 |
| Georgia | $1,427 | +$1,427 |
- Kentucky would take $962 more, $962 against Tennessee's $0.
- Arkansas would take $995 more, $995 against Tennessee's $0.
- North Carolina would take $1,097 more, $1,097 against Tennessee's $0.
- Mississippi would take $1,100 more, $1,100 against Tennessee's $0.
- Missouri would take $1,150 more, $1,150 against Tennessee's $0.
- Virginia would take $1,323 more, $1,323 against Tennessee's $0.
- Alabama would take $1,335 more, $1,335 against Tennessee's $0.
- Georgia would take $1,427 more, $1,427 against Tennessee's $0.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Tennessee
How much should a Tennessee driver set aside?
About 11.1% of gross on the $42,000 example, $4,641 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and nothing to Tennessee. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Tennessee taxes?
No. Tennessee taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so there is no Tennessee tax either way. But the federal side drops by $3,247.