2026 tax year · Texas
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Texas
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 Texas 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 Texas and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Texas
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Texas income tax | $0, no state income tax |
| Total tax | $4,641 |
| Effective rate on gross | 11.1% |
Earning more in Texas
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 | Texas 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.
Texas specifics that change the number
Texas is a community property state. In community property states, income earned during marriage is generally owned equally by both spouses. This affects QJV eligibility, MFS filing strategies, and retirement account contribution rules.
Driving across a Texas 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 Texas would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $425 | +$425 |
| Arkansas | $995 | +$995 |
| New Mexico | $1,057 | +$1,057 |
| Oklahoma | $1,202 | +$1,202 |
- Louisiana would take $425 more, $425 against Texas's $0.
- Arkansas would take $995 more, $995 against Texas's $0.
- New Mexico would take $1,057 more, $1,057 against Texas's $0.
- Oklahoma would take $1,202 more, $1,202 against Texas's $0.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Texas
How much should a Texas 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 Texas. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Texas taxes?
No. Texas taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so there is no Texas tax either way. But the federal side drops by $3,247.