Rideshare Tax Accountant in New Zealand | Uber & Taxi Driver Tax Returns

Elite Taxation is the most trusted Accountant in New Zealand for rideshare drivers. Our expert accountants have successfully filed tax returns for over 1500 rideshare drivers.

Yes. If you working with apps like Uber, DiDi or any other company, then IRD sees you as a self-employed sole trader. This means you have to keep track of your all earnings, report them to Inland Revenue and pay tax on your profit. At Elite Taxation, we handle your IR3 tax return so you don’t have to worry about the paperwork or missing any deadlines.

You only pay tax on your profit (what is left after costs). You can claim things like:

• Vehicle costs: Petrol, repairs, new tires and insurance.

• App fees: The service fee or commission the app takes from your fares.

• Licensing: Your P-endorsement, COF fees and medical checks.

• Daily costs: Mobile phone data, car cleaning and even small treats for passengers like water or mints.

Yes, this is a very popular option for rideshare drivers . Instead of saving every petrol receipt, you can claim a set amount for every kilometre you drive for work. For the 2025-2026 tax year, the rates depend on your car type (Petrol, Hybrid, or Electric). Using the IRD mileage rate is often the simplest way to get a big tax deduction.

Yes. Tips, incentives, bonuses, and promotions are generally treated as taxable income. Even if they are paid inside the app, they still count as part of your earnings and should be included.

Yes, usually you can claim the business-use portion of your phone costs (plan and/or phone). For example, if you use your phone 60% for driving work and 40% personal, you may be able to claim about 60%. Keep your phone bills and a simple note of how you worked out the percentage.

Don’t panic—this happens a lot. You should claim expenses only if they are real and work-related, and you must be able to support them if IRD asks.
If you don’t have receipts, you may still be able to use:

• Bank statements
• Invoices emailed to you
• App transaction history
• Mileage/vehicle logs But missing evidence can reduce what you can safely claim, so it’s best to fix your record-keeping going forward.

Filing late can lead to:

• Late filing penalties
• Interest and late payment charges
• A bigger bill later because it piles up
  If you’re behind, the best move is to catch up quickly and set a simple plan so it doesn’t happen again. In some cases, we can help you communicate with IRD.

It’s not always legally required, but it’s highly recommended. A separate account makes it much easier to:

• track income and expenses
• prove claims to IRD
• avoid mixing personal spending with business spending
  Even using a separate card/account just for driving can make your tax much simpler.

It depends on your profit, not just your total income.
Profit = income – allowable business expenses.
If your expenses are high (fuel, servicing, insurance, platform fees, phone, etc.), your profit may be lower, and your tax may be lower. Your final tax also depends on your total yearly income, including any other jobs or income you have.

Yes – but it depends. If you have a vehicle loan and you use the car for business, you can claim the business-use portion of the interest cost (not the principal repayments).

Yes—if you genuinely use space in your house for business purposes (for example: Parking a car in the garage, doing admin work, storing records). You may be able to claim a portion of home office costs like power, internet, and a workspace area, depending on your situation and records. You should only claim what you can reasonably support and calculate.