Affordable Uber Accounting Services
for NZ Rideshare Drivers
Our expert accountant helps you manage your accounts and taxes, saving you time and money
Are You an Uber Driver? Here’s Why You Need the Right Accountant!
If you are driving or thinking about starting to drive for a ride-share or delivery marketplace, you will be considered as operating your own business. This means you become your own boss, but at the same time, you are also responsible for handling your own taxes on the income earned from driving for Uber.
Driving for Uber, Uber Eats, and other similar platforms is quite popular in New Zealand. All these drivers are required to file their taxes with IRD (Inland Revenue Department) every year. Some drivers may also need to file and pay GST, but that will be covered in a separate topic.
When is the Tax Due for Uber Drivers?
As an Uber driver, the main tax deadline is for your Income Tax return (IR3), which is usually due on July 7th for the tax year that ended the previous March 31st. The actual payment of the tax bill, known as Terminal Tax, is due much later, on February 7th of the following year. If your annual tax bill is high (over $5,000), you will also be required to pay Provisional Tax in three instalments throughout the year. Due to recent changes, Uber is now responsible for collecting and paying the GST on your fares, but if you are GST-registered, you still have to file GST returns to claim your back expenses. Taking assistance from tax accountants for Uber drivers is highly recommended, as they make sure you meet these deadlines and claim all your rightful business expenses. For example, Elite Taxation help you maximise your deductions and manage all your IRD compliance with ease, often providing an extension to your deadlines.
Key Due Dates (Points)
1. Income Tax Deadlines (Standard)
The deadlines below apply if you manage your taxes without using an approved tax agent:
Tax Year End: March 31st.
Income Tax Return (IR3) Filing Due Date: July 7th. This is when you must tell the IRD (Inland Revenue) about your total income and all business expenses.
Terminal Tax Payment Due Date: February 7th of the following year. This is the final payment for the Income Tax bill for the year that ended on March 31st.
2. Income Tax Deadlines (With a Tax Agent)
One of the greatest advantages of using specialized tax accountants for Uber drivers like Elite Taxation help you is the automatic deadline extension:
Filing Extension: The deadline to file your Income Tax Return (IR3) is extended from July 7th to March 31st of the following year.
Payment Extension: The Terminal Tax payment date is also extended, usually to April 7th of the following year.
3. Provisional Tax (Instalment Payments)
If your Terminal Tax bill was over $5,000 in the previous year, you must pay your next year's tax in advance via three instalments (Provisional Tax) on:
- August 28th
- January 15th
- May 7th
4. GST (Goods and Services Tax)
GST on Fares: Uber is now obligated to collect and pay the 15% GST on your fares directly to the IRD, simplifying this part of your tax obligations.
Flat-Rate Credit: If you are not GST-registered, Uber will pay you an 8.5% 'flat-rate credit' to help cover the GST you pay on your expenses.
GST Filing: If you are GST-registered (usually because your income exceeds $60,000), you still need to file GST returns (monthly, two-monthly, or six-monthly) to claim back the GST you paid on business expenses like fuel and maintenance. The due date depends on your chosen frequency.
Talk To Tax Advisor
Let us know if you have any questions in your mind, our Uber tax accountant will shortly acknowledge your query.
What Expenses Can Uber Drivers Claim?
Vehicle Running Costs (Your Car Expenses)
These are the costs you have to pay to keep your car on the road for your Uber business. You can only claim the part of the cost that relates to your business driving, not your private driving.
- Fuel: The cost of petrol or diesel.
- Repairs and maintenance: Money spent on fixing your car or getting a service (like oil changes, new tyres, etc.).
- Registration (Rego) and COF/WOF: The costs associated with your car’s annual registration and safety checks (Certificate of Fitness or Warrant of Fitness).
- Licensing fees: Costs related to your special license to carry passengers, which is called a P-endorsement.
- Interest on a motor vehicle loan: If you borrowed money to buy the car, you can claim the interest you pay on that loan (but not the main loan repayment).
- And more: This includes things like car cleaning/grooming, car insurance, Road User Charges (RUC) if you have a diesel vehicle, and depreciation on the car itself (the car losing value over time).
Tax-Saving Strategies (How to Calculate the Claim)
These are the ways you calculate the exact amount of your car costs that you can claim. You choose the method that saves your money.
Mileage Method vs. Actual Expense Method
- The choice: You can either claim a set amount for every business kilometre you drive (Mileage Method) OR track every single cost (like fuel, repairs, etc.) and claim a percentage of the total (Actual Expense Method).
- Which is best? A tax expert compares both options to see which one reduces your tax bill the most. For the 2024-2025 tax year, the official rate for a petrol car is $1.17 per km for the first 14,000 km.
Home Garage Expenses - What you can claim: If you use a space in your home just for your Uber business (like a home office for paperwork or storing your car in a garage you need for work), you can claim a small part of your household bills.
- Example bills: A percentage of your rent, mortgage interest, electricity or internet costs.
- How it works: A tax expert helps you work out the correct percentage to claim based on the size of your workspace or the time you spend working there.
To make sure you claim everything correctly and follow all the rules, it’s always best to work with tax accountants for Uber drivers. They can use strategies like the ones listed above to help Elite Taxation help you reduce your tax.
IRD is Watching—Make Sure You File Correctly!
Uber is already sharing driver earnings data with IRD, which means the tax department will use this information to match data when you file your tax return. According to a recent article, there are 22,000 Uber drivers in New Zealand. IRD receives income details from Uber regularly, so if an Uber driver misses, forgets, or intentionally doesn’t file a tax return, it’s easy for IRD to detect it.
Why Choose Elite Taxation?
If you are Uber driver and searching for the trusted accountant for Uber driver in Auckland then Elite Taxation is the perfect choice for you, we file tax returns for over 1,000 Uber drivers every year, and this number is growing rapidly. While we provide accounting services for all types of Rideshare Drivers, we also have registered accountants in our team who have years of experience in tax filing.
Maximum deductions
We use every possible tax-saving method.
Accurate filing
No mistakes that could lead to IRD penalties.
Fair tax payments
You only pay the tax you owe—nothing extra.
Potential refunds
If eligible, you might even receive a tax refund!
