Postmates is a popular source of
delivery gigs for many freelance delivery drivers. The platform puts finding a one-off delivery at your fingertips with the push of a button, which is perfect for freelance delivery drivers who are always on the go.
For these reasons, Postmates is a vital source of income for many delivery drivers, but like other delivery services such as
Instacart,
Amazon Flex and
Uber or Lyft, the company does not offer drivers any help with their taxes.
You probably know this already if you've been working as a freelance driver for some time, but
independent contractors do not have any taxes withheld from their pay, and they are entirely responsible for paying their own taxes. The IRS classifies Postmates delivery drivers as independent contractors, and as such you will need to file your taxes on your Postmates income.
Contrary to the ease of getting delivery tasks that Postmates provides, filing taxes as an independent contractor or freelance delivery driver is a different ball game. The hurdles in filing taxes and knowing about the numerous IRS forms with names like
Schedule C and
1099-NEC are even bigger if you're just starting out as a Postmates delivery driver.
Thankfully, answers are available for these often-asked Postmates tax questions.