2026 tax year · Louisiana
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Louisiana
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 Louisiana that gap is worth $3,516 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 Louisiana and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Louisiana
Louisiana uses graduated 2026 income tax brackets topping out at 3%, across 3 brackets, on top of federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Louisiana income tax | $386 |
| Total tax | $5,027 |
| Effective rate on gross | 12.0% |
Earning more in Louisiana
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 | Louisiana tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time, a few evenings | $15,000 | $4,826 | $10,174 | $95 | $1,532 | 10.2% |
| Steady side income | $42,000 | $13,365 | $28,635 | $407 | $5,294 | 12.6% |
| Full-time dashing | $68,000 | $22,275 | $45,725 | $725 | $9,472 | 13.9% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Louisiana specifics that change the number
Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | No income tax | −$425 |
| Arkansas | $995 | +$570 |
| Mississippi | $1,100 | +$675 |
- Texas has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $425 less in state tax than it does in Louisiana.
- Arkansas would take $570 more, $995 against Louisiana's $425.
- Mississippi would take $675 more, $1,100 against Louisiana's $425.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Louisiana
How much should a Louisiana driver set aside?
About 12.0% of gross on the $42,000 example, $5,027 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and $386 to Louisiana. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Louisiana taxes?
No. Louisiana taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so the Louisiana bill is $386 rather than what gross alone would suggest.