2026 tax year · Virginia
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Virginia
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 Virginia that gap is worth $4,022 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 Virginia and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Virginia
Virginia uses graduated 2026 income tax brackets topping out at 5.75%, across 4 brackets, on top of federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Virginia income tax | $1,212 |
| Total tax | $5,853 |
| Effective rate on gross | 13.9% |
Earning more in Virginia
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 | Virginia tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time, a few evenings | $15,000 | $4,826 | $10,174 | $343 | $1,780 | 11.9% |
| Steady side income | $42,000 | $13,365 | $28,635 | $1,273 | $6,160 | 14.7% |
| Full-time dashing | $68,000 | $22,275 | $45,725 | $2,186 | $10,933 | 16.1% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Driving across a Virginia 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 Virginia would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | No income tax | −$1,323 |
| West Virginia | $711 | −$612 |
| Kentucky | $962 | −$361 |
| North Carolina | $1,097 | −$226 |
| Maryland | $1,254 | −$70 |
| Washington DC | $1,450 | +$126 |
- Tennessee has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $1,323 less in state tax than it does in Virginia.
- West Virginia would take $612 less, $711 against Virginia's $1,323.
- Kentucky would take $361 less, $962 against Virginia's $1,323.
- North Carolina would take $226 less, $1,097 against Virginia's $1,323.
- Maryland would take $70 less, $1,254 against Virginia's $1,323.
- Washington DC would take $126 more, $1,450 against Virginia's $1,323.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Virginia
How much should a Virginia driver set aside?
About 13.9% of gross on the $42,000 example, $5,853 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and $1,212 to Virginia. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Virginia taxes?
No. Virginia taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so the Virginia bill is $1,212 rather than what gross alone would suggest.