Maine income tax for Doordash Driver in Portsmouth, NH (Border town)

[michaeleric76]

Hello. I have a question about paying state income tax as a Doordash driver. Currently, Doordash drivers are gig workers who are considered to be self-employed. If I move to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and work there for Doordash, I will no doubt often have restaurant delivery orders which originate in NH and end in Maine. And then I may get a delivery in Kittery with a delivery address in Portsmouth. Can I just claim all of this as New Hampshire income (which is where I will live and not subject to income tax)? Does it depend on where the order originates or concludes? Having to keep these records will be a logistical nightmare if I have to separate some orders as New Hampshire income and some as Maine income. Also, Doordash only keeps a record of physical map locations for 6 months before deleting it. I appreciate any help.

[ErnieS0]

No. You cannot claim income earned in Massachusetts as New Hampshire income. The income is sourced to the point of delivery. That's where the sale took place.

Massachusetts says: "Massachusetts source income includes items of gross income derived from or effectively connected with any trade or business, including any employment, carried on by the taxpayer in Massachusetts, whether or not the non-resident is actively engaged in a trade or business or employment in Massachusetts in the year in which the income is received."

See: 830 CMR 62.5A.1: Non-Resident Income Tax

Intuit's QuickBooks Self-Employed works with TurboTax Self-Employed Online may help you keep track of things.

[Hal_Al]

When you mistake Massachusetts for Maine, who gets to be offended?

[michaeleric76]

Hi. You said "Massachusetts", but I'm guessing that the same principal holds true in Maine. However, Doordash does not let us know where the IP address of where the sale took place. You can order food in California from a restaurant in New Hampshire for delivery to a Maine address (although that would be unusual).

Are companies such as Doordash required to issue 1099s to each state where am order took place, I wonder? Or for example, Uber, where a driver has to deliver someone from point A in one state to point B in another. Since you are charged your fare in the origin state and leave a tip in the destination state, it gets tricky!