Uber rides to work?

[emilien-crespo]

Hi. I do not have a car and uber from and to work as a full time employee every day. Is it business expenses that can be deducted from my taxes?

[ThomasM · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, no.  The IRS considers commuting costs -- meaning costs you incur to get back & forth to work -- as non-deductible.

Certain companies do have employee benefit plans that allow you to use pre-tax dollars for public transit passes and parking, so you might see if your employer has such a plan.

[gladypn]

Hi,

Is this true even when there's no other way I could get to work? For example, there's no public transportation in my area that could get me to work. I don't have a car, so the only way I could get to work is through rideshare. Please advise.
Thanks!

[DaveyDuck]

I'm in a similar situation.  I do not have a car and I live in a county with no public transportation. I use Lyft to get to and from work every day. Would my rides to and from work then qualify as a tax write-off?

[xmasbaby0]

No.  The cost of commuting to work is not deductible.

[micahgoingback]

So how can gas be a deductible for business travel?

[xmasbaby0]

@micahgoingback You can only deduct mileage for business travel if you are self-employed.  There are no mileage deductions for W-2 employees under the new tax laws.

[Corad]

Can I write off my rides to and from work

[VolvoGirl]

No.  Commuting is not deductible.   

[xmasbaby0]

COMMUTING EXPENSES

The expenses of commuting to and from work (or to and from school) such as gas, tolls, bus fare, train fare, taxis, Uber rides, parking, etc. are not deductible on your Federal return.  Sorry.