It is actually quite difficult to live the life you want with only one job. It is one of the reasons why so many people engage in a side gig to generate additional cash. And when it comes to several sources of income, meal delivery services can be lucrative for many.
In addition to offering flexible working hours, the meal delivery business offers further advantages. For example, food delivery service operators frequently profit from opportunities to receive significant gratuities, promotions, etc.
DoorDash is another prominent food delivery service in the United States that is perhaps the most utilized by American consumers. DoorDash is offered in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
We have already addressed the DoorDash service from a customer’s standpoint; however, you may wish to determine if DoorDash is worth it:
Is DoorDash Subscription Worth It?
Today’s article will discuss DoorDash from the perspective of dashers or independent contractors. We will discuss the payment structure, taxes, and whether or not wages are sufficient after taxes.
This article contains all the information a dasher should know before joining the food delivery service as a dasher.
So let’s get into it.
What Exactly Is DoorDash?
DoorDash is a food delivery service operating in the United States, Canada, and Australia. By linking to DoorDash, you may order food from your favorite restaurants, cafés, virtual grocers, and other delicacies.

DoorDash promotes itself as a food-tech business that connects customers to the top local meals and restaurants.
This on-demand food delivery service connects independent local drivers with restaurants. The drivers select their availability in their respective regions and then deliver customer orders on behalf of local hotels.
In 2012, Stanford University students conceived about DoorDash. Tony Xu, Stanley Tang, Andy Fang, and Evan Moore are the individuals responsible for the current meal delivery service’s success.
The corporation was established in Palo Alto, California, and maintains its headquarters in San Francisco, California.
The company’s 56% market share in the United States makes it the largest food delivery service in the country. Moreover, the corporation enjoys a 60% market share in the convenience delivery services industry.
The company launched PaloAltoDelivery.com in January 2013. By December 2018, DoorDash had eclipsed Uber Eats and taken second place in the United States in terms of total food delivery sales.
Who Is A Dasher?
Dasher refers to the delivery boy who brings you the meal you ordered through the DoorDash app.
Dashers are also known as DoorDash Drivers, and their typical duties include delivering meals to consumers and accepting cash for cash orders. Numerous individuals join DoorDash as Dashers as a side gig.
Dashers are not employees of DoorDash, contrary to a standard working arrangement. Instead, they are paid a per-order base wage. For tax purposes, therefore, the majority of DoorDash Drivers classify themselves as Independent Contractors or as Self-Employed.
How Do DoorDash Payments Work?
The following is the general format of what a DoorDash Driver receives for delivering orders:
Base Salary plus Promotions plus Tips equals Total Earnings.
Let’s analyze each component to comprehend what it’s like to be a DoorDash driver.
Base Pay
Base pay is determined by time, order distance, and customer attractiveness. Time and order distance are simple concepts. What is attractiveness?

DoorDash employs a desirability index to represent the overall acceptance rate of DoorDash drivers for various order types or restaurant chains. Therefore, the acceptance rate shows the number of orders accepted by Dasher out of the total number of order requests.
The typical range of DoorDash base pay for drivers is $2 to $10 or more. The maximum amount is contingent on the discussed conditions.
Nonetheless, it is essential to understand that basic pay is the guaranteed payout regardless of tips or promotions.
Promotions
Promotions are the rewards offered by DoorDash to drivers who take orders over large distances or who fulfill the most orders. The following are the three types of promos offered to DoorDash drivers:
Peak Pay is an incentive added to earnings during the day’s peak hours. Weekends from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. are the promotional hours for the duration of the promotion. It is because many DoorDash drivers don’t work on weekends. Consequently, the corporation also provides incentives for drivers who work on busy days.
DoorDash has introduced challenges as a new incentive to encourage dashers to be active the majority of the time. The program allows riders to earn additional compensation by meeting a specific objective, such as completing a certain number of orders within a specified time frame. Riders may always view available challenges and earn additional money by fulfilling them.
DoorDash Drive is also a bonus granted to drivers who successfully accept and deliver large catering orders. These orders have unique requirements and general handling. Therefore, only experienced drivers are eligible for the DoorDash Drive incentive. The minimum eligibility requirements for DoorDash Drive are 100 deliveries with an overall rating of 4.80 and a 90 percent order completion rate.
Tips
Tips comprise one-third of a dasher’s profits. Tips belong to the drivers, and the firm has no stake in them. Therefore, the drivers can keep all of the tips they receive
The amount of the tip depends on your service and how promptly you deliver the items. However, it is not a rule that you will always receive a larger tip if you deliver on time. Occasionally, consumers may not leave as many gratuities as they anticipate.
Expenses Of Dashers
What are the typical costs associated with delivering for DoorDash?
In order to determine taxable income as a self-employed individual, the expenses must be deducted from the total earnings. Therefore, the dashers’ primary costs are as follows:

As a dasher, the largest expense you must bear is fuel. The cost of gas depends on the number of orders fulfilled and the amount spent on gas. However, gas costs can be eliminated if bicycles are used for delivery.
The second item you must include in your tax return is the depreciation and maintenance of your vehicle.
When working as a deliveryman, you are also needed to adhere to a dress code that includes your uniform, car cap, etc. However, DoorDash drivers are independent contractors who do not require any accessories. However, improvement in presentation and efficiency is desirable. Therefore, it is prudent to have your phone charger, power bank, etc. with you. You can transport food in an insulated bag to keep it warm. These are often one-time costs.
Frequently, parking fines are assessed in urban areas.
And if you have to deliver orders through areas with tolls, toll costs are also a factor.
How do dashers’ taxes work?
As discussed previously, dashers are independent contractors who pay taxes as self-employed. The organization will not withhold any taxes from dashers. In addition to federal tax, they must pay FICA (Federal Income Insurance Contribution).
Self-employed individuals pay 6.2% of FICA towards Social Security Taxes and 1.45% towards Medicare Taxes. You may also be required to pay sales tax. Therefore, you may expect to pay around 15.3% in taxes as a DoorDash driver.
Is DoorDash Valuable Following Taxes?
Therefore, is it worthwhile to be a dasher after estimating taxes?
There is no straightforward response to this query. The answer is up to you. If your DoorDash earnings are enough and you’re happy with what’s left over after taxes, it makes sense to get a second job. If you think your taxes are too high compared to what you make, you shouldn’t think about becoming a dasher.
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