I am using my car to generate income through a ride-share company. Can I claim the costs of maintaining the car (i.e., gas, maintenance, etc.) as a business expense?

In general, you may apportion the percentage of the car’s usage that was dedicated to your business as a business expense.

This means, for example, that the percentage of miles that you drove your car in support of your business should be applied to the total cost of of operating your car.

For instance, in a given year you drive your car 10,000 miles. 3,500 of the miles driven were for personal use and 6,500 of the miles driven were in furtherance of a business pursuit. In that year, 65% of the total amount spent on car maintenance qualify as business expenses.

It’s never too much to suggest getting advice from a tax professional as personal/business expenses are a MAJOR area of IRS audit.

[IRS]: Deducting Car Expenses.

The foregoing is not intended to be, and should not be construed to be, tax advice. This website offers general answers to general questions based on information obtained from www.irs.gov and other publicly available information. Collaborative Fund cannot be held responsible for the results of any position taken on a tax return by any user of this site. Users should always obtain independent tax advice from a qualified tax professional to determine the tax consequences applicable to such user’s personal situation.