/ CALCULATOR · 08
Is Uber Driving Worth It?
Uber & Uber Eats hourly rate — after tax, after car costs, and stacked on top of your day job. Honest answer in one screen.
Day job
Annual salary / wages
Alternative $/hr (optional)
Driving
Platform
Gross $/hr while driving
Hours per week
Weeks per year
Vehicle
Avg km per hour driving
Fuel type
Total km/yr (all use, optional)
Tier 1 $1.20/km for the first 14,000 km of total travel; Tier 2 $0.37/km after. IRD rates for the 2025-26 income year.
Your real hourly rate
$4.52 /hr
after tax, ACC, GST & vehicle costs
Your true rate of $4.52/hr is below the NZ minimum wage of $23.50/hr.
Gross fares (annual)$23,040.00
Vehicle costs- $18,280.00
Marginal income tax- $1,428.00
ACC earner levy- $79.49
Net in pocket / yr$3,252.51
Side-by-side (net $/hr)
Driving (this calc)$4.52/hr
Main job (net, ~2080h)$27.30/hr
NZ minimum wage (2025-26)$23.50/hr
If costs jump 15–20%
Slower traffic, a fuel-price rise, or an unexpected service could drop your rate to $1.92/hr. That's how sensitive the number is.
Break-even gross rate ≈ $27.48/hr — below this you're paying to drive.
Where the money goes (annual)
Gross fares$23,040.00
Vehicle-$18,280.00
Income tax-$1,428.00
ACC levy-$79.49
Net in pocket$3,252.51
Also mentally set aside 6.5% of each fare for tax + ACC.
GST flat-rate credit (non-registered)
Uber remits 6.5% GST to IRD for you, and credits 8.5% back on top of your fare — this is not a cost, it's already baked into what Uber pays you. That's why we don't deduct any GST above.
Once your gig turnover crosses $60,000 in a 12-month window you must register for GST — at that point the maths on this page changes.
General estimate only, not personalised tax advice. Actual results depend on your vehicle, IRD kilometre-method election vs actual costs, ACC classification, and GST status. KiwiSaver, student-loan repayments and Working for Families entitlements may also change the picture — if those apply to you, get a proper review.
Your true rate is below minimum wage
If you'd earn more picking up an extra shift or a second job at the standard rate, the maths says do that instead. If driving flexibility matters to you, that's fine — just go in eyes open.
Talk to a tax agentBy NZ Taxation Ltd
Driving as a side hustle? Get the tax right.
We handle the IR3, vehicle logbook, and marginal-rate maths for gig drivers every day. One call and you'll know exactly what to set aside.