DoorDash Driver Income Tax Canada 2025

Complete tax guide for Canadian DoorDash Dashers. T4A slips, deductions, GST/HST rules, and filing your CRA return.

DoorDash Driver Classification in Canada

DoorDash classifies Canadian Dashers as independent contractors. This means you are self-employed from a tax perspective. DoorDash issues a T4A slip to any Dasher who earns more than $500 in a calendar year. The T4A shows your gross earnings from DoorDash — before the fees DoorDash charges you. Your actual taxable income is gross earnings minus allowable business deductions.

Unlike Uber rideshare (which is treated as a taxi service), food delivery through DoorDash is not subject to the mandatory GST/HST registration from dollar one. Food delivery falls under the standard $30,000 small supplier threshold — you only need to register for GST/HST once your total self-employment income exceeds $30,000 in any 12-month period.

What Your T4A from DoorDash Includes

DoorDash typically makes T4A slips available in your Dasher portal by late February. The slip shows your total gross earnings including base pay, promotions, and customer tips. DoorDash does not report tips separately in most cases — the full amount goes on the T4A. You must report this amount as business income on your T1 return, then deduct your eligible business expenses to arrive at net income.

If you earned under $500 from DoorDash, you will not receive a T4A — but you are still legally required to report the income on your T1. The CRA receives data from gig platforms and cross-references it with filed returns.

Deductible Expenses for DoorDash Drivers

The key to minimizing your DoorDash tax bill is maximizing legitimate deductions. Keep records of all business-related expenses throughout the year:

Expense	Deductible	Record Keeping
Vehicle: gas, insurance, maintenance	Business km %	Mileage logbook required
Bicycle maintenance (if cycling)	Business use %	Receipts for repairs/parts
Insulated delivery bags	100%	Keep purchase receipt
Phone and data plan	Business use %	Estimated % for Dashing
Phone mount/holder	100%	Required for delivery work
Parking during deliveries	100%	Keep parking receipts
DashPass fees (if you pay)	Business use	App subscription receipts
Accounting/tax prep fees	100%	Invoice from accountant

Mileage Tracking: Your Most Important Habit

For vehicle-based Dashers, your mileage log is the most valuable financial document you maintain. The CRA requires contemporaneous records — meaning you track trips as they happen, not reconstructed later. Every trip should include: date, starting location, destination, purpose (DoorDash delivery), and kilometres driven. Apps like MileIQ, TripLog, or even a simple spreadsheet work well.

Alternative: the CRA flat rate for 2024 is $0.72/km for the first 5,000 business kilometres, then $0.66/km thereafter. This simplified method is available only to employees, not self-employed workers — as a Dasher, you must use actual expenses with a mileage log to claim vehicle deductions.

GST/HST for DoorDash Drivers

If your combined self-employment income (DoorDash plus any other self-employment) exceeds $30,000 in any rolling 12-month period, you must register for GST/HST within 29 days. Once registered, you must charge GST/HST on your delivery services when invoicing any clients directly (this applies if you do any freelance work alongside DoorDash). For DoorDash platform deliveries specifically, DoorDash handles the GST/HST on the customer-facing side.

CPP Contributions for Dashers

As a self-employed Dasher, you pay both the employee and employer portions of CPP — 11.9% combined on your net self-employment income in 2025. On net income of $20,000 after deductions, that is approximately $2,380 in CPP on top of income tax. Budget for this when setting aside your tax reserve each week.