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Grubhub driver taxes: getting your 1099 and covering a side gig on top of a W-2 job

By Jin JeongUpdated Checked against IRS 2026 figures

Grubhub's help center says it sends a Form 1099-NEC to delivery partners paid $600 or more and puts it in the Grubhub Driver Portal, with an emailed copy available through e-delivery and a mailed copy in early February for those who did not opt in before January 1. Many Grubhub drivers have a day job. For them the question is less where the form is and more whether extra W-2 withholding can cover the gig tax, which the example below tests.

GigTaxHQ is not affiliated with Grubhub. We read three articles on Grubhub's driver support site (Who receives a 1099-NEC, How will I receive my 1099 form, and I didn't receive a 1099-NEC); everything about its process below comes from those, and they are the only Grubhub pages we rely on.

The path to your form, step by step

  1. Check you qualify. Grubhub's stated test is $600 or more paid from January 1 to December 31 of the prior year.
  2. Choose e-delivery. In the Grubhub for Drivers app, tap Account, then Personal info, then Tax form information to see your enrollment status.
  3. Request your copy. Once opted in, select Get my tax form for an emailed copy within 24 hours. The articles say forms are processed and sent at the end of January and available from February.
  4. Missing form? Confirm your earnings met the threshold, then log into the Driver Portal to view your tax info and earnings history.
  5. Specific problems with the form go through Grubhub's support form; for other tax questions Grubhub says to consult a tax professional.

The help center also lists, among related articles, a question about a delivery made at the end of the year that does not appear on the 1099. We saw only the title. If you delivered in the last days of December, compare your payout dates with the form, and keep the earnings history from the portal.

What you owe, in one line, if you also have a W-2 job

Your Grubhub profit is taxed at your marginal income tax rate plus 15.3 percent self-employment tax on 92.35 percent of the profit. Your employer withholds only for the job. The two ways to cover the difference are quarterly estimated payments, or a Form W-4 with extra withholding at work. The IRS estimated tax page says that if you receive wages you can avoid estimated tax payments by asking your employer to withhold more, using the extra-withholding line on a new Form W-4. Our quarterly payments how-to covers the other route.

Example: a side delivery income on top of a $38,000 salary

A single filer earns $38,000 on a W-2 with $3,100 withheld, plus $14,200 from Grubhub including $3,100 of tips, 3,300 miles in the first half and 3,700 in the second, and $380 of other expenses.

LineAmount
Mileage deduction (7,000 miles)$5,204.50 (36.7% of Grubhub gross)
Net profit from Grubhub$8,615.50
Self-employment tax$1,217.33
Tips deduction$3,100.00 (saves $372.00)
Total federal tax$3,993.99, of which $1,613.99 comes from Grubhub
Less withheld at the job$3,100.00
Balance due at filing$893.99

The balance due is under $1,000. The IRS says most taxpayers avoid the underpayment penalty when they owe less than $1,000 after withholding and credits, so this driver could simply pay at filing, or add a small amount of extra withholding. The penalty guide explains the rule and the safe harbors.

To avoid the lump-sum, a driver like this could raise withholding by roughly $900 across the year using the extra-withholding line on Form W-4, or send quarterly payments; the quarterly tax calculator shows both. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov is designed to fill in the W-4 for you. Even a small Grubhub profit of $8,616 creates $1,217 of self-employment tax, so it is the total that must be covered.

Multiple apps, one Schedule C

A driver who also uses DoorDash or Uber Eats gets a separate form from each company. They all go on one Schedule C, and the mileage is one log for the year, so a mile is never counted twice. The Schedule C walkthrough shows where the numbers go.

General information for tax year 2026, not tax advice.

Drivers who also work Uber Eats or DoorDash can compare how those apps report pay in the Uber Eats tax guide and the DoorDash tax guide. A Grubhub side gig is taxed by your state as well; the Illinois guide and Pennsylvania guide show two flat-rate examples.

Frequently asked questions

Who gets a Grubhub 1099?

Grubhub's help center says a 1099-NEC goes to delivery partners who were paid $600 or more during January 1 to December 31 of the previous year. The IRS minimum for Form 1099-NEC payments made in 2026 is $2,000; we could not find a Grubhub page that updates its figure, so treat $2,000 as the legal rule for 2026 payments and $600 as what Grubhub currently states.

Where is the form?

Grubhub says to log into the Grubhub Driver Portal with your delivery partner credentials, and that starting in February it is in the Grubhub for Drivers app and the Driver Portal as well. To check your enrollment in the app: Account, Personal info, Tax form information.

How do I get an emailed copy?

Grubhub says to opt in to e-delivery if you have not, then select Get my tax form to receive an emailed copy within 24 hours. If you did not opt in before January 1, a copy is also mailed to your home address on file in early February.

I made less than the threshold. Do I report it?

Yes. A form is a reporting duty for the payer, not a condition for you to report income. Grubhub's page on missing forms tells you to confirm you were paid at least $600 and to use the Driver Portal to view your tax info and earnings history; use that history for your totals.

Can Grubhub withhold tax from my pay?

Grubhub's help center lists a related article about having it take taxes out. We did not read the answer, so we cannot say. Independent contractors are not subject to withholding by default; if you have a W-2 job, you can instead raise withholding there.

Do Grubhub tips qualify for the tips deduction?

Delivery people are on the IRS tipped-occupations list (TTOC 804). For 2026 the tip must be separately reported to you on an information return. Grubhub's pages we read describe a 1099-NEC but not tip boxes, so check the boxes on your 2026 form.

Does Grubhub issue a 1099-K?

Grubhub's support articles we could read mention only the 1099-NEC. Some third-party sites mention a 1099-K, but we could not confirm that on a Grubhub page.

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