Te kerēme tāke hokohoko Claiming GST as a ride-sharing driver

If you are a GST-registered ride-sharing driver, you may be able to claim GST on goods and services you buy to the extent they relate to the services you provide, such as:

• fuel
• tolls and parking fees
• registration and insurance
• service fees or commission charged by the online marketplace
• an asset, for example, a vehicle.

GST is claimed when you file your GST returns.

You must keep taxable supply information for your expenses.

Our handy online tool will help you decide on the records you need to keep when you buy or sell goods or services.

How taxable supply information for GST works

Only business expenses are claimable

You need to split your purchases and the GST on them between business and personal use ‒ if this applies. For example, if the vehicle is not used solely for business purposes. You can only claim the GST input for the business part of the expense.

You must keep records (for example, a logbook) to support your expense claims for business use. You cannot claim expenses related to the private running of your vehicle.

Claiming GST

GST adjustments for business or private use

Service fees or commission

You may be charged GST on service fees or commissions deducted by a GST-registered online marketplace. If this is the case, you can claim the GST if you're GST-registered.

Your online marketplace will provide you with taxable supply information if it charges GST on service fees or commission deducted from the gross fare that it pays to you. Please note the correct treatment is to return the gross fare as sales and include any GST on service or commission fees in the claims section.

Purchasing or upgrading a vehicle

When purchasing or upgrading a vehicle for ride-sharing activities, you need to have genuinely been in business at the time of purchase to claim the GST input. This means you need to:

• be registered for GST at the time of purchasing the vehicle
• have made your first ride-sharing trip within a reasonable amount of time after purchasing the vehicle.

You can only claim GST on the purchase to the extent the vehicle will be used for your ride-sharing activities. If you acquire a vehicle for business use and you change or partially change its use to private, you may have to make adjustments for this in your GST return.

Change-in-use adjustments for GST