Accounting & Tax Services for Trucking, Delivery & Ride-Share
Owner-operator classification, IFTA fuel tax, and 1099-K reconciliation for drivers and fleets.
What Makes the Books Different in Trucking, Delivery & Ride-Share
Owner-operator versus company driver is the first classification question, and it changes everything downstream - what you can deduct, how you're taxed, and what records you need to keep. Getting it wrong at setup creates problems that compound every year after.
If you run your own authority, USDOT and MC numbers, BOC-3 process agent filings, and UCR registration all need to stay current, and IFTA fuel tax has to be filed quarterly based on miles driven and fuel purchased by state, not just totaled at year-end.
Per diem deductions for time on the road are one of the largest deductions available to drivers, but only if the days are tracked and documented properly. Estimating at tax time instead of logging as you go is the most common way this deduction gets lost or challenged.
Ride-share and delivery platform income arrives as 1099-K and sometimes 1099-NEC forms that rarely match your own records exactly - platform fees, tips, and bonuses get bundled differently than you'd expect, and reconciling them against your bank deposits is necessary, not optional.
Truck and vehicle depreciation, plus financing or lease structure, has a real effect on your tax bill and needs to be planned around your actual equipment purchases, not applied as a generic formula.
How We Help
Compliance & Licensing
We keep your USDOT, MC authority, BOC-3, and UCR registrations current if you run your own authority, and file your IFTA fuel tax quarterly based on your actual mileage and fuel records.
Bookkeeping & Clean-Up
Platform payouts, fuel costs, maintenance, and per diem days tracked and reconciled against your bank deposits so nothing falls through the cracks between what platforms report and what you actually received.
Tax Planning
We plan around vehicle depreciation and financing structure, and make sure your per diem and mileage deductions are fully documented before filing, not reconstructed after.
Tax Return Preparation & Filing
Returns prepared with your 1099-K and 1099-NEC forms reconciled against your own records first, so nothing gets double-counted or missed.
Payroll
For fleets with company drivers, payroll set up correctly for the classification each driver actually falls under, with per diem and reimbursements handled properly.
CFO Advisory & Consulting
Owner-operator versus company driver structure reviews, equipment purchase-vs-lease decisions, and per-mile profitability tracking.
Choosing the Right Entity
Owner-operators often benefit from an LLC, and depending on income level, an S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax once earnings are consistent enough to justify the added payroll and filing requirements. We'll run the actual numbers before recommending either.
Explore LLC FormationFrequently Asked Questions
Am I an owner-operator or should I be treated as a company driver?
It depends on who owns the truck, who sets your schedule and routes, and how you're paid - not just what your contract calls you. We'll walk through the real working relationship with you.
What exactly is the per diem deduction, and how do I not lose it?
It's a daily deduction for meals and incidental expenses while on the road, but it only holds up if you're logging days away from home as you go, not estimating them at tax time.
My 1099-K from the platform doesn't match what I think I earned - why?
Platforms often bundle fares, tips, fees, and bonuses differently than you'd expect. We reconcile the 1099-K against your actual bank deposits so we know exactly what's income, what's a platform fee, and what's already been accounted for.
Do I need to file IFTA even if I only cross state lines occasionally?
If your vehicle meets the weight and multi-state travel thresholds, yes - IFTA is based on qualifying vehicle and mileage criteria, not how often you personally think you crossed a state line.
Ready to Talk About Your Books?
Tell us where things stand and we'll tell you honestly what needs attention first.