Taxable profit
Taxable profit is what you are taxed on: everything the platforms paid you, minus the costs HMRC allows you to deduct. It is almost never the same as what landed in your bank account.
Correct for the 2026/27 tax year. Last checked 12/09/2026.
Turnover minus allowable expenses. That is the whole definition, and the argument is always about what counts on each side.
A worked example
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paid by the platforms over the year | £24,000.00 |
| Mileage claim, 12,000 business miles | £6,000.00 |
| Phone, bags, parking, platform fees | £620.00 |
| Taxable profit | £17,380.00 |
The mileage figure above uses the first 10,000 miles at 55p and the rest at 25p, which is what makes it £6,000.00 rather than a flat multiplication. Your own figures will differ; the shape will not.
Where to read more
Self Assessment for delivery drivers and allowable expenses.
Related
Turnover
Turnover is everything you earned from the work before a single cost comes off. For a gig driver that is the gross figure on the platform statement, including tips and including the fees the platform took.
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Allowable expense
An allowable expense is a cost you can take off your income before tax. To qualify it has to be incurred wholly and exclusively for the work, which rules out anything with a private benefit attached.
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