Bolt
Private hire driving through the Bolt app, paid weekly after commission, with a 2024 tribunal ruling that its drivers are workers.
Guides
Driving for Bolt: the full guide
What it takes to drive for Bolt in the UK, how the weekly payout is worked out, what the 2024 tribunal ruling on worker status means, why the 2026 VAT change is Bolt's problem rather than yours, and how to report the income correctly.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026
When each app pays you, and why the date matters for tax
Most apps pay weekly, on different days, with a fee to get it sooner. Evri pays monthly. The pay date decides how much cash you need in reserve and, at the start and end of the year, which tax year the money falls in.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 29/09/2026
What the platforms tell HMRC about your earnings
Since 2024 every delivery and ride app has to collect your tax details and report what it paid you to HMRC once a year. There is no minimum for services. Here is what is reported, when, why it will not match your return, and what to do with the copy you are sent.
HMRC & taxUpdated 29/09/2026
Articles
Uber, Bolt, Freenow and Addison Lee: private hire compared
All four need the same licence, car and insurance. They differ on status, benefits, how you are paid and whether you rent the car from them. Here is how they compare on the things that change what you keep.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 29/09/2026
Renting a PCO car: mileage rate or actual costs?
If you rent your private hire car by the week, you cannot claim both the rental and the mileage rate. Which one to claim depends on the rent, your miles and how much of the week the car works. Here is the arithmetic.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 29/09/2026
The 2026 VAT change on private hire, and what it means for drivers
From 2 January 2026 private hire operators can no longer use the Tour Operators' Margin Scheme, so operators that contract as principal pay VAT on the whole fare. It is a tax on the operator, not on you, but it changes fares and what drivers are offered.
HMRC & taxUpdated 29/09/2026
Private hire or food delivery: which is worth doing?
Private hire pays more per hour and costs far more to get into. Food delivery you can start this week with the car you already own.
Earnings & profitabilityUpdated 20/08/2026
Questions
Essential reading for every driver
Not specific to Bolt, but it applies to you.
Self Assessment for delivery drivers: the complete guide
Registering, what counts as income, what you can claim, how much tax you will owe and when it is due - written for UK delivery and courier drivers, correct for the 2026/27 tax year.
HMRC & taxUpdated 19/08/2026
The complete mileage guide for delivery drivers
What counts as a business mile, the 55p and 25p approved rates, the 10,000-mile threshold, and whether mileage or actual costs leaves you better off.
Mileage & expensesUpdated 19/08/2026
Insurance for delivery drivers: what you actually need
Hire and reward, courier cover, goods in transit and public liability - what each one is for, and why your ordinary car policy will not cover you.
InsuranceUpdated 19/08/2026
How to become a delivery driver in the UK
What you need before your first shift: the right licence and insurance, which platform to start with, what it costs to set up, and how to tell HMRC.
Getting startedUpdated 19/08/2026