Amazon Flex Profit Calculator

How the Amazon Flex calculator works

Flex pays by the block: you accept a window of time for an amount shown in advance. That makes the offer easy to compare in dollars but hard to compare in hours. Enter your total Flex earnings for a typical week, then the hours you actually spent (not only the block length) and the miles you drove. The calculator subtracts gas and car costs, then estimates self-employment and income tax to give you take-home per hour.

Where Flex hours quietly add up

• Before the block. Driving to the pickup location and waiting in line to load are part of the job even if the block clock has not started.
• After the last stop. Returning undelivered packages or driving home counts toward your real hours and miles.
• Your vehicle. Larger loads and frequent stops are hard on brakes and tires. If your car uses more fuel in stop-and-go delivery, use that real figure rather than the highway number.
• Insurance. If you pay extra for coverage while delivering, enter it under other weekly expenses (if you use the standard mileage rate, car insurance is already built into the rate).

The mileage deduction in 2026

Most drivers use the IRS standard mileage rate rather than tracking every car expense. For 2026 the IRS first set the business rate at 72.5 cents per mile, then revised it to 76 cents per mile for miles driven from July 1, 2026. The rate covers gas, wear, insurance and depreciation (the IRS treats 35 cents of each mile in 2026 as depreciation), so you generally cannot also deduct those costs for the same vehicle.

• You need a record of each business trip: date, miles and purpose. A mileage app or a simple log both work.
• If you own the car, you generally must choose the standard rate in the first year you use it for business to keep that option later.
• Commuting miles are not deductible. The rules for the drive to your first stop of the day are nuanced, so keep records and ask a tax professional about your case.

The standard rate is a tax number, not your real cost. That is why this calculator shows two views: your cash profit using your real gas and car costs, and your tax using the IRS mileage deduction.

How taxes work for Amazon Flex delivery partners

Amazon Flex delivery partners are treated as independent contractors, so nothing is withheld from your payouts. You are responsible for two federal taxes on your net profit (income minus allowable business expenses):

• Self-employment tax of 15.3%, made up of 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare, applied to 92.35% of your net profit. The Social Security part stops at $184,500 of earnings in 2026. Half of this tax is deductible when working out income tax.
• Federal income tax at your bracket rates, after the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household for 2026) and, for most people at these income levels, the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction.

Because no tax is taken out for you, the IRS expects estimated payments during the year, due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15 for the 2026 tax year. A good habit is to move your estimated set-aside percentage into a separate account every time you are paid.

The qualified tips deduction

For tax years 2025 through 2028, eligible workers can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips from taxable income. The deduction phases out at higher incomes, applies only if your occupation customarily receives tips under Treasury rules, and for the self-employed it cannot exceed the profit of the business that earned the tips. It lowers income tax only. It does not reduce self-employment tax. This calculator applies the deduction to the tips you enter, so check eligibility for your situation before relying on it.

Worked example

Take a delivery partner who earns $640 in a week (including about $60 in tips) over 24 total hours and 420 miles. That is $26.67 gross per hour. Gas is about $58 and other car costs about $46, leaving $21.92 per hour in cash profit. The IRS mileage deduction is about $312 for the week, so estimated tax is about $45 a week (a set-aside near 14%) and take-home is near $20.05 per hour. Each mile earned $1.52 and cost $0.25 to drive.

Comparing blocks

Before you grab a block, estimate the real time: the drive to the station, loading, the route and the way back. Divide the offered amount by that total, then compare it with your take-home per hour here. A shorter block with a longer drive to the station can pay less per real hour than a longer block next door.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• IRS: 2026 business standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile (Dec. 29, 2025)
• IFEBP: IRS raises the 2026 business mileage rate to 76 cents from July 1, 2026
• IRS: 2026 tax inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
• IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare)
• IRS Publication 463: Travel, gift, and car expenses
• IRS Publication 505: Tax withholding and estimated tax
• IRS Publication 15 (2026): qualified tips and Social Security wage base

Estimates only, not tax advice. See our disclaimer.

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