Shipt Shopper Profit Calculator

How the Shipt shopper calculator works

Enter the total you earned in a typical week, including tips, then the hours spent shopping, checking out and delivering and the miles you drove. The calculator subtracts gas and car costs and supplies, then estimates self-employment tax and federal income tax so you see take-home per hour.

What affects a shopper’s real hourly pay

• Time inside the store. Large or tricky orders can take much longer than the drive. Hours, not miles, often decide the hourly figure for shoppers.
• Substitutions and customer messages. Time spent messaging customers and finding replacements is working time.
• Several orders in a row. Back-to-back orders in the same area can improve pay per mile, while spread-out ones raise your costs.
• Supplies. Bags, a cooler and a share of your phone plan are common expenses.

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 Shipt shoppers

Shipt shoppers 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 shopper who earns $480 in a week, with about $140 of it in tips, over 22 hours and 270 miles. Gross pay is $21.82 per hour. Gas is about $36 and other car costs about $27, leaving $18.33 per hour in cash profit. After a mileage deduction near $200, estimated tax is about $38 a week (a set-aside near 14%) and take-home is near $16.63 per hour.

Which orders to pick

Look at the number of items and the distance together. A big order near the store can beat a small order across town, because time in the aisles usually costs you more than the miles. Track your actual shopping minutes for a week or two and use the average here.

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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