Rideshare drivers who missed work due to COVID-19 related issues in 2020 or 2021 may be eligible to receive compensation from the Federal Government, through the SETC (Self-Employed Tax Credit). Payments could equal as much as $10,000 or more, with the maximum amount being $32,000.
Who Should Apply?
Drivers should apply if they were:
- Quarantining due to COVID-19
- Caring for someone with COVID-19, or
- Seeking medical diagnosis or recovering from related effects, between April 2020 and March 2021
Thanks to the Independent Drivers Guild, drivers have access to discounted in-person application assistance with our partners Horizon Funding and Quantifi Taxx; they are prepared to offer discounted rates to drivers for help with preparing and submitting their applications.
Horizon Funding has helped drivers in the past to apply for PPP loans, and are excited to assist rideshare drivers again for a discounted processing fee of $150 (usually $400), as well as 16% of the tax credit.
To qualify for this assistance, you must complete and submit a form. If you don’t qualify for this COVID-19 compensation, you won’t have to pay anything.
What You’ll Need to Complete the Online Form
The following information must be submitted at the time of application:
- Your tax returns from 2019, 2020, and 2021 (make sure they include a 1040 schedule SE)
- Any documents you or your accountant may have used to calculate the taxes (PnLs, expense reports, etc.)
- Any W-2s you may have also received in 2020 or 2021
- A picture of your driver’s license or another government-issued identification form (this is to verify identity and prevent someone from filing on behalf of someone else)
- If you were receiving unemployment benefits, the dates you received payment.
- Trip history during qualified months from 2020-2021
How to Find Your Unemployment Insurance Information
Only days in which you were not receiving unemployment benefits are eligible to be counted as credit. Here’s how you can find the exact dates you received unemployment insurance in New York State through the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) Online Portal:
- Visit www.labor.ny.gov/signin.
- Tap ‘Sign In’ and enter your username and password.
- Scroll down to the ‘Unemployment Insurance’ section and click ‘Unemployment Services.’
- Once you arrive on the ‘Unemployment Insurance Benefits Online’ page, tap ‘View Payment History.’
- In the ‘Current Claim’ box, you can view your unemployment insurance ‘Start/Effective Date’, and the ‘Benefit Year Ending Date.’
How to Locate Your Trip History
The Uber and Lyft apps both offer the history of your trips with details like the dates and times. The trip history for both apps also excludes instances where you were logged in, but received no requests. To access your trip history:
- Open the Uber or Lyft Driver app.
- Tap on the “Earnings” tab. This is typically located at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the time period you’re interested in. You can choose from various options like “Today,” “This Week,” “This Month,” or a custom date range.
- You will see a list of your completed trips for the chosen period.
About the COVID-19 Refund
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) established the Self-Employed Tax Credit (SETC) to provide financial support to self-employed individuals experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the program is not new, many eligible individuals remain unaware of its existence, potentially missing out on claiming their rightful tax benefit. It is crucial to note that the claiming period has a defined timeframe.
Who Qualifies for the SETC (Self-Employed Tax Credit)?
An individual can qualify if they were self employed and unable to work (between April 1st 2020 to March 31st 2021) because of any of the following reasons:
- You were subject to a governmental quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19.
- You were receiving an immunization for COVID-19, or were recovering from any injury, disability, illness, or condition related to such immunization.
- It was recommended to you by a healthcare professional to self-quarantine due to potential issues related to COVID-19.
- You were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis, or were exposed to COVID-19 and were awaiting results from a test.
- You were exposed to COVID-19 or were unable to work pending the results of a test or diagnosis.
- You were caring for someone who was subject to a governmental quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19.
- You were caring for someone who was receiving an immunization for COVID-19, or was recovering from any injury, disability, illness, or condition related to such immunization.
- You were caring for someone to whom it was recommended by a healthcare professional to self-quarantine due to potential issues related to COVID-19.
- You were caring for someone who was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis, or was exposed to COVID-19 and was awaiting results from a test.
- You were caring for someone who was exposed to COVID-19 and you were unable to work.
How to Apply
The Independent Driver’s Guild has partnered with Horizon Funding and Quantifi Tax, so drivers can receive discounted one-on-one assistance with the SETC application process.
The deadline to apply to receive help from Horizon is March 31, 2024. The deadline to claim is April 15th, 2024. If you proceed with the application process and are found eligible through Horizon and Quantifi, you will only need to pay a one-time $150 processing fee, with 16% of the credit once you receive the amount.
For in-person assistance applying, visit the IDG HQ at: 4109 36th St #3, Queens, NY 1110, and someone will walk you through the application process and submission.
The IDG team will be helping drivers relay their questions to the Horizon/Quantifi team. Please email help@driversguild.org and you will receive a response within 2 business days.
Watch This Video
You can also watch this quick video, which is a guide through the application by a Horizon representative. For translated versions, see below: