Rover Sitter Guide
Rover mileage
and taxes, explained.
Every drive to a walk, drop-in, or sit is a deductible business mile, but Rover doesn't track any of them. Here's which miles count in 2026, the form you'll get, and how to keep a record the IRS accepts.
2026 IRS rate: 72.5¢ per business mile
72.5¢
Per business mile (2026)
1099-K / NEC
Forms Rover may send
No mileage log
What the app gives you
Schedule C
Where you report it
Which miles can a Rover sitter deduct?
As a Rover sitter or dog walker you're an independent contractor, so you deduct business miles on Schedule C using the standard mileage rate. The driving a booking requires is what counts.
Deductible business miles
- Driving to and from a client's home for a walk, drop-in, or house sit
- Driving a pet to the park, daycare, or vet during a booking
- Miles between back-to-back bookings while you're working
Not deductible (commuting & personal)
- Boarding pets at your own home, which involves no driving
- Your commute and personal errands
- Trips with no booking-related purpose
Rover keeps no mileage log for you
Rover handles bookings and payments, but it doesn't give sitters a deductible year-end mileage report. Dog walkers and drop-in sitters can rack up real miles criss-crossing town between clients, and none of it is recorded for taxes. Your own log is what turns those drives into a 72.5-cent-per-mile deduction.
What tax forms Rover sends you
The form you get depends on how Rover pays you out.
Most sitters are paid through Stripe, and those earnings are reported on a 1099-K, which you only receive if you cleared more than $20,000 AND 200 bookings in 2026. Most sitters won't reach it.
If you take payouts by check instead, Rover reports those on a 1099-NEC. Whichever forms you do or don't get, you report all of your earnings.
Thresholds reflect the 2026 tax year under the 2025 federal tax law. You must report all income, even if a platform doesn't send you a form. This is general information, not tax advice.
How much can you deduct?
The standard mileage method is simple: multiply your business miles by the IRS rate.
Business miles × 2026 IRS rate
15,000 × 72.5¢ = $10,875
A realistic year for a part-time driver, deducted straight off your self-employment income.
You report this on Schedule C, and your net profit flows to Schedule SE, where self-employment tax (15.3%) is calculated. Every business mile you log lowers both. Want your own number? Try the 1099 tax calculator, or read how the mileage deduction works.
Common mistakes to avoid
Expecting Rover to track miles
Rover provides no mileage report, so every deductible drive is yours to record.
Counting only the visit
The drive to and from each client is deductible, not just the time you spend with the pet.
Logging from memory
The IRS wants a contemporaneous record kept as you drive, not a tax-time estimate.
Mixing personal trips
Only booking-related miles count, so your own errands stay out of the log.
Rover driver tax FAQ
No. Rover manages bookings and payments but doesn't give you a deductible year-end mileage report. The miles you drive between clients add up, so your own log is the only way to claim them.
See all gig driver mileage guides, or read how gig workers track mileage for taxes.
Stop leaving money on the road.
Every mile you don't track is a deduction you don't claim. Start tracking automatically today.