Are you filing taxes as a gig worker? We want to hear from you

A Lyft driver takes a customer to the airport, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (Mike Stewart/AP)

Whether it’s their main source of income or a side hustle for extra cash, Canadian gig workers will face stricter tax requirements this year.

As part of a federal-government effort to ensure digital income isn’t hidden from authorities, Bill C-47 will require platforms like AirBnB, Uber and DoorDash to collect and report the income and personal information for all users earning money on their sites. The data will then be sent to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), with platforms filing their first “information returns” by Jan. 31, 2025, the agency says.

The implications are significant and span across the country. In 2024, around nine million Canadians reported being a part of the “gig economy,” according to research from H&R Block. Additionally, nearly a third (32 per cent) of those Canadians admitted they’ve considered not declaring “any” of their income to the CRA.

The survey, which asked more than 1,500 Canadians and was conducted last April, found that 43 per cent said they’d risk “not declaring” all income to lower their tax burden entirely, H&R Block found.

“Not declaring all income carries significant risks and is effectively breaking the law,” said Yannick Lemay, a tax expert at H&R Block Canada, in a December release from the company.

“If these reported amounts are not aligned with what gig workers declare through their tax filing, it could create significant red flags with the tax authority and lead to potential financial penalties.”

Those penalties could result in paying an amount $500 or more on top a recent tax return, the CRA notes.

In an interview with CTV News, George Wedge, president of the Ontario Rideshare Drivers Association, says the new legislation is “fundamentally wrong.”

He says he doesn’t think the rules will deter new food app drivers but will certainly force older ones out.

“The people that just don’t want to deal with it are just going to get out,” Wedge said. “I don’t know why they have singled out the blue-collar workers instead of the one per cent of corporations in Canada,” adding that the platform already deducts more than 60 per cent of earnings per ride.

For the millions of gig workers across the country, these new rules mark a significant shift in how income is tracked and taxed.

As the January 2025 deadline nears, staying proactive with record keeping and reporting is critical to avoiding potential consequences or penalties.

Are you a Canadian gig worker navigating these new reporting rules? How will Bill C-47 impact how you file your taxes this year? CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you.

Share your story by emailing us at [e-mail] with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.