Empower is not a transportation company. Empower is a software company. Drivers using our software are not our employees or our independent contractors. Drivers are our customers. So when it comes to taxes, you will not receive a W-2 or 1099-NEC from Empower. Drivers who purchase our software and services don't work for, or on behalf of Empower; they work for themselves. Using Empower's software, you determine how much to charge for your services and you get 100% of the fare you charge your customers.
Empower's mission is to support and assist you and other hard working professionals who want to run and grow their own businesses. As part of our efforts to do that, we provide all customers with a concise summary of their earnings, expenses, and mileage in late January or early February of each year. Additionally, if Empower facilitated Stripe in processing more than $5,000 of your gross payments in calendar year 2024, you will receive, through Stripe, a Form 1099-K sometime in January 2025.
If you have any questions, or have not received the email from Stripe by Jan 30th (and had more than $5,000 in gross payments in connection with your use of Empower's software), please reach out to our support team. Please note, Empower is not a tax professional and cannot provide you with specific tax advice. If you have additional questions, we recommend that you speak to a tax professional.