One New York City Uber driver made his tax filings public Monday and claimed the popular ride-sharing company is ripping him off.
"I don't think Uber cares," said Antonio Pacheco. "I don't think Uber cares if we drop dead to be honest with you."
Pacheco, who has been driving for the service for three years, said he was stunned to find that he only took home about 16 percent of his income after taxes -- just $10,000 off of more than $60,000 in fares.
"You're putting in for the car payment, the insurance, the gas, the sales tax and after all that, this is what you're left with," he said.
Pacheco's tax preparer, Hamid Kechar, works with other drivers, too. He told NBC 4 New York that each case is different and largely depends on the driver's individual expenses.
But Kechar said that it's not unusual for drivers he does taxes for to walk away with about 30 percent of their earnings.
"It could be an exception. It could be normal. It has to do with what kind of deductions they have," Kechar said.
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Uber said in a statement that it was planning to reach out to Pacheco because of "a number of factors that could be contributing to his high expenses."
The company says that normally, drivers should take away about 65 percent of their fares, but if they rent their car or drive for other services it could affect earnings.
"Drivers are our customers and we work hard to ensure that Uber is a flexible way to earn an income," the company said.
Pacheco said on Monday that he hopes his story can be a cautionary one for new drivers, and that it will spur Uber to make it easier for drivers to take home more of their earnings.
"If they really care and call us partners they'd say, 'Let's see what would be a living standard,'" he said.
