Uber Owes NYC Drivers Millions: How To Claim Your Piece Of The Payout

NEW YORK, NY — The tens of thousands of Uber drivers who zigzag New York City daily will get a second tax break of sorts this year, in the form of a direct deposit from their corporate overlords in the amount they've been shortchanged over the past two-and-a-half years.

Uber's management admitted Tuesday that, due to an accounting "mistake," they've been deducting the company's share of each trip fare — around 25 percent — before government taxes have been deducted, instead of after, as stipulated in the 2014 driver contract.

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Drivers are reportedly owed around $45 million total, at an average of $900 each.

According to the tech blog ReCode, one especially prolific NYC driver will be receiving more than $7,000.

Patrick, a Haitian immigrant who's been driving for Uber in NYC for the past four years, told Patch: "Uber is a thief." (He did not want to give his last name, for obvious reasons.)

"It's a lot of money," Patrick said. "They've been taking it for a long time." He said he was sure Uber's fare gouging was "not a mistake."

Mistake or not, here's what will happen now.

Drivers who've worked for Uber anytime since Nov. 10, 2014, should have received an email Tuesday containing the exact dollar amount Uber owes them, the company says. Those who've worked anytime in the past 90 days are supposed to see the money show up in their bank accounts within seven days.

And for those who haven't worked as recently, Uber says it will send them a form to confirm their bank account info. Once that form is submitted, they should also receive a direct deposit within one to two weeks.

A couple different Uber drivers showed ReCode the email they received from management. Here's the text:

Dear [driver name],

We've identified that due to a discrepancy between your pay statements and our terms of service, you're owed [dollar amount].

We apologize. The issue has been fixed, and we have taken action to ensure that it does not happen again.

You will be receiving a one-time payment from Uber for the period between November 10, 2014 and May 21, 2017, plus interest. To make sure your payment is processed correctly, confirm your bank details are up-to-date at vault.uber.com.

We will deposit [dollar amount] into your bank account on file within 7 days.

Additionally, as of Monday, May 22, you'll notice an increase in earnings of 2-3% in NYC.

An Uber spokeswoman said in a statement sent to Patch: “We are committed to paying every driver every penny they are owed — plus interest — as quickly as possible. We are working hard to regain driver trust, and that means being transparent, sticking to our word, and making the Uber experience better from end to end.”

Patrick, the Uber driver who spoke to Patch, said he was confident he'd see the money show up in his bank account soon.

"They don't like being on the news," Patrick said. "Whenever something is on the news, they're going to give the money very quick."

If a driver doesn't see any action on Uber's part, though, he or she should reach out to the company here or through their Uber app. They can also ask for help from the Independent Drivers Guild, the quasi-union representing Uber drivers in NYC.

This story has been updated.