Tax deductions for content creators
The camera and the lights are the obvious ones. Here is what else a creator can deduct, what brand deals change, and what each puts back at your tax rate.
Free. No bank login. Snap a receipt and see what it puts back.
What content creators miss
Not the laptop or the phone; everyone finds those. These are particular to the work, and each is shown the way Reimburse would log it.
Props bought for a video
Things you buy to use on camera, and don’t use otherwise.
Editors and thumbnail designers
Contract labor, in full. A 1099-NEC once you pay someone $2,000 in a year.
A manager’s or agency’s cut
What they keep is a commission. Report the full deal as income and deduct their share on line 10.
A room that’s only the studio
A home office can be the set, if it’s used regularly and only for the business.
Lights, mics and backdrops
Equipment under $2,500 an item can be expensed in the year you buy it with the de minimis safe harbor.
Music and editing tools
Licensed music libraries, editing apps and scheduling tools are business software.
Where a creator’s receipts go
Each goes on its own line of Schedule C. Start from this page and Reimburse reads your receipts as a creator’s, so the line is right the first time.
| On the receipt | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| A camera or light under $2,500 | Supplies, line 22, all in the year you buy it, if you elect the de minimis safe harbor. |
| An editor or thumbnail designer | Contract labor, line 11. |
| A manager’s or agency’s share | Commissions and fees, line 10. |
| Props used only on camera | Supplies, line 22. |
| Editing software and music libraries | Other expenses, line 27a. |
| Paid promotion of your own channel | Advertising, line 8. |
What to write on it
- Which video was it for? A prop or a location tied to a video shows why you bought it.
- Sent by a brand? Write down what it was worth. Free product for promotion is generally income.
- Who edited it? You’ll need their W-9, and a 1099-NEC once they pass $2,000 for the year.
A creator’s year
An example, not an average: a YouTube and TikTok creator clearing $90,000 from ads and brand deals, filming at home with an editor and a manager. Every amount is priced at your rate; change it below and the year moves.
| What | Schedule C | Deductible | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| A video editor | Line 11 | $9,600 | $3,462 back |
| A manager’s share of brand deals | Line 10 | $6,000 | $2,164 back |
| A camera, under $2,500 | Line 22 | $2,199 | $793 back |
| A thumbnail designer | Line 11 | $1,800 | $649 back |
| Lights, mics and backdrops | Line 22 | $1,400 | $505 back |
| A creator conference, flight and hotel | Line 24a | $1,180 | $426 back |
| Props bought for videos | Line 22 | $900 | $325 back |
| Phone, 80% business | Line 25 | $816 | $294 back |
| The filming room, 150 sq ft | Line 30 | $750 | $270 back |
| Editing software and music | Line 27a | $720 | $260 back |
| Internet, 60% business | Line 25 | $540 | $195 back |
| Collab meals, half of $300 | Line 24b | $150 | $54 back |
| The year | $26,055 | $9,395 back |
Sounds deductible, isn’t
Or has a catch.
- Products brands send you
- Free products sent to promote are generally income at what they’re worth, even when no cash changes hands.
- Everyday clothes and makeup
- Personal, even if they only appear on camera. Costumes you couldn’t wear out are different.
- A vacation you vlogged
- Filming a trip doesn’t make it business travel. It has to be mainly for the business.
Questions content creators ask
What can YouTubers write off?
Cameras, lights, mics, editing software, editors and designers, props used only on camera, a room used only for filming, and a manager’s commission. Everyday clothes, makeup and vacations you film stay personal.
Are PR packages taxable income?
Generally, yes. Products brands send you to promote are income at what they’re worth, even when no cash changes hands.
Can influencers write off clothes?
Only clothing that isn’t suitable for everyday wear, like a costume. Outfits you could wear anywhere are personal, even if you bought them for a video.
Can I deduct my room as a studio?
Yes, if it’s used regularly and only for the business. A bedroom you also sleep in doesn’t qualify, even with a backdrop in it.
Priced at your rate
What a deduction puts back depends on your state, your profit and how you file. Change any of it and every figure on this page reprices.
I run in . I file , and this year the business should clear about , with from a job or anything else.
of every dollar you spend on the business comes back to you.
14.1¢ is self-employment tax, 8.9¢ federal income tax and 5.6¢ California.
Your answers come with you. Next is your first receipt.
What every freelancer can deduct
- Are equipment and furniture tax deductible?Yes
- Are software subscriptions tax deductible?Yes
- Can you deduct what you pay contractors?Yes
- Is a home office tax deductible?Yes
- Is your phone bill tax deductible?Partly
- Is home internet tax deductible?Partly
- Are work clothes tax deductible?Rarely
- Is advertising tax deductible?Yes
Checked on September 25, 2026 against Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property, Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home, Instructions for Schedule C and Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
Snap the next receipt.
Set up for content creators and Reimburse reads each receipt as a creator’s, files it on its Schedule C line and shows what it puts back.