Tax deductions for content creators & influencers
As a content creator you can generally claim the gear, software, phone and internet you use to make content — and the part most people miss is that gifted products and platform tips count as income you must declare.
Creating online is now the largest digital side hustle there is, and the costs of making the work — cameras and lighting, editing subscriptions, the work share of your phone and internet, the space you film in — are generally claimable where they meet the three rules below. One thing is worth knowing early, because it shapes your record-keeping: income here is broader than money. Products you are gifted to promote, tips, collaboration payments and platform revenue all count, including from overseas — so log them as they arrive and the rest is straightforward.
The three rules for any claim
- You paid for it yourself and weren’t reimbursed.
- It directly relates to earning your income.
- You have a record — a receipt, invoice or bank statement.
What you can usually claim
Cameras, lighting and audio gear
Cameras, lenses, ring lights, microphones, tripods and capture cards bought to make content. Lower-cost items can often be claimed the year you buy them; more expensive gear is usually claimed over its effective life (depreciation).
Editing software and subscriptions
Editing suites, design tools, stock music and footage licences, scheduling and analytics tools — the recurring subscriptions that keep the channel running.
Phone, internet and data
The work-related share of your phone and internet. Keep a representative record of the split, because the private portion is not claimable.
Home studio running costs
If you film or edit from home, the running costs of that space — electricity, heating and cooling — can generally be apportioned to the work use.
Props, set pieces and specific costumes
Items bought purely to appear in content. Everyday clothing is not claimable even if you wear it on camera; distinctive costumes and props used for the work generally are.
General information, not personal tax advice. What you can claim depends on your circumstances — check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records for every claim.
Keep in mind
- Everyday clothing, makeup and haircuts, even when you appear on camera.
- The private share of your phone, internet or streaming subscriptions.
- Gear bought before you started earning from content, unless it genuinely relates to your current income.
Take it further
Your income tax, Medicare levy and take-home pay on any salary.
AI2Fin for creators →Track creator income and expenses, and keep tax in check.
ABN (Australian Business Number) →The 11-digit number that identifies your business.
GST (Goods and Services Tax) →Australia’s flat 10% tax on most goods and services.
Sole trader →The simplest business structure — you and the business are one.
Content creators & influencers — common questions
Do I have to declare free products I was gifted to promote?
Yes. The ATO treats non-cash benefits — clothing, makeup or other products you receive to promote — as income, and you declare their value in your tax return. The same applies to tips and gratuities, collaboration payments and appearance fees. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Do I need an ABN as a content creator?
It depends on whether you are carrying on a business, which turns on things like whether the activity is repeated, organised and run with the intention of making a profit. If you are in business you will generally need an ABN; if it is a hobby, different rules apply. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
Is income from YouTube, Twitch or overseas platforms taxable in Australia?
If you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, you declare your worldwide income — so platform payments from overseas still go in your tax return, even if the platform never sends anything to the ATO. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
When do I need to register for GST?
Two rolling tests decide it: your current GST turnover — the current month plus the previous 11 — and your projected GST turnover — the current month plus the next 11. The projected test is the one that catches a growing channel, because a strong run of sponsorships can require you to register before you have actually banked $75,000. The reverse also holds: if your current turnover has passed $75,000 but your projected turnover will be below it — say a one-off viral year that is settling down — registration is not compulsory. Once you are required to register you have 21 days to do it, and you then start lodging a BAS. If neither compulsory test applies, registering is optional. This is general information, not personal tax advice — what you can claim depends on your circumstances, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and keep records to back up every claim.
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