If you make money from content, you pay tax on it. That surprises few people. The details are what surprise them: that products count as income, that nobody takes the tax off for you, and when it is time to register a business. The rules differ from country to country, but the questions are the same almost everywhere. This guide to tax for creators goes through them, so you know what to look up for your own country.
It is general guidance, not advice. Rules change, and you are responsible for your own tax. If in doubt, ask your tax authority or an accountant.
Tax for creators: what counts as income?
In most countries, what you receive for making or posting content is income. That covers money, products and other benefits, and it makes no difference whether the deal was made in a contract or a DM. Many tax authorities now have a page specifically about influencers, and it is the first thing worth reading.
Paid in money
If you are paid as a private person, without a business, the amount usually goes on your tax return along with the rest of your income.
Often nobody deducts tax from these payments for you. That is the most common reason creators end up with a tax bill they did not expect. Put a fixed share of every payment aside in a separate account, and update your tax estimate with your authority once the income becomes regular.
Products you get to keep
This is the most common misunderstanding. If a brand sends you a product, you make content for them and you keep it, the product's market value usually counts as taxable income. That applies even if you were never paid any money.
So products worth 1,200 over a year, received that way, are 1,200 of income. If the product has to be sent back after testing, it is not payment, and then it is not income either.
Write down what you get, what it is worth and who it came from, straight away. It is far easier than trying to piece it together at the end of the year.
Hobby or business?
While it is small, occasional and not aimed at making a profit, many countries let you report it as ordinary income. Once it is regular, ongoing and run to make money, it usually counts as a business. Then you will likely need to register one and keep accounts of income and costs.
There is rarely a fixed amount that separates the two. Authorities tend to look at the whole picture: how much you do, how often, and whether it is set up to make a profit.
Sole trader or limited company
Most creators who register start as a sole trader or the local equivalent. It is cheap or free to set up and needs little administration. You and the business are the same person, so you are personally liable, and the profit is taxed as your income. In return you can usually deduct costs that belong to the work, such as equipment.
A limited company is a separate legal person, with share capital, its own accounts and more administration. It gives a clear line between you and the business and becomes worth it when the income is higher and steadier. An accountant can work out what pays for you.
VAT or sales tax
Most countries have a threshold below which a small business does not charge VAT or sales tax. Above it you register, add tax to your prices and report it. Check your own threshold rather than trusting a number in an article.
On CollabNordic you turn VAT on under Settings, Company once you are registered. Your rate is then added on top of your price and paid by the brand. The marketplace fee is never calculated on the tax.
Keeping track on CollabNordic
Most of the work of tax is knowing what you earned. Everything you earn through CollabNordic goes into the accounts in Creator Space, with the brand, the contract and the amount. You can also enter products and other benefits you got outside the platform, so it is all in one place.
At the end of the year you export the tax report and send it to your accountant, or use it yourself when you file. Working through the platform, you are paid in money, an amount written on the contract, rather than in products you have to value yourself. And the payment is secured before you start.
There are country-specific versions of this guide for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, in their own languages.
