New creators
First year earning and unsure what to keep.
Creator tax and expenses checklist 2026/27
Everything to record through the year, what you can claim, and the dates that matter — written for creators, not accountants.
- ICAEW/ACCA regulated
- Chartered Accountants
- Fixed monthly fees
- MTD-ready
- 4.9 on Google
Part of our guide to creator tax guide UK.
Quick answer
Record gross income from every platform, keep evidence for every cost, separate business and personal spending, and set aside roughly a quarter to a third of profit for tax. File your Self Assessment return and pay by 31 January after the tax year ends.
On this page
Contents
Who this is for
Is this you?
Established creators
Wanting a sanity check before year end.
Freelancers
Platform and direct client work combined.
Anyone catching up
Reconstructing records for past years.
Income streams
Everything we handle for you
- Ad revenue
- Brand deals
- Gifted items
- Affiliate commissions
- Subscriptions
- Tips
- Merch
- Licensing
Sound familiar?
Problems you face, answered
Tax explained
How creator tax and expenses checklist works
Your tax bill is based on profit, not on what lands in your bank. Good records raise allowable costs and lower profit legitimately.
The tax year runs to 5 April. Everything earned in that period goes on one return, due by the following 31 January.
Digital platforms report seller income to HMRC, so your figures should reconcile to the platform statements.
Source: Income Tax rates and allowances (gov.uk) · Self Assessment (gov.uk)
General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.
Expenses
Creator tax and expenses checklist: what HMRC lets you claim
This creator tax and expenses checklist for 2026/27 lists what UK creators can set against income before working out their tax bill. Camera kit, editing software, freelancer costs and a share of home working costs are all fair game, while everyday clothing and personal meals generally are not. For platform-specific detail see the YouTuber expenses guide or the dedicated creator expenses checklist tool, and if VAT is on the horizon check the VAT threshold tracker.
Usually claimable
- Cameras, lighting, audio and computers
- Editing and design software
- Freelancers you pay
- Props and set items for content
- Business travel and event tickets
- Home working costs, apportioned
- Platform and payment fees
- Accountancy and insurance
Usually not claimable
- Everyday clothing
- Grooming and cosmetic treatments
- Personal meals
- Gym memberships
- Fines and penalties
- Client entertaining
Keep this list next to your bookkeeping through the year rather than reconstructing it in January — bookkeeping for creators does exactly that if you would rather hand it over.
How HMRC’s rules apply to content creators
If you are self-employed
Self-employed costs must be incurred wholly and exclusively for your trade. If you use the £1,000 trading allowance, you cannot also deduct actual expenses against that same income. Equipment treatment depends on cash basis or traditional accounting.
If you run a limited company
A limited company deducts costs incurred wholly and exclusively for its business. Equipment may need capital allowances rather than an immediate expense deduction. Personal use or company-paid private costs can create a taxable benefit or director’s loan entry; company ownership is not a blanket deduction.
For separable mixed-use costs, such as a phone bill, claim only the identifiable business proportion and keep evidence. This does not make ordinary clothing or every dual-purpose purchase deductible. A receipt alone does not prove a business purpose: retain the brief, invoice or usage record too.
Costs to review for your work
- Business-use cameras, lighting, audio equipment and editing software
- Editors, thumbnail designers, virtual assistants and licensed music
- Travel to business shoots and the evidenced business share of home-working costs
Everyday clothing, ordinary grooming, personal meals, private gaming and fines are generally not deductible. Qualifying costumes or protective clothing and business-travel subsistence have different rules. Client entertaining is generally disallowed. Receiving a product from a brand does not automatically create an expense: record the income treatment separately and deduct only an allowable business cost.
HMRC: self-employed expensesHMRC: business travelHMRC: clothingHMRC: company deductionsHMRC: capital allowancesHMRC: creator income and gifts
Keep records alongside our creator expenses checklist, or discuss your costs with our bookkeeping team.
General UK guidance, not personal advice. The deduction depends on your facts and accounting basis.
General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.
Structure
Sole trader or limited company?
£
Sole trader£46,111
Limited company£46,091
Illustrative estimate only. Uses the published 2026/27 tax configuration. Assumes a single-director company drawing all profit, with no Employment Allowance. Excludes expenses, student loans, pensions, other income, Scottish rates and individual circumstances. Not tax advice.
Diary
Key deadlines
5 October
Register for Self Assessment if this is your first year of creator income.
31 October
Paper tax return deadline.
31 January
Online return and balancing payment, plus any first payment on account.
31 July
Second payment on account, if applicable.
Monthly accounting packages
Accountant packages for content creators
Self-employed or limited company, choose the support that fits how you trade. We review income such as Ad revenue, Brand deals, Gifted items as part of agreeing your scope.
Self-employed accountant packages for content creators
Trading in your own name? Choose support for your personal tax return and, where included, bookkeeping and MTD Income Tax updates.
Annual fees use the upper limit of your selected band: Starter 1%, Complete 0.75%. Monthly payments are the annual fee divided by 12, excluding VAT. Starter does not include bookkeeping. Turnover above £1 million is quoted individually.
Self Employed Starter
For sole trader creators who just need their tax return done properly
£20.83
per month + VAT
£250.00 per year + VAT · Bookkeeping not included
- Your annual Self Assessment tax return, prepared and filed
- All your creator income streams covered: AdSense, brand deals, affiliates, tips and subscriptions
- Gifted products, PR trips and freebies declared correctly
- Allowable expense review so you claim everything you are entitled to
- Deadline reminders ahead of every filing and payment date
- Free basic tax advice by email through the year*
Self Employed Complete
For full-time self-employed creators who want their books kept for them
£39.99
per month + VAT
£479.88 per year + VAT · Bookkeeping included
- Everything in Self Employed Starter
- Monthly bookkeeping across YouTube, TikTok, brand deal and affiliate income
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax quarterly updates, where required
- Payment on account planning so January never surprises you
- Sole trader vs limited company review as your income grows
- Quarterly check-in on your numbers and tax position
Limited company accountant packages for content creators
Trading through a company? Choose support for company accounts, Corporation Tax and the director services included below.
Essential/Compliance
For creators who have just set up a limited company
From £45.83
per month + VAT
- Year-end company accounts for your creator business
- Corporation Tax return (CT600) and tax computation
- Confirmation statement preparation and filing support (excludes the Companies House filing fee)
- One director Self Assessment return (salary and dividends from the same company)
- Deadline reminders ahead of every filing date
- Free basic tax advice by email through the year*
Core/Complete
For full-time creators with brand deals and platform income
From £62.50
per month + VAT
- Everything in Essential/Compliance
- Monthly bookkeeping across YouTube, TikTok, brand deal and affiliate income
- Quarterly Making Tax Digital VAT returns
- Director payroll with RTI filing and pension submissions
- Quarterly review call on your numbers and tax position
- Gifted items, overseas payouts and payment platform reconciliation
Growth
For creator businesses with editors, managers or a team
From £75.00
per month + VAT
- Everything in Core/Complete
- Payroll for up to five team members, such as editors or assistants
Starting fees exclude VAT. Your turnover, records and agreed work determine the final quote. *Basic tax advice is free; technical work is quoted separately. MTD support applies where required.
See all fees and one-off servicesWant this off your plate?
Talk through your platform income, allowable expenses and next steps with a creator accountant.
Book your free creator tax callWritten and reviewed by
Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT
Chartered Accountant with 18+ years' experience and founder of Accotax. Has served over 5,000 clients across London and the UK.
About Waqas SagarAccotax on LinkedIn Last reviewed: 2026-09-21
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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