Accountants for streamers

Income you receive because of the stream is almost certainly taxable, and kit you buy for the stream is almost certainly claimable. We reconcile your payouts, claim your kit and file your return.

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What you get

Payouts, tips and donations added up in one place
The US tax off your payouts, claimed back
Your PC, mic and internet claimed, split honestly
A set-aside percentage on every payout
Your tax return prepared and filed
One fixed monthly fee, FreeAgent included

See your monthly fee

The four figures that set your tax

These four figures govern a streamer's tax year.

Trading incomeWhat donations and tips actually are

Up to 30%The US takes this off your payouts

SplitHow kit you also use for fun is claimed

26%Basic-rate tax and Class 4 on every pound of profit

2026/27 figures. See key tax dates and the calculators for the full picture.

Tax dates for streamers

6 AprilNew tax year. Everything earned from here belongs to the next return.

Now, onceComplete the platform tax interview and claim the UK–US treaty rate.

When you buy itSet and write down the business percentage for any mixed-use kit.

Every payoutMove the set-aside percentage out on the day it lands.

31 JanuaryReturn, balancing payment and first payment on account.

31 JulySecond payment on account.

Source: gov.uk Self Assessment, trading allowance and VAT guidance, checked July 2026. Rates are 2026/27 from this site's own calculators.

Streaming income and kit

Donations sent because of your stream are usually trading income. Platforms withhold US tax unless your tax forms claim the UK treaty rate. Gifted subs, bits, sponsored segments and freebies all count as income.

A streaming setup is a business asset that also gets used for fun. It can be claimed in proportion to its business use, and a split written down at the time is defensible.

What actually moves the numbers on a stream

These four decide a streamer's tax bill.

Donations and tips are trading income: Money viewers send because of your streaming — donations, tips, Super Chats, bits — counts as trading income once you stream with any regularity. It belongs on the return alongside subscriptions and sponsorship. Treating it as gifts is a common mistake on streamer returns.
US withholding on platform payouts: Royalty-type earnings from US sources attract US withholding. Completing the platform tax interview and claiming the UK–US treaty usually reduces it substantially. On Twitch this sits inside the Amazon tax interview.
Apportioned kit, honestly split: A PC build used mostly for the stream is claimable in that proportion. Capture cards, cameras, microphones, lighting and streaming software used wholly for the channel are claimable in full. So is a fair share of broadband and, on a defensible basis, power. Write the percentage down when you set it.
Lumpy months against monthly bills: A big month and a quiet month produce the same January bill. A fixed percentage moved out of every payout on the day it lands covers the tax bill when it falls due.

Claiming a streaming setup

One year of kit, apportioned honestly

Everything here is real spending that has already happened. The only question is how much of it was for the stream, and whether anyone claimed it.

PC build, £2,400, used 80% for the stream: £1,920
Capture card, wholly for the stream: £180
Microphone and lighting, wholly for the stream: £420
Broadband at £540 a year, half attributable: £270
Total claimed against profit: £2,790
Tax and National Insurance saved, at 20% plus 6%: £725

The percentages have to be honest and written down when you set them.

Source: gov.uk Self Assessment, trading allowance and VAT guidance, checked July 2026. Rates are 2026/27 from this site's own calculators.

What we do for streamers

Every payout reconciled

Platform payouts plus the donation and tip services, matched against what reached the bank.

US withholding minimised

The treaty paperwork completed properly inside the platform tax interview.

Kit apportioned and claimed

PC builds, capture cards, cameras, microphones and a fair share of broadband.

A set-aside percentage

Applied to every payout as it lands, so the January bill is covered.

Self Assessment included

Prepared and filed around your streaming schedule.

Sponsorship terms read

We will sanity-check the money terms before you sign anything.

What creators ask us

Are stream donations taxable in the UK?

Almost always. Money viewers send because of your streaming — donations, tips, Super Chats, bits — is trading income rather than a personal gift once you stream with any regularity. It belongs on your Self Assessment alongside subscriptions and sponsorship.

Can I claim my gaming PC as an expense?

If it is used for the stream, yes. Kit used wholly for the channel is fully claimable and mixed-use kit is apportioned honestly. The same applies to capture cards, cameras, lighting and a business share of your broadband.

The platform is taking tax off my payouts — why?

US withholding applies to royalty-type earnings from US sources. Completing the tax interview correctly and claiming the UK–US treaty usually reduces the withholding substantially. On Twitch it sits inside the Amazon tax interview.

My income is wildly different month to month. Does that change anything?

It changes the cash planning rather than the tax. The bill is worked out on the year as a whole, which is why moving a fixed percentage of every payout into a separate account as it lands keeps the money ready for it.