Do I have to collect VAT on my members’ and customers’ payments?
No, Patreon collects and remits VAT on payments. Learn more about how VAT works on Patreon in this help guide: How VAT (Value Added Tax) works on Patreon
Does Patreon withhold any income taxes from my payments?
No. Patreon doesn’t withhold any taxes from your funds earned on Patreon. You can review your earnings by visiting the Income section of your Patreon.
Does Patreon deduct tax on fees from my payments?
As a marketplace intermediary, Patreon may have sales tax and VAT* obligations related to the services fees it charges to its Creators. Such obligations usually depend on the types of intermediary rules applicable in a particular jurisdiction, the type of service, the location and business status of the Creator and the specific rules in each jurisdiction related to the place of taxation and any relevant exemptions.
With the launch of Commerce on the platform in June 2023, Patreon will start to collect applicable indirect taxes on services provided to its Creators on a tax exclusive basis. The application of taxes on top of the Creator fees will take place in phases to allow Patreon and Creators to ensure the best possible tax compliance.
Visit our Taxes on creator fees article to learn more.
Does Patreon charge and remit VAT in my name or Patreon’s name?
Patreon charges and remits VAT in Patreon’s name.
Is the money I earn from Patreon classified as “taxable income”?
In many jurisdictions across Europe, your income is classified as taxable income.
If my Patreon is an EU-based charity or non-profit is my Patreon income still classified as taxable income?
Tax laws vary by country, so unfortunately, we are unable to provide specific tax advice.
Does Patreon withhold any tax on my payments to the US government?
No. Patreon doesn’t withhold any taxes from your funds earned on Patreon. You can find your earnings by clicking on Audience > and then clicking on the Documents link from the menu bar.
Does the VAT my members pay go to the US? If not, where?
The VAT your members pay is collected by Patreon and remitted to the countries where your members are based. You can review countries where VAT has been collected in the Documents section of your Patreon.
What is a W8BEN form?
A W8BEN, officially called a “Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting” is a form that would allow Patreon to treat users as unrelated to the United States and outside of reporting obligations. The US requires that we report all users to whom we transfer more than $20,000 and who are “U.S. citizens or who we have reason to believe are U.S. citizens”. A person paid in USD would give rise to the assumption of US citizenship, which we can rebut with a completed form. In other words, the form is a mechanism to prove non-US citizenship.
How much VAT is charged per country?
VAT rates vary depending on each country. You can find a full list of VAT percentages here.
If I am paid by Patreon’s Irish Entity, why do I need to sign W8BEN?
As per our terms, all Creators contract with Patreon, Inc., a US entity. As such, all payments are coming from the U.S. entity.
What are tax treaty benefits?
In the event that you were a US citizen living abroad (or alternatively a foreign citizen living or performing within the United States), tax treaties would ensure that you were not taxed twice on the same income. For most people, this is inapplicable, and only your home country (assuming you live where you are a citizen) will tax your income.
How do I report my Patreon income to the tax authorities without a proper invoice?
We are working on improved invoices, but in the meantime, all of the information required to report your income is readily available in the “earnings” tab of your creator homepage.
My tax advisor also doesn’t know how to report income from Patreon. Where do we find information on that?
Tax laws vary by country, so unfortunately, we are unable to provide specific tax advice.
How do I handle income from Patreon if I’m a VAT-registered business?
Application of tax and related tax compliance obligations will depend on the location of the Creator and, often, in non-US locations, on the Creator’s business status. For the best application of tax, we encourage you to add the required location details in your Patreon account, as well as your relevant VAT ID, in the available box of the W8 form included in the Tax section of your Patreon account.
For information on how to add your VAT ID to the W8 form and a list of relevant VAT IDs, please refer to our Help Centre article Providing your VAT ID number.
