How VAT works for patrons on Patreon

What is VAT?

Value Added Tax (VAT) is a tax assessed on the value added to goods and services – including digital. It’s charged as a percentage of a price (e.g. a £1.00 pledge with 23% VAT will have a final cost of £1.23). 

The European Union dictates that VAT is determined by the location of the consumer, not the location of the business. This applies to independent content creators, including those using Patreon. In Patreon’s case, patrons are the consumers.

Here’s a list of VAT rates by country that you can refer to, VAT rates.

How does Patreon collect my VAT?

Eligible patrons will have VAT added to their membership payment. VAT charges are processed and remitted via Patreon – your creators’ earnings are not affected by the VAT you pay.

The VAT rate you’re charged depends on the location you set in their Patron settings. If this information is not provided, VAT will be applied based on your location at the time that they start your membership. 

Patron settings with your location, so that you’re charged the correct VAT moving forward. 

I have a VAT number for my business, can I be exempt? 

Patreon is a business-to-consumer (B2C) platform and assumes all Patrons are individuals. We do not currently support disabling VAT and other sales taxes for businesses. 

Where can I find a record of the VAT I’ve paid?

We list the amount of VAT added to your membership payments directly on your account. 

Here’s how you can access your billing record with VAT: 

1. While logged in to your patron profile, Click the Manage Memberships button (pencil icon) in the left sidebar navigation
2. Click on Billing history from the top menu bar to review all payments we’ve processed
3. Your payments will be listed with VAT by the process date. You can select the year you’d like to review from the drop-down menu. Beginning from 1 December 2021, you can also download a VAT-compliant invoice from this page

What is Patreon’s VAT number?

Patreon is registered in the following jurisdictions, with the following registration numbers:

I’m in the UK and not in the EU, where can I find out more information about sales taxes that apply to me? Brexit: How it impacts VAT for patrons and creators