To start, you may be asking, is the money I earned from Patreon “taxable income”?
If you are a legally recognized not-for-profit company (for example, a USA 501(C)(3) charity), then you might not need to pay tax on your Patreon income. A local tax advisor would know for certain, so we encourage you to reach out to one for additional information.
Learn more about being a non-profit creator, here: Can non-profits use Patreon?
Preparing for US tax season checklist
Submit a W-9 Form
Before the end of each year, we recommend ensuring that you’ve submitted a W-9 via your Payouts and taxes settings. If you’ve moved or the W-9 you filed with us is otherwise outdated, you’ll need to submit a new W-9 form to update our records. If you aren’t sure if the W-9 we have on file is up to date, you can submit a new one to be safe!
Learn more about and get tips for filing your W-9 form in this guide: Submitting a W-9 resource
Sign up to receive 1099-K statements electronically instead of paper copies:
Typically available between January and February, a 1099 Form will be created only for all US creators who reach the following thresholds in a calendar year:
US State
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Earnings
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All US States
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$20k+ USD in a calendar year
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Illinois
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$1000+ USD in a calendar year
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Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia
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$600+ USD in a calendar year
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Learn more about the 1099-K Form, in this guide: Will I receive a 1099-K?
Find your gross earnings:
Your gross earnings for a given year will be available in the Statement section of your Taxes dashboard.
If you or your tax advisor need a more detailed look at your earnings reported on a monthly basis, you can download a CSV file of both your earnings and payouts.
To calculate your gross earnings, we take the total amount processed payments from your patrons before refunds and deduct fees (platform fee, and processing fees).
Review your gross earnings with your tax advisor!
We recommend working with a local tax professional to advise you further.