In case you weren’t aware, if you’re a self-employed content creator (think freelance writer, graphic designer, video producer, web developer)—part-time, full-time or one-time—your income is taxable. Even if earned online.
On the brighter side, the IRS entitles you to a range of expenses you can deduct from those earnings, if they’re incurred in the conduct of your business.
We’ll tell you what those welcome write-offs are in a sec, but first it’s important to understand what qualifies as income so you don’t risk underreporting it.
So what am I obliged to report?
Short answer: anything you do that turns a profit is taxable.
Whether you run a full-time content creation business, or do it as a side gig, hobby, even a one-and-done favor, any compensation you receive must be reported.
That includes gifts, gift cards, free products or services, free trips or event tickets, shares of stock, anything bartered for…basically anything of value. It’s all taxable.
Got it. Now what can I deduct from that?
There’s a lot you can write off. Just be sure it’s business-related and keep accurate records and receipts (more on that later). Here’s a partial list of what’s allowable:
The Home Office Deduction
This can be a major tax write-off for self-employed content creators, many of whom work from home. If part of your residence is exclusively and regularly dedicated to your business, you can deduct rent or mortgage interest, utilities, insurance, real estate taxes, cleaning, maintenance costs, and other expenditures applicable to that space.
The IRS provides two permissible ways to calculate this:
- Simplified Method: To compute your home office deduction without having to proportionally allocate all those expenses, just multiply the space used for your office by $5 per square foot—up to 300 square feet—or $1,500 max.
- Actual Expense Method: This is more complicated but may yield a higher tax write-off. IRS Form 8829 lists acceptable expenses for business use of your home and helps you calculate the deductible amount of those costs.
Or use our Home Office Deduction Worksheet.
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⚠️NOTE: W2 employees who work remotely from home are not allowed to take the home office tax deduction. |
Research, Education & Inspiration Expenses
Content creators are, by nature, creative. Working independently as a screenwriter, blog poster, illustrator, movie reviewer, or any of numerous creative pursuits, there’s a constant need to learn new related things and replenish those creative juices.
This is an area where a tax professional can help determine what’s okay for a practitioner in a particular creative profession to write off. These costs might include:
- Books, magazine subscriptions and other printed materials related to your craft
- Courses, conferences, seminars and the like, online or in-person
- Streaming services and movie tickets if, say, you freelance in the film industry
- Entry fees for exhibitions and shows to display your work if you’re an artist
The examples are endless; the main thing is that all expenses are tied to your business.
Furniture & Equipment
Furnishings purchased for use in your home office, like desks, chairs, credenzas, etc., and equipment like computers, modems, printers and other electronic devices are valid deductions. Again, you may want to consult a tax consultant to determine which items can be written off in the current tax year, and which must be depreciated over time.
(Alternatively, you can read IRS regulations on this.)
Software, Subscriptions & Supplies
All deductible. If it’s essential to your content creation, like photo editing software, internet and phone service, subscription to a design platform, office supplies, etc. you can write it off. (Be sure to exclude the portion of these items devoted to personal use.)
Travel & Meal Expenses
Vehicle usage: If you drive your car in performing your work, there are two ways to calculate what you can deduct:
The first is the standard IRS mileage rate (67 cents per mile in 2024, 70 cents in 2025). Easy enough.
Second option is adding up actual expenses (gas, tires, tolls, repairs, depreciation, etc.) to determine the percentage of driving used for business. (Note: If you use this method in the first year you will not be allowed to change to the standard mileage option in subsequent years.) More complex.
Another scenario: let’s say you visit a travel destination you’re writing an article about. In this case you can deduct airfare, hotel, meals, admission fees to museums and events, and other related expenses.
If you’re meeting with a client across town, then the bus, train or ride-hailing service you take to get there is deductible.
So is the restaurant meal you consume discussing your new book idea with your agent or publisher.
Advertising & Marketing Expenses
Of course, you want everyone to know you’re available to create the content they need. Any expenses you incur to achieve this—online or offline ads, press releases, website development, brochures, business cards, and promotional materials are deductible.
Legal & Professional Services
The lawyer you hire to trademark the name of your new publishing business; the accountant who does your annual tax returns: these types of fees are deductible, too.
| 📝You’ll find more potential write-offs in our article “What can I deduct from my taxes?” |
Keep track of those expenses!
You want to have receipts for everything you write off against your taxes. Foremost, so there’s proof you actually made those expenditures if you get audited by the IRS or state taxing authority.
But there’s another reason. When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to lose track of all the money you’re spending, more than you may think. These might be choice write-offs you’re missing out on.
But, you say, it’s such a pain to keep tabs on expenses. Well, there are apps out there that actually make it pretty easy. Here are a few of the top ones to consider:
Expensify A phone app especially convenient for content creators who travel a lot. Instantly scan receipts, categorize expenses, create reports, and more on the fly.
FreshBooks Freelancers and small businesses seeking a clean interface and the ability to create invoices in addition to tracking expenses will find this a good choice.
Zoho Expense Another on-the-go mobile app for managing business and travel expenses. Autoscan receipts, effortlessly track your mileage, create detailed reports.
Hurdlr Created with freelancers in mind, it lets you easily track income, expenses and mileage related to specific projects. You can try out its free version first to evaluate.
QuickBooks Self-Employed Has a lot of the features mentioned above and more, maybe more than you need, but you’ll be ready if business really takes off.
Does hiring a CPA make sense?
It does when you want to ensure you’re getting every tax break you’re entitled to.
A highly trained tax accountant can find deductions specific to your profession many content creators aren’t even aware of, that could save you thousands of dollars.
Remember, the cost of using a professional tax preparer is deductible, too.
The bottom line
Always report income, even if it comes deceptively in the form of free stuff or gifts that don’t appear to be taxable. They are.
On the flip side, there are different kinds of tax write-offs for those in the creative fields that can be very lucrative to explore.
We hope this article will help you take advantage of them. The experts at DiMercurio Advisors are always happy to answer any questions you may have.
