Tax Advisor for YouTubers

How you earn on YouTube, and what it becomes for tax purposes

AdSense advertising revenue: foreign supply, net, Reverse Charge, recapitulative statement (Zusammenfassende Meldung)
Memberships & Super Chats: paid via the platform, income when credited, check the statement
Sponsoring & product placements: 19 % to German clients, barter at market value
Merch & licensing: their own revenue streams with their own rules, they belong in the overall picture

Foreign billing and the small-business (Kleinunternehmer) subtlety

The classic YouTube case is foreign billing: your advertising revenue comes from a platform company abroad, so the place of supply is there, you don't charge German VAT (Umsatzsteuer), but you do need a VAT ID (USt-IdNr.), Reverse Charge handling and the recapitulative statement (Zusammenfassende Meldung). It is precisely this constellation that also makes the small-business (Kleinunternehmer) question special: under the wording of the law, non-taxable foreign turnover does not count toward total turnover, whereas German sponsorships and barter values do, so the answer depends on your specific mix, and the thresholds have to be checked against the current figures. We work it through before you opt in or waive.

Frequently asked questions

No: your supply to a foreign business is taxable at the recipient's location, not in Germany. You invoice net, or accept the self-billing credit (Gutschrift), for which you need a VAT ID (USt-IdNr.), the Reverse Charge mechanism, and you report the turnover in the recapitulative statement (Zusammenfassende Meldung) to the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern). For income tax purposes, the revenue of course remains fully taxable business income. We set up the reporting route once, after which it simply runs month after month.

Precision pays off here: according to the wording of the law, the relevant total turnover includes taxable supplies; foreign supplies with the place of supply at the recipient are not taxable in Germany and therefore drop out in principle, while German cooperations and barter values count in. The thresholds themselves change and have to be checked against the current figures; anyone who waives the status is bound for five years. We work through your specific situation before you commit.

As remuneration for your content: for income-tax purposes the payouts are business income; for VAT purposes, with memberships the access to perks and with Super Chats the paid prominence point to a consideration, usually settled via the platform, so that your supply is rendered to it and its self-billing credit (Gutschrift) has to be checked. Entirely consideration-free private gifts would be the rare exception. Your statement is what counts, and that is where we draw the line.

Fully, insofar as used for business: acquisitions up to 800 € net immediately as low-value assets (geringwertige Wirtschaftsgüter), more expensive equipment via depreciation; with mixed use, the provable business share counts. Add to that software, props, a qualifying home office (Arbeitszimmer) or the daily flat rate, plus genuine production trips. What doesn't work: everyday clothing and lifestyle expenses. We structure your setup so that every purchase automatically lands in the right place.

Your next step

Send us your latest YouTube statement, and in the initial consultation we'll tell you specifically which track applies to your revenue and what needs to be done. Honest, concrete and without the jargon.