YouTube Taxes in Canada: Reporting Income and the US Tax Form

Prepared by Toronto Tax & Accounting Solutions Inc. and reviewed by Behroz Rizvi, owner. This article provides general information and may not apply to every tax situation.

YouTube income is generally taxable in Canada. The CRA says that if you carry on a business through your social media channels, you must report the income, both money and non-monetary items, on your income tax return. YouTube also asks creators outside the United States for US tax information, which affects how much tax is withheld from your US-viewer earnings.

What income counts

The CRA lists many ways to earn income through social media, in money or in kind (see its tax tip for social media influencers):

• Subscriptions to your channel
• Advertising, including brand advertisements
• Sponsorships
• Calls to action
• Merchandise sales or commission on sales
• Tips
• Perks such as products, clothes, trips or other gifts
• Referral codes

Non-monetary income is reported at the fair market value of the item you received. The CRA says it will generally consider your social media activities to be business activities unless they are a personal endeavour.

The US tax form for YouTube creators

Google explains in US tax requirements for YouTube earnings that creators outside the US who submit valid US tax information have withholding applied only to earnings from US viewers, at a rate between 0% and 30% that depends on whether their country has a tax treaty with the US. Individual accounts that do not submit tax information face backup withholding of up to 24% of worldwide earnings. Google says you can see your rate in AdSense under Manage tax info once you submit your form, and that rates are adjusted in the next payment cycle after valid information is provided.

The form most individual creators outside the US use is the W-8BEN. Submit it in AdSense following Google’s instructions, keep your payment statements, and tell us what was withheld so we can review it when we prepare your Canadian return. We prepare the Canadian side only and do not prepare US tax forms or handle US tax filings.

What you can deduct

If your channel is a business, you may deduct eligible expenses. The CRA says they must relate directly to your activities, be reasonable, not be personal in nature, and be supported by your records (business expenses). Creators often have costs such as:

• Cameras, microphones, lighting and computers, which may be claimed over several years (current or capital expenses)
• Editing software and subscriptions
• Props, sets and studio or workspace costs
• Advertising and promotion
• Business-use share of internet and phone costs
• Fees paid to editors, designers or other contractors

GST/HST for creators

The CRA says that if your online activities are not a personal endeavour and your total taxable supplies are more than $30,000 over four calendar quarters, you need to register for, collect and pay GST/HST on your taxable sales from those activities. How GST/HST applies to payments from foreign platforms depends on the type of income, so ask us before you decide. See also GST/HST on online sales.

Other platforms

The CRA’s guidance names YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, Facebook and blogs. The same principles apply to similar income from TikTok, Patreon and other platforms: report the income, including gifts and perks at fair market value, and keep records.

YouTube tax questions

Do I report YouTube income if I earn very little?

There is no minimum amount for reporting business income. Whether a small channel is a business depends on the facts, which our guide to hobby or business for online sales covers.

Do free products and trips from brands count?

Yes. The CRA says to report non-monetary income at the fair market value of what you received.

What happens if I never submitted a US tax form?

Google says individual accounts without tax information face withholding of up to 24% of worldwide earnings. Submit valid information in AdSense, and tell us if tax was already withheld.

How we can help

Toronto Tax & Accounting Solutions Inc. prepares tax returns and keeps the books for YouTube and other content creators, from our Scarborough office or entirely online. A self-employed return starts from $149.99 and monthly bookkeeping from $99, both before HST. See our page for online sellers and content creators or visit torontax.ca.

Related guides

• Tax and bookkeeping for online sellers and content creators
• Amazon seller taxes in Canada
• GST/HST on online sales
• Hobby or business?
• Etsy taxes in Canada
• Inventory and cost of goods sold
• eBay taxes in Canada

Official sources

• CRA: Are you a social media influencer?
• CRA: Taxes and the platform economy
• CRA: Business expenses
• CRA: When to register for and start charging the GST/HST
• Google: US tax requirements for YouTube earnings (platform help page)

Last reviewed: November 8, 2026. This article is general information, not advice for a specific situation. Platform help pages are linked for platform-specific statements.