Since January 2025, Patreon reports your earnings directly to the ATO under the Sharing Economy Reporting Regime. Subscriptions, pledges, tips and custom requests are all on the ATO’s radar. We make sure you are ready.
By clicking Apply you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.
As an artist and creator on Patreon, you offer a service to your fans. Even if you’re not sending them physical goods, they’re still receiving some form of value in exchange for their patronage. Therefore, Patreon subscriptions and donations count as income, just the same as actual sales of your work.
So yes, you are obligated to pay tax on your Patreon income. Unless you fall under the tax free threshold of $18,200 in a financial year, your earnings will be taxed at your marginal tax rate.
Income timing: Patreon income is taxable when it is earned and available for payout, not when you withdraw it to your bank. If you leave funds sitting in your Patreon balance across the 30 June financial year end, you may still owe tax on those funds in the year they were earned.
GST registration is compulsory once your total business turnover from all sources exceeds $75,000. Once registered, GST treatment differs by patron location:
Patreon does not collect GST on your behalf for payments from Australian patrons. This means you must account for GST on these payments yourself once registered. This is a common surprise for creators who assume the platform handles it.
Payments from overseas patrons are generally GST-free as an export of digital services. These payments still count toward your $75,000 turnover threshold, but you do not charge or remit GST on them.
This split treatment on the same platform catches many creators off guard. We handle GST classification on your quarterly BAS so you do not need to work through this yourself. For more detail, see our GST and BAS guide for content creators.
A 15-minute call to understand your situation: what platforms you are on, your income level, your current setup, and what you need help with. No charge, no obligation.
We send you a fixed-fee quote covering exactly what is included. No hourly billing surprises. You sign an engagement letter through Ignition before any work begins.
We set you up in our system, connect to your Xero (or set one up), pull your Patreon earnings statements, and gather any missing records. We tell you exactly what we need from you.
Depending on your package: annual tax return, quarterly BAS, monthly bookkeeping, or all three. We handle ATO communication, deadline management, and proactive tax planning. You focus on creating.
Offering exclusive content and perks to patrons who subscribe at different levels.
Patrons can make single contributions to support your work.
Providing downloadable content like eBooks, music, or art to patrons.
Mailing merchandise, prints, or other physical items to higher-tier patrons.
Offering personalized content or services to patrons who pledge a certain amount.
Patreon is a US-based company. Without a valid W-8BEN on file, Patreon withholds 30% of your US-sourced earnings. A correctly completed W-8BEN claims the reduced rate under the Australia-US tax treaty, reducing withholding to 0% on most subscription and royalty-type income.
Submit your W-8BEN through Patreon’s Tax Information section in your account settings. For a field-by-field walkthrough, see our W-8BEN guide for Australian creators.
We know the difference between per-creation and monthly billing, that Patreon takes 8-12% plus processing fees, that income is assessable when available for payout (not when withdrawn), and that SERR reporting means the ATO already has your data. You do not need to explain your business model to us.
Patreon serves a broader creative community than other platforms: visual artists, musicians, writers, podcasters, game developers, educators, and filmmakers. We understand the specific deduction categories for each type of creator, from art supplies and music licensing to podcast hosting and print fulfilment.
We are based in Adelaide but work with Patreon creators in every state. Everything happens over video call, email, and secure document sharing. You deal with the same team every time.
Explore our FAQ section to find answers to common Patreon questions. If you don’t see what your looking for please get in touch.
Yes. All income earned through Patreon is assessable income in Australia, including subscription pledges, one-off payments, and tips. The ATO treats Patreon creators as running a business if there is a consistent intention to earn income — this applies to artists, podcasters, writers, musicians, gamers, and any other creator type. Your Patreon income is added to all other income you earn and taxed at your marginal rate.
Yes and from January 2025, Patreon is directly reporting Australian creator income to the ATO under the Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR). Patreon lodged its first report in January 2025 covering income earned from July to December 2024. Reports are submitted twice-yearly. Patreon reports income at the point it is earned and available for payout, not when you withdraw it. This means the ATO receives data about your platform balance whether or not you have transferred money to your bank.
Yes. In Australia, only registered charities with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status can legally receive tax-free donations. Individual creators are not registered charities. Regardless of what Patreon or your patrons call the payment, donation, pledge, tip, or support, if it is income flowing to you personally, the ATO treats it as assessable business income. The label does not change the tax outcome.
Income is taxable when it is earned and available for payout, not when you withdraw it to your bank. Patreon’s own documentation confirms this is also when they report the income to the ATO under SERR. If you leave funds sitting in your Patreon balance across the 30 June financial year end, you may still owe tax on those funds in the year they were earned, even though you have not yet received them in your bank account.
Toggle ContentOnly once your total business income across all platforms exceeds $75,000 per year. Once registered, GST applies differently depending on your patrons’ location. For Australian patrons supporting Australian creators: Patreon does not collect GST on your behalf, that remains your own obligation once registered. For overseas patrons: those payments are generally GST-free as an exported digital service. This split treatment on the same platform catches many creators off guard, speak to your accountant when approaching the threshold.
Yes. Some crowdfunding income, funds raised for a specific charitable or community project where all proceeds go to the project — may not be assessable income. Patreon is different because the money goes directly to you as the creator. Even if you spend all your Patreon income on materials for your work, your purpose is personal income, not a charitable cause. The ATO views Patreon earnings as business income regardless of how you spend it.
Yes. Patreon charges creators a platform fee on earnings, currently between 8% and 12% depending on your plan, plus payment processing fees. These are legitimate business expenses directly related to earning your Patreon income and are fully deductible. Keep your Patreon earnings statements as evidence of both your gross income and the fees deducted, and always declare your gross earnings (before Patreon’s cut) on your tax return.
Any expense directly related to creating your Patreon content is deductible. This includes: recording equipment, cameras, microphones, and studio hardware; software subscriptions (editing, design, podcast hosting); home studio costs (proportional share of rent, electricity, internet); phone and internet bills (business-use proportion); Patreon platform fees and payment processing charges; research materials relevant to your content; and accountant and tax agent fees. Items with mixed personal and business use can only be claimed for the business-use proportion.
Yes, if you are running Patreon as a business. If you create content regularly, grow your patron base, and receive income with a profit intention, the ATO considers you to be carrying on a business — which requires an ABN. Without one, any Australian entity paying you is required to withhold 47% of the payment. Registering is free and takes minutes online. An ABN also allows you to register for GST when you approach the $75,000 threshold.
Act before the ATO does. Patreon began reporting Australian creator income directly to the ATO from January 2025, covering earnings from July 2024 onwards. Prior years may not yet be reported, but the ATO can audit up to five years of returns, and further in cases of fraud or omission. Voluntary disclosure is treated far more favourably than income discovered through an audit. National Accounts regularly helps creators work through prior year obligations in a structured, low-stress way.
Ben Heide
Tyson Jack
Michael Hughes
Kelly
Dale Ross
Kirsty Aldridge
Ian Aldridge
Rhys Barber
Phung Ngo
Brendan Nicholls
Fixed-fee quote, no surprises. We handle SERR reconciliation, W-8BEN, GST, BAS, and ATO compliance so you can focus on creating.
