If you’re a creator earning money from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or freelance platforms, you’ve probably experienced that moment when your first payment hits. It’s exciting but also a little nerve-racking. Suddenly, questions start swirling: Do I need to pay taxes on this? What if the money comes from a company abroad? Will my country even know?
The truth is, once you start earning across borders, taxes and compliance become unavoidable. And while no one enjoys paperwork, getting this right is crucial to protect your earnings and keep your creative career sustainable.
Let’s break it down simply, clearly, and in a way that makes sense for international creators like you.
In many traditional 9-5 jobs, employers are required to calculate and withhold taxes before you’re paid. But even that system doesn’t always apply every every country, and freelancers or creators rarely have that safety net. You’re the one responsible for tracking what you earned, calculating what’s due, and paying your tax.
Skipping that responsibility might initially be harmless, but the fallout can be expensive and long-lasting. Penalties and interest stack up quickly when you underreport or pay late. Platforms increasingly ask for tax information before they release funds, so a missing document can freeze your payouts. When you get more financially stable and want to embark on bigger projects, like getting a visa, a mortgage, or even a simple apartment lease, you may be asked to prove your income. If your books are messy, opportunities can slip away.
There’s a positive side most creators overlook: doing taxes properly can save you money and make you more professional. Clear records mean you claim legitimate business expenses, so you’re not paying tax on money you never kept. Clean financials help you price confidently, negotiate better with brands, and pass compliance checks without stress.
Treat tax as part of the craft. The content funds the business, but compliance keeps it sustainable.
Also read: How to handle foreign income taxes as a remote worker
Things can get complicated here. Your audience may be global, but your taxes are local. A payment from a US platform or a brand in Berlin doesn’t magically move you out of your home country’s tax rules.
In practice, this means two systems can touch the same income. For example, a Nigerian creator earning from YouTube might face US withholding tax if the right form isn’t submitted. Back home, Nigeria still expects you to declare the full amount on your return.
The result can feel like double taxation, unless you’ve handled the paperwork and, where possible, claimed relief under a tax treaty or a foreign tax credit.
If you’re paid in USD or EUR but live elsewhere, you’ll need to record what you received in your home currency when it hits your account. That means noting the payout amount, the fees deducted, and the exchange rate used. Do this consistently, and you’ll avoid guesswork when it’s time to file.
Platforms can also complicate things. If you’re a non-US creator, you’ll often be asked to fill out tax forms like the W-8BEN. Skip it, and the platform might withhold as much as 30% of your earnings if you fail to comply. After you fill it correctly, and the withholding usually drops or only applies to US-based income.
Your home country will usually still expect you to report the full amount. That’s why keeping tidy records like platform statements, invoices, and bank transactions matter. And as your income streams become more international, it’s helpful to have a clear system for tracking currency conversions and paperwork. When you sort out those basics, managing taxes becomes easier.
Here’s a breakdown of the most important things creators should keep in mind:
Tax obligations are driven by residency, not by the platform or brand paying you. If you’re based in Kenya, you’re taxed under Kenyan rules even when the money comes from a foreign country. That “residency first” principle sits alongside source rules and withholding in other countries, which is why US platforms ask non-US creators for documents like the W-8BEN.
Record every payout with the gross amount, platform or client, fees deducted, and the date it hit your account. If you’re paid in USD or EUR, convert each transaction to your home currency using a consistent method, preferably the official daily rate. Keep invoices, contracts, and platform statements together so they reconcile cleanly with your bank records. Most tax authorities expect you to retain these for years, not months, and tidy books differentiate between a calm filing season and a chaotic one.
Double taxation is a real risk, but it’s often manageable. Many countries have tax treaties with the US or EU states that reduce withholding on cross-border income and allow you to claim a foreign tax credit at home. In practice, that means two jobs for you: make the treaty claim correctly on the foreign side (again, the W-8BEN is the classic route for US platforms), and keep the official proof of any tax withheld — statements like a 1042-S can work — so your home filing can credit it back. When you get those two pieces right, you’re far less likely to pay tax twice on the same money.
In most places, creators are treated as self-employed or as small businesses. Registering formally clarifies your obligations and unlocks practical benefits. You can deduct legitimate business expenses such as equipment, software, internet, travel for shoots, and a portion of a home office. You’ll also know whether you must make quarterly or provisional payments, issue proper invoices with a tax ID, or register for VAT/GST once you cross local thresholds for digital services. It’s not glamorous, but that structure protects you if you’re audited and helps you look credible to brands, banks, and even immigration officers.
Also read: How to manage freelance income and taxes in South Africa
You should build these habits to ensure you’re always on the right side of the law.
If you earn from US platforms, submit the correct tax documents so the platform can apply the right withholding rate instead of automatically taking the maximum. Platforms such as YouTube spell out these requirements and the consequences of not filing correctly. The paperwork can reduce or prevent a blanket 30% withholding on certain US-source earnings.
A good accountant or tax adviser who understands cross-border income will save you more than they cost. They’ll show which expenses you can claim, how to document foreign tax credits, and whether a tax treaty might reduce double taxation on the same income. Tax treaties and international guidance exist precisely to stop the same money being taxed twice. Knowing how to use them properly is worth expert advice.
Use a dedicated account for platform and client payouts (multi-currency accounts make this easier). A single, tidy account speeds up reconciliations, makes FX easier to document, and makes bookkeeping far less painful. It also makes filings and audits less scary. If you want a clean paper trail for international receipts, keep them from your personal account.
Many self-employed creators must make estimated or provisional tax payments during the year rather than waiting until the annual return. Missing those deadlines can trigger penalties. The rhythm and exact dates depend on where you live, so set calendar reminders and plan cash flow accordingly.
Save platform statements, invoices, screenshots of payouts, and records of the exchange rates you used to convert foreign receipts. Tax authorities often expect you to keep documents for years, not months, so a consistent filing system (digital backups included) is a lifesaver when questions come up.
Juggling multiple payments can turn your finances into a mess of screens and screenshots. These messy records mean headaches come tax time. Grey acts like a clean, central ledger for all that cross-border noise.
Instead of watching dollars, euros, and pounds trickle into different places and wondering what you actually earned, you can open dedicated multi-currency accounts and receive international payouts straight into the currency they were paid in. That gives you a real choice: hold funds in the original currency until rates are favourable, or convert them when you need local cash.
Away from better rates and currency control, the biggest payoff is clarity. With a single, consolidated transaction history, you can trace each payment back to its source, spot platform fees, and reconcile invoices without hunting through old emails. That clarity makes it far easier to document income for tax returns, claim legitimate expenses, and prove your revenue when applying for loans, visas or rental agreements.
Grey also saves time. Rather than piecing together conversions and receipts at the end of the year, you get a straightforward view of what arrived, in which currency, and what it’s worth in your local money. Fewer surprises, fewer frozen payouts, and less time in spreadsheets means more predictable cash flow and less stress when tax season rolls around.
If you want to stop treating international receipts like a guessing game, Grey gives you the tools to make compliance simple and your income transparent so you can focus on the work that actually pays.
Also read: How to manage taxes as a freelancer working for international clients
Being a creator is exciting, but it also comes with responsibilities. While taxes and compliance aren’t glamorous, they protect your future, income, and creative freedom.
Understanding how international earnings are taxed, tracking your income carefully, and using tools like Grey to manage payments will put you ahead of the curve.
Create your Grey account today or download the app to enjoy inclusive global banking designed to carry your dreams across borders.
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