As a financially responsible YouTuber, you may be wondering if you can claim back tax on (or “write off”) the products/services that you feature in your videos.
The short answer: sometimes, but only if it’s a legitimate business expense.
Understanding what counts as an allowable business expense is crucial to ensure you don’t pay more tax than you need to. But it’s equally important to avoid claiming personal costs as business expenses: HMRC is paying attention, and you can incur penalties, even for genuine mistakes.
Whether you make content about food, cars, travel or something else, the rules are largely the same. In this article, we’ll look at what is and isn’t an allowable expense with some practical examples.
If you need one-to-one advice on your YouTube expenses or help with your tax return, reach out to Smooth Accounting. As specialist accountants for social media influencers, we get your business and offer reliable, friendly and affordable support.
What does HMRC consider an allowable business expense for a YouTuber?
Regardless of what industry you’re in, HMRC defines a business expense as something “wholly and exclusively” for business purposes. Meaning that the entire cost was only for the purpose of running your business, in this case, producing a video for YouTube.
For YouTubers, tax-deductible expenses may include:
- Camera gear and equipment
- Editing software
- Props or ingredients (used only for content)
- Travel (solely for filming purposes)
- A portion of your home internet or phone bills (if you work from home)
Personal costs, like meals out with friends, a family holiday, or buying a car you’d have purchased anyway, do not qualify, even if you feature them in a video.
Can you write off items you review or feature in videos?
You can deduct the cost related to items that you review or feature in your videos, but only the business portion, i.e. that which was necessary for you to do your work.
For example:
- Food YouTubers might claim the cost of recipe ingredients or restaurant meals if the sole purpose is to create content, and they’re not eating out for personal enjoyment.
- Travel YouTubers can claim travel expenses like flights, hotels, and visas, but only for trips that are directly tied to content creation, not a holiday they just happen to film.
- Tech YouTubers can deduct the cost of gadgets, software, or tech accessories they unbox, review, or feature in their videos, as long as those items are essential to the content and not kept purely for personal use.
Common write-off for UK YouTubers
| Expense Type | Examples | Allowable Use (Claimable) | Non-Allowable Use (Not Claimable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment purchases | Cameras, mics, tripods, lighting | Buying a camera solely for filming recipe tutorials for your channel | Buying a GoPro for a family holiday and later uploading one or two clips to YouTube |
| Food costs | Ingredients, restaurant meals (food vlog) | Purchasing ingredients specifically for a cooking demo video | Going out for dinner with friends and casually filming parts of the meal for a story or vlog |
| Automotive costs | Track day fees, car modifications (only if the car is owned by your company or rented – not your personal car) | Installing new performance brakes on a car you’re documenting in a build series | Upgrading your personal car’s sound system, which you only briefly mention in a vlog |
| Travel expenses | Flights, hotels, taxis (travel vlog) | Booking flights and hotels for a trip focused entirely on filming local culture, food, or experiences for your travel channel | If a work trip blends into a holiday, you can only claim for expenses incurred during the work part of the trip. |
| Software subscriptions | Editing software, accounting software | Paying monthly for Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro specifically to edit YouTube videos | Subscribing to Spotify or Netflix – even if you review the content – because these are considered personal entertainment subscriptions |
| Professional services | Accountant fees, graphic designer | Hiring an accountant to prepare your accounts, or a freelance designer to create YouTube channel graphics | Paying for a personal stylist or gym membership that you only occasionally mention on your channel, but primarily use for personal benefit |
What happens if I incorrectly claim an expense?
Claiming non-business expenses as tax deductions is risky. If HMRC audits your tax return and finds inflated or false claims, you may need to pay tax back with interest, and you could face fines or penalties. And, you open yourself up for scrutiny in the future.
The bottom line? It’s not worth jeopardising your YouTube career for a few extra pounds off your tax bill.
How to stay compliant with HMRC when claiming YouTube expenses
Keep detailed records
Track all expenses related to your YouTube channel, including receipts, invoices and notes about why the expense was business-related. Good bookkeeping habits and cloud accounting software like Xero make keeping track of expenses much easier.
Keep receipts and invoices
To ensure compliance with the tax authorities, you must keep receipts for all claimed expenses. Digital copies are acceptable, but they must be clear and accessible in case HMRC requests them.
Using accounting software like Apron can make this easier by storing, organising, and matching digital receipts to each expense, helping you keep everything in one place and ready for your tax return.
Log personal vs business use
For shared costs (like car use or phone bills), log the business portion you actually use for YouTube.
For example:
- Keep a mileage log for filming trips.
- Use phone bills to estimate data/upload usage.
- Track home office or internet use.
HMRC expects proper documentation showing how you split personal and business use.
For example:
For phone bills, you check your usage:
- Total mobile data: 30GB/month
- Uploading and managing YouTube: 12GB/month
- Personal use: 18GB/month
In this case, 40% of your phone bill is for business, and you should only claim for that part.
Submit your self-assessment tax on time
If you’re a sole trader or self-employed YouTuber, you must file taxes each year via a self-assessment tax return.
This includes declaring:
- YouTube income (ads, brand deals, channel memberships)
- Affiliate income, such as commission earned from product links in your video descriptions or bios
- Revenue generated from sponsorships and merch
- Any fees paid (e.g., YouTube Partner Program cuts)
- Expenses (allowable expenses as described in this article)
If you miss the deadlines, you risk penalties and could end up increasing your overall tax liability.
Work with a specialist influencer accountant
Having a professional accountant in your corner not only saves you time but also removes the compliance headache.
A specialist influencer accountant can help you identify allowable expenses and calculate your taxable income. They can take care of your tax return and ensure you plan for your tax and National Insurance liability in good time.
- Help manage National Insurance and tax payments
- Use professional services to keep your business finances compliant
Example: YouTuber tax return calculation with allowable expenses
Emma runs a travel YouTube channel as a sole trader. In the 2024/25 tax year, her income and costs looked like this:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| YouTube ad revenue | £35,000 |
| Brand deals & sponsorships | £10,000 |
| Channel memberships | £5,000 |
| Total income | £50,000 |
Emma’s allowable business expenses looked like this:
| Expense | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camera, microphone, tripod | £2,000 | Fully business use |
| Flights & hotels for filming trips | £5,000 | For dedicated YouTube content trips |
| Editing software subscription | £300 | Adobe Premiere Pro |
| Phone bill (40% business portion) | £240 | £600 total annual bill × 40% business use |
| Accountancy fees | £500 | Professional services to help with bookkeeping and tax return |
| Travel insurance (for work trips only) | £150 | Only for business-related travel |
| Total allowable expenses | £8,190 |
Once these expenses are deducted from her earnings, Emma’s taxable income is £41,810.
Emma pays the basic rate of tax on her earnings, so her tax calculation looks like this:
- Income tax (basic rate 20% owed on all earnings over the personal allowance of £12,570):
£41,810 – £12,570 = £29,240 × 20% = £5,848
Without claiming allowable expenses, Emma’s tax bill would have been calculated on the full £50,000, meaning she would have overpaid by nearly £1,638 in income tax. Even if she had underestimated her expenses by £500, she would have paid £100 more tax than she needed to.
That’s why it’s so important to work with a specialist influencer accountant who understands the ins and outs of YouTube income, expenses, and tax rules.
Need help with claiming expenses? Get in touch with Smooth Accounting
At Smooth Accounting, we help content creators like you with bookkeeping, expenses and tax returns. Whether you’re a foodie, car reviewer, travel vlogger or beauty guru, we understand the challenges in running a YouTube business, so you won’t have to explain it all to us. You can crack on with creating great content, safe in the knowledge that we are keeping track of the numbers.
Make sure you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to, and nothing you shouldn’t: get in touch with Smooth Accounting today.
Frequently asked questions – can a YouTuber write off the things they make videos about?
Is claiming expenses different for YouTubers operating as a limited company?
If you have limited company status, the same principles apply regarding allowable and non-allowable expenses, but the process is different.
You can deduct allowable expenses from your business profit to reduce your corporation tax bill, but there are stricter rules on separating business and personal expenses. If you use business assets for personal use, you may need to report it as a ‘benefit in kind’.
If you’re unsure whether sole trader or limited company status is better for your YouTube business, Smooth Accounting can help you decide.
What if I return the item after filming?
If you return an item after filming and it’s fully refunded, you can’t claim it as an expense. However, if there are any non-refundable costs, like shipping or restocking fees, you may be able to deduct them if they are directly tied to the work you did.
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