Tax help for content creators in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita
Free tax review
Making money on TikTok or YouTube?
Fifteen minutes by phone, ending with one written price for what we’d handle.
For TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitch creators, streamers, TikTok Shop affiliates and UGC creators. We sort brand deals, payouts and gifted product, match every 1099, file the return, figure quarterly estimates, and compare an LLC or S corp on your numbers — one flat fee, in writing.
Based in Santa Clarita
We’re based in Santa Clarita and work with content creators in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, and remotely anywhere in the US. A streamer in Pacoima, a UGC creator in Canoga Park or a TikTok Shop affiliate in Valencia has the same mix of payouts, brand invoices and gift boxes to sort.
Typical situations
Do you work with creators like me?
Yes — we work with content creators who earn from platform payouts, brand deals, affiliate or shop commissions, or UGC fees and need the year sorted, the return filed and next year set up.
A UGC creator in North Hollywood paid by several brands
Each brand pays by invoice; some send a 1099-NEC (the form for nonemployee pay) in January and some send nothing. Filing only the forms that arrived, or forms whose total doesn’t match the income, is where this goes wrong. We build an income ledger by brand from invoices and deposits, match every 1099, and report it all on Schedule C, where a one-person business reports income and costs, with a statement if the totals differ. The return alone starts at $650 — see how the return is prepared.
A YouTuber in Burbank who typed the payouts in as other income
The channel’s payouts went on the return as “other income”, the line for one-off money that isn’t a business. That line leaves off the self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare for the self-employed), which is still owed and can come back later as an IRS bill. We put the channel’s income on Schedule C with its business costs, so the self-employment tax is figured once, correctly.
A TikTok Shop affiliate in Van Nuys
Commissions, plus free samples that come with a required video. The commissions may arrive on a 1099-NEC, a 1099-K or no form at all. The miss is reporting the form’s gross as if it were the payouts, or treating the samples as free. We reconcile payouts, fees and refunds to the forms every month and log the samples — see how the monthly books run, from $295 a month.
A beauty creator in Glendale with a closet of PR packages
Product sent in exchange for a post is pay at fair market value (what it sells for). Product nobody asked you to post about is a gray area; we log it and never deduct it. The miss is no record at all. The log records the date, brand, item, retail value and whether a post was required, and we report what was payment.
A streamer in Santa Clarita whose viewers tip during free streams
As we read it, voluntary tips on a free stream can count for the federal tips deduction — digital content creators are on the Treasury’s list of jobs that customarily receive tips — while subscriptions, memberships and the platform’s share don’t. For 2026 only tips shown separately in the 1099’s cash-tips box count, and California still taxes them. The miss is assuming it’s all tax-free or none counts. We separate tips from subscriptions and the platform’s cut and claim the deduction only on what qualifies.
A creator in Sylmar two years into brand money with no books at all
Deposits from five places, receipts in a camera roll. The miss is waiting for 1099s that some payers will never send. We rebuild the year from bank deposits and platform reports, sort income and costs, and get the books to a clean starting point. A cleanup starts at $750, then monthly bookkeeping — see how a catch-up project runs.
The income
How is content creator income taxed?
Brand deals, platform payouts, affiliate commissions, UGC fees and product taken as payment are all reported on Schedule C, and the profit carries self-employment tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings for 2026, plus federal and California income tax.
- A brand that paid you $2,000 or more in 2026 sends a 1099-NEC; a brand that paid less may send nothing — the income counts either way
- YouTube says it sends U.S. creators a 1099-MISC, usually by early March
- A 1099-K reports the gross before fees and refunds
- Self-employment tax starts at $400 of net earnings, after expenses
We keep one income ledger by source — each brand, each platform, each affiliate program — tied to every form and carried to the return; read how self-employment tax is figured.
Write-offs
What can a content creator write off?
The costs of making the content — cameras, lights, editing software, the business share of a phone, props and true costumes — are deductible for the business share, backed by records; street clothes, everyday makeup and haircuts are not.
- Cameras and video gear are “listed property” — gear with stricter record rules — and get the first-year write-off only with more than 50% business use and a record that proves it
- A phone counts for its business share — we write the share down
- In 2026 the Tax Court said influencers get the same rules as any other business
- Clothing is deductible only if it can’t pass as street clothes
We keep a business-use record for each device and the receipts in the books — the records to keep.
Quarterly estimates
Do I have to pay quarterly taxes as a creator?
Yes — if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax for 2026 after withholding, quarterly estimated payments are due; the last 2026 payment falls on January 15, 2027, and California runs its own schedule with no September payment.
The penalty runs by the day on each missed payment, so a payment now shrinks it. Income that arrived unevenly — a viral fourth quarter, a December brand deal — can lower the penalty on the earlier payments through the annualized method, which sizes each payment to what you had actually earned by that date. We figure the January payment and the 2027 estimates from your actual books — see how we handle estimated payments and tax planning.
The monthly close
What do you check every month?
Every month we run the same seven checks: platform payouts, brand invoices, commissions with fees and refunds, the gifted-products log, gear and its business-use share, subscriptions and software, and year-to-date profit against the next estimated payment.
- Platform payouts against the bank
- Brand invoices against payments and 1099s
- Commissions, fees and refunds against the 1099-K
- Gifted product logged for the month
- Gear bought, with business-use share
- Subscriptions and software coded
- Year-to-date profit against the next estimate
Each month you get the P&L, the balance sheet and a short note — see how the monthly bookkeeping runs.
LLC or S corp
Should a content creator form an LLC or an S corp?
Forming an LLC doesn’t change your taxes by itself — a one-owner LLC still files Schedule C and costs $800 a year in California — and we compare an LLC, an S corp and staying as you are on your own numbers before you form or elect. An S corp is a tax status elected with the IRS, changing how the owner is paid and taxed: owner payroll, its own return, and a California tax of 1.5% of its income with the same $800 annual minimum.
LLC
- For federal tax a one-owner LLC is disregarded — ignored, treated as you — unless it elects corporate treatment
S corp
- The election has a deadline — 2 months and 15 days into the year it takes effect
- The owner’s salary has to be reasonable for the work, and for a creator most of the income comes from the creator’s own work, so we set it from the facts
If you already run an S corp, we run the owner’s payroll — see how payroll is set up and priced. The entity-selection page shows how the comparison runs on your numbers.
Pricing
How much does tax help for a content creator cost in 2026?
For 2026, the return alone starts at $650 for a creator filing as a sole proprietor (one-owner LLC included) and from $850 for an S corp or partnership with the owner’s personal return included; monthly bookkeeping from $295 a month; bookkeeping plus the year-end return from $395 a month; owner payroll for an S corp from $95 a month; and a cleanup from $750 — each a flat fee quoted in writing before we start. What moves a quote above the floor is the platforms that pay you, the brands and 1099s, affiliate and shop commissions, gifted product, months never booked, an LLC or an S corp, payroll, and years behind.
The return
from $650
- Schedule C prepared from your records
- Every 1099 matched to the return
- Quarterly estimate calculations from your real numbers
- Deduction review: gear, fees, the phone’s business share
Books plus the return
from $395/mo
- Monthly bookkeeping
- The year-end return from your own books
- Quarterly estimates from real numbers
- Year-round questions
Monthly books
from $295/mo
- Payouts, brand payments and commissions reconciled
- The gifted-products log kept
- Monthly P&L, balance sheet and a short note
The quote is the price.
How it works
What happens after you book?
A 15-minute call ends with one price, and the work starts from there.
The 15-minute call
About six questions: platforms, brand deals and 1099s, commissions, gifted product, an LLC or S corp, how far behind.
The engagement letter
Sent during the call, signed when you’re ready; then a short onboarding call and the portal invite.
Access and documents
Read-only bank feeds or your QuickBooks file, platform payout reports and tax forms, brand invoices, and our checklist.
Catch-up first, then monthly
If you’re behind, the cleanup comes first — half to start, the balance on delivery — then the monthly close starts.
You see every return before it’s filed
Every return and estimate comes to you to review before anything goes to the IRS or the FTB.
Communication
You’ll know where things stand.
The person who answers the phone is on the same team that keeps the books, figures the estimates and prepares the return.
The same-day rule
Call or email during business hours and you’ll hear back the same day — all twelve months.
Creators are welcome
One platform or five, brand deals or payouts — the free call ends with a straight answer on whether we’re the right fit.
Admitted to practice before the IRS
Our team of IRS representation specialists is admitted to practice before the IRS. If an IRS letter shows up, forward it to us — how we handle IRS letters.
The N&T Tax & Advisory Group team
The return and the estimates come from the same books we keep, and we’re reachable all year.
Bookkeeping & payroll · Tax preparation · Tax planning · IRS representation · Direct line: (661) 554-4495
Reviews
Rated 5.0 on Google
★★★★★ Twelve reviews, every one five stars, every one verifiable. Read all of them on Google →
"Alex helped me resolve a complicated tax situation that had been causing me a lot of stress. He was extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and efficient throughout the entire process."
Kevin B. — via Google
"Working with Alex was straightforward. I hadn't looked at my books all year, but he made my life easy and handled the whole profit and loss at the end of the year so I could get my taxes done."
Levon B. — via Google
"I came to this company with previous tax years and bookkeeping that were done incorrectly. They're very knowledgeable about what they do and help me get everything in order at a very reasonable price."
Sayra A. — via Google
Where we work
Do you work with creators outside Los Angeles and Santa Clarita?
Yes — we work with content creators anywhere in the US, remotely. The work runs from your platform reports and your bank. We work with creators in Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale and the rest of the San Fernando Valley. In the Santa Clarita Valley we also offer in-person visits.
What we don’t do
We handle the tax and money side of the creator business. Brand contracts, FTC disclosure, platform or growth strategy, talent management, and legal and investment advice are outside our work.
Worth reading
What can you read before you call?
Three short reads: self-employment tax, which records to keep, and an LLC’s first year.
FAQ
What do content creators ask before booking?
I got a 1099-NEC from a brand deal. How do I report it?
It goes on Schedule C with the rest of your creator income, matched to what the brand actually paid. If the 1099s total more than the income reported, the return carries a statement explaining the difference. That income also carries self-employment tax.
Do I have to pay taxes on free stuff brands send me?
Yes, when it was sent in exchange for a post, video or review — it counts at what it sells for. Product with no posting obligation is a gray area; as we read it, what you keep and use in content is income. We log it and never deduct product you didn’t pay for.
Can I deduct the clothes and makeup I wear in my videos?
Only what can’t pass as street clothes — costumes and character pieces. Everyday clothes, makeup, haircuts and nails are personal. As we apply the rule, makeup used only for an on-camera character is treated as part of the character, like a costume.
Do I need an LLC as a content creator?
Not for income tax — a one-owner LLC is ignored for federal tax unless it elects otherwise. The decision is liability and cost, and a California LLC owes $800 a year regardless of profit. We compare an LLC against staying as you are on your numbers before you form one; the entity-selection page shows how.
When should a content creator become an S corp?
When your own numbers show what an S corp could save you outweighs the payroll, the extra return and California’s tax on an S corp — we run that comparison before you elect anything. The owner’s salary has to be reasonable for the work. The election deadline is 2 months and 15 days into the year it takes effect.
Is the fee flat, or do you bill by the hour?
Flat — set by what your year needs, never by the hour. What sets it is how many platforms and brands pay you, the months never booked, and whether you have an LLC or S corp.
Do I have to pay taxes if I didn’t get a 1099?
Yes — the income is reported whether or not a form arrives, and that includes product taken as payment. We match the income to your bank deposits and platform reports.
What should I send to get started?
Last year’s return; platform payout reports and year-end tax forms; the 1099s that arrived; brand invoices or a list of deals; bank and card statements; receipts for gear; and LLC or S corp papers if you have them. We send a short checklist so nothing is missed.
Ready to get the year sorted?
One free 15-minute call. You’ll leave knowing what we’d handle and what it costs — whether or not you hire us.
Rather talk now? Call (661) 554-4495 — reach us during business hours and you’ll hear back the same day.
Our team of IRS representation specialists is admitted to practice before the IRS. This page is general information, not tax advice for your specific situation.