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The tax base for a streamer depends on your country and status - whether you work as a self-employed person, sole proprietor, or individual with another income source. In Russia, self-employed people pay a professional income tax (6% of revenue), but you need to register beforehand in the FTS app, otherwise you risk fines. Abroad, the rules are completely different - for example, in the US streamers pay federal income tax and self-employment tax, while in the EU the system depends on the specific country. It's easiest to consult with a tax advisor for your region right from the start - saving money upfront can cost you more than dealing with audits later.
it's income like any other, so yeah - you need to pay taxes on it. in Russia, a streamer is considered self-employed or a sole proprietor (ИП), and money from platform monetization is your earnings. if you're getting rubles from Twitch or YouTube, they count toward your tax base. you've got two options: either register as self-employed (easier and cheaper to start), or open an ИП if your income is serious. self-employment will cost you roughly 4-6% of the amount, depending on your tax system.
here's the thing - the platforms themselves can send info about your payouts to the tax authority. YouTube and Twitch have your details and Russian addresses, so you can't hide the income. better to get everything on the books from the start than deal with inspections and fines later. and yeah, if you're taking money from donations or super chats, that counts too.
practical tip: you can register as self-employed straight through the "Moy nalog" app on your phone in five minutes. you'll send your income receipts through there after that. if your income grows later and becomes more serious, you can switch to an ИП. but it's better to start officially than end up paying fines.
The main thing here is that platforms like Twitch and YouTube don't withhold taxes from Russian streamers themselves. The money comes to your account in full, but declaring it and paying the tax is your responsibility. Self-employed people pay 6% of their income, and an individual entrepreneur (Ip) can be on the simplified tax system and pay either 6% or 15% depending on the scheme. If you're just a regular person without any status and streaming is a side income, that's already 13% tax plus you need to file a declaration.
There's a hidden pitfall that not many people pay attention to: currency. If the money comes in dollars or euros, you need to convert it to rubles at the exchange rate on the date you received the income. This complicates your reporting because the rate is constantly fluctuating. A lot of streamers forget about this and then get surprised by tax claims.
Another important thing - if you're already working somewhere under an employment contract, then streaming automatically becomes additional income, and the tax service might ask for clarification. It's better to sort out your status in advance: register as self-employed (it's simple through the FNS app) or open an Ip, rather than having to explain to the tax authorities later where the money came from.
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