Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Amidst the countless creators, getting verified is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself and set your channel apart. Creators that get verified on YouTube are basically recognized by the platform as trusted channels. This can help improve the channel’s visibility and bring various opportunities within and outside the platform.

This is why YouTube verification is highly sought-after status for creators, brands, and businesses alike. This post will delve into the YouTube verification process, explain the necessary steps to qualify, and explore how smaller creators can improve their chances of earning that prestigious checkmark.

What Is YouTube Verification and Why It Matters?

YouTube verification is a process that provides a gray checkmark next to your channel’s name. This symbol is more than just a badge—it indicates to your audience that your channel is authentic, trustworthy, and officially represents the creator, brand, or business it claims to be​.

The checkmark appears across YouTube, from search results to comment sections, making it easier for viewers to distinguish your official account from imposters.

 A verified channel appears more legitimate, making it easier for new viewers to trust and engage with your content​

Verification helps protect your brand from copycat channels and impersonators who may try to capitalize on your name

Verified channels often receive more visibility in search results, increasing the chances of growing your audience.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for YouTube Verification?

To get verified on YouTube, your channel must meet specific criteria. While these requirements may seem stringent, they’re essential for ensuring that only authentic and established channels are granted the checkmark.

For YouTube verification, a channel must meet a few essential criteria that demonstrate its authenticity and activity on the platform. YouTube requires channels to have a minimum of 100,000 subscribers, which shows a significant following and credibility. However, subscriber count alone isn't enough. Your channel must accurately represent the creator, business, or entity it claims to be. This involves having a complete profile, including a well-designed banner, recognizable profile picture, and an informative description that clearly reflects your brand or identity.

Beyond appearance, YouTube values consistent engagement. Channels that actively post content, interact with their audience, and follow community guidelines are much more likely to be approved for verification. In contrast, inactive or dormant channels, regardless of subscriber count, are often rejected. By maintaining both a professional profile and regular activity, your chances of getting verified increase significantly.

How to Get Verified on YouTube: Step-by-Step Process

Once you’ve met the basic requirements, you can apply for YouTube verification. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Ensure your channel meets YouTube’s subscriber and content standards before proceeding. Even if you haven’t hit 100,000 subscribers, building a strong community and consistently creating quality content can improve your chances of approval.

, where you’ll find the form to apply for verification. If your channel qualifies, you will be able to access the form.

You’ll need to input your channel name and ID. If you’re unsure of your Channel ID, you can find it by navigating to your YouTube settings under "View advanced settings."​

Advanced settings feature on YouTube account

Once you’ve filled in your information, submit your application. The review process can take several weeks, and YouTube may ask for additional documentation to confirm your identity​.

After submitting your application, YouTube will review several factors, including your channel’s age, activity, and authenticity. If everything checks out, your channel will receive the verification badge.

Can You Get Verified Without 100K Subscribers?

It’s widely known that you need at least 100,000 subscribers to apply for verification, but there are exceptions. Smaller channels may qualify if they have a substantial presence outside YouTube.

If your channel represents a well-known brand, celebrity, or entity, YouTube may consider verifying you even with fewer subscribers.​ Musicians can also apply for the Official Artist Channel badge, even with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. This requires having an official music video distributed on YouTube and being part of the YouTube Partner Program.

While it is rare, exceptions can occur, so if you believe you have a significant presence or impact outside YouTube, you can reach out to YouTube’s support team for consideration​.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Verified?

Even if your channel doesn’t yet qualify for verification, there are ways to boost your chances. Focus on building a robust channel, improving engagement, and increasing your subscriber base.

1. Create High-Quality, Consistent Content

YouTube prioritizes channels that post regularly and create valuable content. Focus on producing high-quality videos that engage your target audience. Having a consistent upload schedule helps, as it demonstrates your commitment to building your channel.

No More Scrambling: How to Craft a Foolproof YouTube Upload Schedule

Ensure that your profile is complete, professional, and aligned with your brand’s identity. This includes:

Choosing a clear, recognizable profile picture.

Writing a compelling description that explains who you are and what content you create

Customizing your channel banner and organizing playlists to improve user experience.

Actively engaging with your audience through comments, likes, and discussions is a great way to show YouTube that you are dedicated to fostering a community. Encouraging viewers to subscribe and interact with your content signals that your channel is authentic and active​.

How to Use the YouTube Community Tab and Engage with Viewers

Optimizing your videos for YouTube search is crucial for increasing your visibility. By using relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. High-performing videos help demonstrate your channel’s influence and authority.

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Views

Approach your channel with a long-term strategy in mind. Focus on building a solid brand, setting goals for content creation, and using data analytics to improve your performance. Collaborating with other creators and being active in the YouTube community can also give your channel the boost it needs

If you thought the hard part was over, you were wrong. Once you’ve earned your verification badge, you must ensure that you remain compliant with YouTube’s rules to maintain it. Some key points to remember are:

Any breach of YouTube’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service could result in your badge being revoked​.

Changing your channel’s name will automatically remove the verification badge. You’ll need to reapply under the new name, which could delay the process.

Keep posting content regularly and continue engaging with your audience to show YouTube that your channel is still relevant.

Getting verified on YouTube is a major milestone that can set your channel apart and boost your credibility. By focusing on growing your audience, optimizing your content, and adhering to YouTube’s guidelines, you can work toward achieving that coveted checkmark. Remember, success on YouTube takes time, patience, and dedication, but with consistency and effort, verification is within reach.

While verification is a worthy goal, it’s more important to build a loyal audience and create a sustainable channel. Verification will come as a natural consequence of your growth and impact on the platform​. If you’re just starting, focus on creating great content and engaging with your viewers. So, what are you waiting for? Get creating and 

Getting verified on YouTube is a dream for most small creators. Get a well-rounded understanding needed to achieve this goal through this post!

How to Get Verified on YouTube

YouTube is all about content and if you can show lots of value on your channel, YouTube is going to suggest your videos to help you generate more views and subscribers. On this episode of TubeTalk, the YouTuber podcast, we’re going to show you how to hack the YouTube algorithm - in the legal and correct way, of course.

We’re joined by Tom Martin, a YouTube strategist extraordinaire. Tom is Certified by YouTube as an expert in both Audience Growth and Digital Rights. He has led the YouTube strategy for some of the world’s largest and most successful media companies, like the BBC, gaining them millions of subscribers and billions of views. He has also consulted with YouTube Creators and Fortune 500 companies to improve their results on YouTube via his company 

He specializes in both YouTube SEO, optimization and channel strategy and has dedicated his time to making sure other YouTube Creators can learn from his experience. He is the author of '

YouTube Optimization – The Complete Guide

Tom confirms that there are a number of factors that could be affecting a channel's growth or lack of growth - he calls them the three Cs of YouTube:

While being consistent with upload schedules and content topics is YouTube 101, being consistent with metadata, or how you optimize your content is key. Titles, tags, and descriptions need to work for you on a channel level, as well as on an individual video level. Having a system for works to create an ecosystem of all of your videos and it’s something Tom has been working on for years. Because of his extraordinary access to a billion views' worth of data, he’s been able to refine this system down as close to scientific process as possible. Tom states that it’s the job of any channel manager, whether you're doing it for yourself or for somebody else, to engineer relationships between your own videos so that you dominate that sidebar. That’s the path to crazy, crazy suggested views.

People totally forget that YouTube is, at the end of the day, a search engine. Good old SEO practices that work in the blogging world and on Google Search are going to have to be applied on YouTube too. It’s not about the relationship between you and your video content, it’s the relationship between your videos as a whole, and it’s a system that Tom unpacks on the podcast.

Keyword Research: The Basis of YouTube Success

Tom’s system is based on a process called keyword research. It’s a tool that is widely underused, probably the most underused weapon that any channel manager or YouTube creator could use. Most people are NOT using it, or certainly not using it to its full power.

Keyword research is often misunderstood because it's easy to do a quick search and say, "Okay, I'm going to put this in the tags of this single video and hope for the best." That's how it used to work in 2012 but that's not the same anymore, because YouTube and Google are a lot smarter now, and they understand content a lot better. Also, there's a lot more competition, and so there's a lot more other videos with similar metadata to cut through. Tom engineer’s relationships between his videos using keyword research, to go a level beyond just trying to rank an individual video. His aim to be the authority in his space, and he has used 

 for the last seven years to identify exact search volume, an incredibly important metric for YouTube creators.

Tom looks for keywords that are getting high search volume (meaning lots of people searching for it that month), but low competition. That combination means that either there's not enough videos being made around that subject to cover that search demand, or the videos are being made, but the competition are not optimizing their videos for the right keywords. vidIQ’s Keyword Tool helps Tom find opportunities in the market around his main channel keywords (or ‘seed’ keywords).

Tune into the podcast to find out exactly how using keyword research will help you truly master the YouTube algorithm today.

Huge thanks to Tom for his incredible insights. For more YouTube tips please follow him on Twitter at 

. You’ll find details of his 'Ultimate Course for YouTube Professionals' 

Subscribe to TubeTalk: The Video Marketing Podcast!

TubeTalk has been informing video creators amd marketers since 2014, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode! You can find vidIQ's TubeTalk at:

Want To Get More YouTube Views & Subscribers?

Want to find keyword opportunities to grow YOUR YouTube channel? Make sure to download vidIQ today. It will help you research YouTube, understand what's working and what isn't, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

On this episode of TubeTalk, learn why keyword research is the secret sauce to cracking the YouTube algorithm, and how to do it properly.

How to Master the YouTube Algorithm: TubeTalk Episode 159

Big YouTube creators can afford to employ a team to help film, record sound, and edit but what about the smaller creators who have to fulfill all of those roles? In this episode of TubeTalk, the YouTuber podcast, we speak to two creators who have worked out what they need to focus on in order to save time and really produce some amazing content and grow their channel. If you want to know what those tips and tricks are so that you can do it on your channel, this is the show for you.

We’re joined on this podcast by Jeff Mendez from 

, and Travis McPherson. Jeff is a West Coast California native who's love of music and tech has led him to create an audio-centric channel. He’s been active on YouTube for 2 years, and his channel has 15K subscribers.

 is a gadget fan who has a love of technology and an interest in entertainment which spurred him to create a YouTube channel. He has 32K subscribers.

3 Tips on How To Get More Views On YouTube as a Small Channel

For any smaller channel working towards building significant views and subscribers on YouTube, listening to this week's TubeTalk podcast is a must! Our guests give us some incredible insights regarding YouTube, and here's just a taste of some of the tips and strategy Jeff and Travis use on their own YouTube channels:

#1 It's Never, Never Too Late to Build a Great YouTube Channel

There is a perception that YouTube is already over-saturated but that isn’t the case - even in 2019. But the key factor is that every creator has their own voice, their own personality and their own story, and spin on things. So, there is no other Travis, there is no other Jeff, or any other creator so it's definitely not too late.

Travis confirms that even a year ago he was convinced that it was impossible to grow a channel on YouTube, but learning what he learned, knowing what he knows now, it's not too late. Literally, there are channels that come out of nowhere and kind of blow up and it's totally possible. It's not easy, but it's totally possible.

#2 Every YouTuber Needs to Put in the Work

A lot of aspiring creators look to YouTube and the opportunity it brings to many millions like free products and free trips and they think, "Hey, Hey I wanna be part of that." Many people have an unrealistic expectation of what YouTube is and how much work you've got to put into that. Even seasoned creators like Jeff underestimated the amount of work being a YouTube creator was.

He assumed it was just as simple as recording your video, and then uploading to YouTube - never mind creating custom thumbnails, or thinking of the best title, or search engine optimization. But all these things go into creating a YouTube video strategy if you're serious about growing.

YouTube is essentially a business, and with every business there are expenses, and marketing, and accounting and all that good stuff. If you treat YouTube as a business it’s a better way to look at it versus, "Hey, I slapped a bunch of videos together and look, people are gonna send me overseas!”.

#3 Find your Niche on YouTune Then Double Down

YouTube hates variety, because it doesn't know how to help you. It loves it when you do one thing, because it can then find an audience for you. When you do two, three, or four things, now it wants to help you, it just simply cannot.

The problem with YouTube is the rules of the game. You try to take any kind of step out of the niche that you've made for yourself, and you may not get any traction at all. So when deciding on your niche, make sure it's something you can do for a very long time. For instance, if you have a cooking channel and are getting some great views and engagement for your content, then three months down the road you want to blog about how you're going to have a baby, you may kill your views dead.

Of course, you need to be adaptable - and the ever changing YouTube algorithm and platform changes will force you to do that. But identifying your niche and sticking with it is what’s going to help you grow. You're going to really struggle if the videos you’re creating aren’t your passion in the long run.

Tune into the podcast to hear more tips on building a solid video strategy around your YouTube channel. Huge thanks to Jeff and Travis for their advice and insights.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

On this episode of TubeTalk, learn how smaller channels can break into the big time and get more views on YouTube in 2019.

How To Get More Views On YouTube as a Small Channel: TubeTalk Episode 160

In the latest in our series on 'How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube,' we discuss just how important research is. How important? It's probably the MOST important prep you can do before you pick up that video camera, and it isn't an exaggeration to state that the success of your whole YouTube Channel depends on it. So, yes, it's pretty important.

How to Get More YouTube Views with Your Gaming Channel

There are millions of gaming channels on YouTube right now, so how do you stand out from the crowd? We've already talked about 

making you the star of your YouTube channel

 and taking your personality to the forefront. But when it comes to the games, you need to be able to answer questions that nobody else can answer, faster than anyone else, or better than anyone else?

Let's use Clash Royale as the example. Every couple of weeks they release new cards for you to play with, one being a new card called the Giant Snowball. Now you don't really need to know anything about that other than if you search on YouTube for 'Clash Royale Giant Snowball tips', you'll find there'll be big YouTubers at the top of the search rankings. But if you just go down a little bit, you'll find a channel with only a thousand subscribers but a video that has 150,000 views. So, how did this happen?

That video answers a very specific question about one particular game, and it was one of the first videos out on the topic. This is the first video this channel has made, and it has 150,000 views and have gained 1,600 subscribers from that. So this, if nothing else, is proof that you can start a gaming channel in 2019 if you do the right things.

Because I have a passionate knowledge about that video game, I know what to search for. It should be the same for you, whatever game you're interested in. But let's take an example of a game I know nothing about: Fortnite.

I did a couple of searches, and within five minutes I was able to search for 'best shotgun in Fortnite save the world 2018' as a long tail keyword. And instead of finding channels with millions of subscribers, I found channels with a few thousand subscribers getting tens of thousands of views.

So it is possible to do on any type of game. You just have to think of this from a really specific point of view. Are there any Easter eggs that you know of that nobody else does? Is there a big patch coming out with new weapons that you want to cover before anybody else? Think about how you can offer something valuable, new, and unique to your audience before anybody else or, as I said earlier, better than anyone else. And you're onto a winning strategy when it comes to a gaming channel.

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: Research is Everything!

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: The Creator is the Star

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: Focus on Your Target Audience

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: Double Down on Successful Content

In our series on how to start a Gaming channel on YouTube, we discuss how research is the cornerstone to generating more views and subscribers.

When it comes to starting a Gaming channel on YouTube, stick to your guns. There's two ways to look at this. First of all, stick to one game for a period of time so you build a rapport with your audience for a particular game, and a particular topic around a game.

I've seen so many channels play Need For Speed one day, FIFA 18 the next, then WWE 2K18 the next day. Your audience is just not going to know where you are on what you've decided on. It's too exhausting for them to keep up.

The second way to look at sticking to your guns is when you have successful content, double down on that strategy. If you find a particular secret, which is really interesting to your audience, find another way to look at that secret or something that's very similar.

 to see which is your best content over the last 30 days. Check on it on a regular basis and see if you can double down on more of that content.

In our series on how to start a Gaming channel on YouTube, we discuss why doubling down on your most successful content is the best strategy.

In the latest in our series on how to start a gaming channel on YouTube, we’re going to take a look at 

. If you look at any of the top gaming channels on YouTube, you will see that their thumbnails are a work of art, really bright, oversaturated, with lots of punch that really draws you into the visuals when you're deciding what to watch next. Two quick golden rules for gaming thumbnails are:

A very common mistake gaming channels make is to take a screenshot from the game and use it as their thumbnail without any further editing or context. And what some channels do is use the same screenshot over and over again with multiple videos. And that just really isn't appealing at all to the casual viewer.

I understand, as a video creator myself, that there is a huge temptation to just push a video out of the door once it's finished. But you should be spending at least 30 to 60 minutes on your thumbnail, making sure that it's not too cluttered, and that the one or two objects in that thumbnail really tell a compelling story.

Look at the top YouTubers in your video game sphere and see how they craft their thumbnails. We're even seeing smaller channels on YouTube producing amazing thumbnails. It's a really competitive area, and video creators are understanding more and more that custom thumbnails are vitally important whatever channel size you are. So, make sure you work really hard on them.

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: Custom Thumbnails Can Make or Break You

If you want to start a Gaming channel on YouTube, make sure that your custom thumbnails are working for you, not against you.

Welcome to the latest in vidIQ’s recent series on how to start a Gaming channel on YouTube. And this post’s tip is - no game lasts forever, and at some point you will have to pivot. This advice ties itself all the way back to another tip, which is 

you must become the star of your own YouTube channel

. Once you've built an audience, gained their trust, they become subscribers, super fans, then you should be able to take them on a journey with whatever game you like.

When pivoting, you might want to start with games that your core audience is familiar with or comfortable with. So, for example, a lot of Clash of Clan YouTubers went onto Clash Royale. For Fortnite gamers, you might want to move onto Call of Duty, or some similarly themed topic.

When you've built a huge audience, you can go wherever you want. That might be nostalgic retro games that you're a big fan of, or your favorite games of all time. For example, mine is Golden Eye on the N64. But I don't think VidIQ is quite ready for a ‘Let's Play’ on that yet.

To summarize, find an audience, become their best buddies, and then take them on a gaming journey wherever you want it to go.

It seems like these days everybody wants to have a Gaming channel on YouTube, so the competition is more fierce than ever before. And it's relentless. In fact, you could say it's like putting your video game on the hardest difficulty setting. Are you dedicated enough to beat it? That's up to you.

The secret of starting a successful Gaming channel on YouTube is knowing just when to pivot. Read the secret to success from vidIQ

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube: Find the Best Opportunities

In the first part of our 'How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube' series, we're going to focus on the challenge that face gamers in 2019 with so much competition about. Now, if you're not a gamer, don't worry. Stick around because many of the strategies that we suggest to you are relevant for all types of channels. We're just putting it into the video game context.

. The most important thing about your channel is not the video game you're going to cover, it's YOU. While the average viewer may find your content through a YouTube search or suggested videos, they stick around because of what you can uniquely offer to your audience. Whather that's through the humor that you have, the energy, the enthusiasm, or the passion. It's all about how YOU and your content makes your audience feel beyond any video game that you're actually playing.

Ask yourself two questions. Question #1: why do you go back to your favorite video game YouTubers? Is it because of the video games they're playing or because of the personality of the channel and that they connect with you directly.

The second question is, if they pivoted from the video game that you're interested in, would you still go to their channel, irrespective of what video game they were playing next?

For some of you this may be your first challenge. Get in front of camera. Talk directly to your audience while you're playing your video games. If you're not ready to do that then get behind the microphone so that people can hear you. You can maybe do a face reveal later on. The key element is making YOU the star of a channel, not the games that you play.

With that being said, the video game or video games that you cover on your channel are immensely important to you. The golden rule of any YouTube channel is that if you're passionate about the topic that you're covering, you'll be passionate about how you share it with your audience. And that always comes through in the videos that you produce.

In our series on how to start a gaming channel on YouTube, we discuss how the creator must always be the star if you want more views and subscribers.

Here's a challenge for you. What is your favorite video game right now? And if you were to start a YouTube channel on it, could you come up with 10 quick video ideas in 5 minutes?

Now this may sound like a tough challenge, so I'm going to challenge myself right now. My favorite video game is Clash Royale. Here are 10 quick video ideas I can come up with off the top of my head:

The best comebacks you've ever seen in Clash Royale

How to spend your money on the right cards on Clash Royale

Which cards should you be requesting from your clan?

Five new game modes I would love to see in Clash Royale

What should I spend my Clash Royale gems on?

I bet most of you had no idea what I was talking about, except for two or three people watching this video who have played Clash Royale. And that's the audience you need to appeal to with your gaming content. You want to really focus down and concentrate on a target audience with a specific value proposition that they can relate to.

Who should be watching? Why should they care? We've brought this up many times before. It applies to your video game channels as well.

YouTube Strategy Tips: If you want to start a gaming channel on YouTube from scratch, you are going to have to find unique content that appeals to a particular audience.

Tax Day is April 15th if you are resident in the US, and If you're lucky enough to make any kind of income from YouTube you have just a few days left to file your personal income tax return including your Schedule C for any self-employed earnings you received in 2019. If you haven’t filed yet, we confirm 10 types of expenses you can deduct if you are a YouTuber in the USA.

We spoke with Devin Weber the VP of Operations for 

. Devin is a Certified Public Bookkeeper and Enrolled Agent with the IRS. She has managed the finances for Braille Skateboarding for 6 years and is one of those rare people who enjoys preparing taxes.

 This post is intended as purely informational. You should always consult a professional tax attorney or CPA if you are unsure about your tax filings.

3 Essential Things to Know About Filing Taxes as a US-based Video Creator

Before we dive into the expenses you can claim as tax-deductible let’s take a look at some essentials that every YouTuber or video creator that’s making a living online should know:

The bottom line is if you earned more than $400 from YouTube in 2018 you need to declare that to the IRS. If your income from YouTube was more than $600 in 2018, Google is legally required to provide you with a 1099 form (

). If you’ve worked with any brands or sponsors as part of a YouTube collaboration or promotion, and you earned more than $600 from those sources, each brand or sponsor will also need to provide you with a 1099 form. Even if they do not provide you with a 1099, you know you earned that money and you should report it as part of your total receipts.

#2 There is No Gray Area for the IRS When it Comes to Declaring Income

According to Devin, far too many people claim tax deductions are a ‘gray area’ but when it comes to the IRS there are absolutely no gray areas, to them it’s “black or white" and while you as a contractor might believe you can slip questionable expenses through, the IRS is not here to play. You better be 100% confident that, if you got audited, you could argue and win the case for that expense. If you don't and you feel like you're getting away with something, don't take that chance.

An IRS audit will shine a spotlight on every part of your financial history, and uncover every penny of unreported income, and every penny of expenses that were really personal rather than business use. That is something you really, really want to avoid.

However, the IRS understands that it costs to live and to run a business as a freelancer, so there are so many deductions they allow you. At the end of the day, it’s foolish to keep any income hidden, as, in most cases, you legitimately can find deductions to balance out the majority of that income.

#3 You Can File an Extension (On Paperwork not Payment)

Filing taxes in the US can be an overwhelming experience and the 

IRS does offer the option to file an extension

 if you need it. However, if you believe you will owe the IRS money on 2018 earnings, you will still need to submit that payment on April 15th 2019 - the extension is simply an extension of time to file, not an extension of time to pay.

10 Tax Deductible Expenses for US YouTubers

For the IRS to recognize a legitimate business expense that qualifies as tax-deductible, it must be classed as both ‘ordinary’ and ‘necessary’. You can find out further information regarding these rules on the 

For any YouTuber, the process of video creation is going to come with some kind of cost, especially if that creator wants to publish content with higher production quality. Even if the creator films with an iPhone (more about that in section 4), the chances are they might progress to a dedicated camera and microphone as well as other hardware. Keep the receipts and as a dedicated video creator, you can absolutely claim back these expenses as tax-deductible.

It’s a super talented creator that can upload every video they make to YouTube without any tweaking or editing. If you invest in a computer that you use to edit and upload, you can claim that purchase as part of your tax-deductible expenses - as long as the main use of that computer is for your business. Yay.

If you create or edit video content from home and have a specific area dedicated to that pursuit (i.e. a desk or a corner of the living room or bedroom), then the IRS will allow you to claim a percentage of your home costs (rent, utilities) against that.

However, it takes some working out to understand what percentage you can claim against. A very simplified example is ff your home is 1,000 square feet and, the space that you use is 100 square feet, well then 10% of all the costs of your home are going to count against your home office. You can find out more about writing off home office expenses in this 

You can legitimately claim against Internet and cell phone costs - but only the business portion of the usage. If a YouTuber buys an iPhone for $1,200 and they use it for personal stuff 40% of the time, and they make and edit their videos and upload them and answer comments 60% of the time then, they can only take 60% of that cost as an expense, not the 100%.

So many business owners make the mistake of taking 100% and that is not correct You will, if you get audited, owe money. Find out more from this 

Running any kind of freelance business carries its own supplies costs, and it’s no different for YouTubers. For instance, alongside cameras, mics, green screens, etc, a science channel may have a legitimate reason to purchase a microscope or lab equipment, while a beauty blogger might need to invest in the latest Jeffree Star palettes or Kylie Jenner lip kits as part of the reviews they upload to YouTube.

Braille Skateboarding not only invests in skateboarding equipment, but they also claim expenses for any props or extra equipment they use in shoots (

For any serious YouTuber, the process of video creation can be costly. However, different creators will have different expenses depending on...almost everything. Luckily, the IRS will let you write off supplies directly related to your business if they are ‘necessary’ and ‘ordinary’ which means that YouTubers shouldn’t be held back in purchasing equipment if it directly relates to them earning a living. Just keep every receipt and confirm on every receipt the video that particular supplies relate to. If you're unlucky enough to be ever audited and the IRS discovers a claim for, say, $300 worth of mascara, you can provide evidence via that video you created around the best mascara brands of 2018 that generated 1.2M views. The IRS will think that’s acceptable.

Office supplies also fall under this category so go ahead and claim that printer and ink, those folders and binder clips, that dry erase board, and that desk and chair.

No matter how talented a video creator you are, there will be some skills you are going to need help with as part of your YouTube journey. You may take on an assistant, or outsource help with editing, social media, costume design, bookkeeping, or 100 other things, and the chances are those businesses or individuals will require payment for their services. The good news is that you can claim against those expenses!

However, just as any company or individual you work with on a freelance basis should legally provide you with a 1099, you need to do the same for your subcontractors if you have paid them over $600 in 2019. Those individuals can then report the income on their own taxes.

Anyone you pay money to as part of being a YouTube creator is a tax-deductible expense for you, but reportable income for them (via a W9 form from them which confirms their name, address, and SSN). Remember, the IRS wants those taxes no matter who it is so if you deduct it and it goes to another person, they better report it.

#7 Travel Expenses (National & International)

There are a huge number of video creators whose sole focus is on publishing content around travel. Naturally, a good deal of expenses may be incurred as part of their business so keeping a very clear record of receipts is vital. There may be other creators who rack up expenses around travel throughout the year and may be able to make these tax-deductible if they can prove that travel was essential to the business of being a YouTube creator.

10 last-minute tax filing tips for US YouTubers - make sure you claim all your deductibles!

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