What to Send Your Accountant as a Creator or Influencer

One number for total income is not enough. Break income out by source so your accountant can see the shape of your year:

• Platform payouts (split by platform — YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Patreon, etc.)
• Brand deals (cash payments)
• Affiliate commissions
• Tips, donations, subs
• Digital product sales
• Gifted products (with estimated values, kept separate from cash income)
• Other (reimbursements, rev share, etc.)

For each platform you earn from, your accountant will appreciate:

• The platform name
• Total gross income for the year
• Total fees taken by the platform
• Total net deposited
• Currency notes if applicable
• The payout reports themselves

Brand deals usually generate the most accountant questions because they involve contracts, deliverables, gifted products, multiple payments and timing.

For each brand deal, include:

• Brand name and contact
• Campaign name
• Agreed fee
• Gifted product value (if any)
• Invoice date and payment date
• Currency, and CAD equivalent
• Whether GST/HST was charged
• Contract or agreement file

See the brand deal recordkeeping checklist for the full version.

Keep gifted products separate from cash income. Your accountant will want them as their own list, not buried in a transaction ledger.

• Brand and item
• Estimated fair market value
• Date received
• Whether content was required
• Whether the item was kept, returned, gifted or sold
• Notes on how value was estimated

For expenses, your accountant generally wants totals by category with backup available on request:

• Equipment
• Software and subscriptions
• Internet and phone (with business-use percentage notes)
• Home office (with square footage notes if claiming)
• Travel and meals
• Props, wardrobe, supplies
• Contractors and professional fees
• Education tied to creator work

If your creator income is approaching or has crossed the small supplier threshold, your accountant will want notes on:

• Whether you are currently registered for GST/HST
• Your taxable revenue running total
• Brand deals where GST/HST was charged
• Brand deals where it was not charged but might have needed to be
• Province of operation

Background and definitions are in GST/HST for Canadian creators.

Keep a folder (or have Cadence keep a folder for you) of:

• Brand contracts
• Issued invoices
• Signed agreements or campaign briefs
• Talent or agency contracts

The accountant may not need every file at handoff, but they should be findable in minutes if asked.

An evidence index is a list of which records have backup attached. It tells your accountant which transactions are fully supported and which still need a receipt or screenshot.

A short note with your specific questions is often the most useful thing in the package:

• Should this gifted product be reported as income?
• How should I treat this cross-border platform payout?
• Am I above the GST/HST threshold yet?
• Should I incorporate next year?
• How should I claim my home office?
• Is the business-use percentage on my phone reasonable?

Cadence is built around this handoff. The Export feature pulls together income by type, brand deals, gifted products, expenses, GST/HST notes and an evidence index — into a single accountant-ready package.

The goal is not to replace your accountant. The goal is to send them something they can actually work with.