Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for Twitch and live streamers.

Subscriber revenue split with Twitch, bits, viewer donations through StreamElements, and a sponsor deal a few times a year. Your own bookkeeper sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
AprilExample month
$13,000
what you made

April came in at $13,000. The new capture card and second monitor went in as equipment, since the setup will run for years, not one month.

  • Twitch partner payoutSub and bits revenue
  • StreamElements payoutViewer donations
  • Mod team paymentContractor pay
  • Amazon, capture cardEquipment
  • Internet bill, business shareStudio and utilities
Money in$31,000
Money out$18,000
Set aside for taxes$3,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A streamer's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees one deposit from Twitch and calls it revenue. Yours is really three or four things at once, subs, bits, viewer donations routed through a separate app, and the odd sponsor deal, each taking its own cut before it ever reaches the bank. When the books do not know the difference, you cannot see what your channel is actually worth.

  1. 1

    The Twitch payout is already net of the split

    Twitch keeps a share of every sub and bit before the payout ever lands, so the deposit in the bank looks smaller than what viewers actually spent, and it is easy to under-book what the channel really earned.

    What we doBooks the payout for what it is, revenue already net of Twitch's cut, so the numbers stay honest without double counting a fee that was never yours.
  2. 2

    Donation apps run on their own schedule

    Viewer donations move through StreamElements or StreamLabs before they land in the bank days or weeks later, so a big donation night and the deposit that follows rarely line up in the same month.

    What we doMatches donation payouts to the stream nights that earned them, so a delayed deposit does not make a slow month look worse than it was.
  3. 3

    Mods and editors get paid in a dozen small transfers

    A mod team paid a little each week through PayPal or Venmo turns into a pile of small, unlabeled transfers that are easy to lose track of by the time a 1099 needs sorting out.

    What we doKeeps every mod and editor payment in one running line, so the year-end contractor list is ready instead of pieced together from memory.
  4. 4

    A new PC or capture card looks like a bad month

    Streaming gear is expensive, and a $3,000 rig upgrade the same month sponsor money is slow makes the channel look like it lost money, when it just bought something that will last years.

    What we doLogs streaming gear as equipment the day it is bought, so a big upgrade does not read as the channel losing ground.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a streaming channel.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Sub and bits revenueThe Twitch payout, already net of Twitch's share.
  • Viewer donationsPayouts through StreamElements, StreamLabs, or a tip jar app.
  • Sponsor dealsBrand sponsorships and sub goal campaigns.
  • Affiliate commissionsGear links and referral codes shared on stream.
  • Merch salesStorefront sales through Fourthwall or Shopify.

Money out

  • Streaming gearPC, capture card, webcam, and lighting for the setup.
  • Mods and editorsAnyone paid to moderate chat or cut VODs into clips.
  • Software and overlaysStream Deck software, alert tools, and overlay design.
  • Internet and utilitiesThe business share of what keeps the stream running.
  • Studio setupDesk, chair, acoustic treatment, and room upgrades.

What we watch for you

  • Sub and bits trend

    Whether the core Twitch payout is growing or shrinking month over month, apart from one-time donations.

  • Donation volatility

    How much a single big stream night swings the month, since it rarely repeats on schedule.

  • Mod team cost

    What the mod and editing team costs against total income for the month.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so a strong sponsor quarter does not turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things streamers ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

My Twitch payout looks way smaller than what my subs actually spent. Is that right?

It is. Twitch keeps its share before you ever see the deposit, so the payout is already net. I book it as your revenue as it lands.

A huge donation came in during one stream and the deposit landed the next month. Why?

The donation app holds payouts on its own schedule. I matched it back to the stream that earned it, so the timing does not confuse the month.

Should I put my mods on payroll instead of paying them through PayPal?

That is above my pay grade. I keep a running total of what each of them is paid, and the accountant can weigh in on whether payroll makes sense.

The tax side

The tax side of running a channel.

Most of what trips people up here is what already had a cut taken out of it, and small contractor payments that add up without anyone tracking the total.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Paying mods and editors $2,000 or moreAnyone helping with moderation or editing, not on payroll, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus tracks that running total.
  • Self-employment taxA streamer not on payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Equipment write-offsA PC, capture card, or camera bought for streaming can usually be written off in the year it is bought, since bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost streaming businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.

Deductions Twitch and live streamers miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Streaming PC and parts
  • Capture card and webcam
  • Microphone and audio gear
  • Lighting and green screen
  • Mod and editor pay
  • Internet, business share
  • Overlay and alert design
  • Stream Deck and hardware
  • Desk and chair for the setup
  • Acoustic treatment
  • Business liability insurance
  • Backup drives for VODs

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A streaming channel's year, kept every month.

Your schedule runs on stream nights, not tax season. Your team keeps the books closed every month, all year. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Set up the year ahead

    Last year's return gets started, the mod team's 1099s are prepared, and a monthly set-aside is planned so the streaming schedule never has to stop for taxes.

  2. April

    Filed. Stream on.

    The return goes out signed and filed, no last-minute scramble, since the monthly set-aside has been stacking up since January.

  3. July

    Check the stream's pace

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a spring sponsor run or a big sub drive changed the number.

  4. October

    Before subathon season

    Fall subathons and holiday sub drives bring big swings. Gus looks at any gear worth buying and anything worth doing before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for Twitch and live streamers. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions streamers ask first.

Do I owe tax on bits and subs if Twitch already took its cut?

Yes, on the amount that actually lands in your bank. Gus books the payout as revenue and the accountant handles the rest at tax time.

Viewers send donations through a separate app. Does that complicate anything?

No. Gus matches those payouts to your bank deposits regardless of which app they came through, so everything lands in one clear picture.

I run a subathon that brings in a month's worth of money in a week. Is that a problem?

Not a problem, just a big swing. Gus flags it so you know that week is not the new normal, and the set-aside adjusts for it.

My mods are friends I pay through Venmo. Do I need to worry about that?

Just keep the payments consistent. Gus tracks the total for each of them, and anyone who clears $2,000 this year gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

My books have never been sorted out. Can Gus start from here?

Yes. Send the bank and payout statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most streamers know where they stand inside a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever