Many developers now supplement their income—or replace it entirely—by sharing content. Tutorials on YouTube, monetised blog posts, affiliate links, and sponsored GitHub repos have turned side projects into profitable ventures. If you're one of those coders-turned-creators, you may have unintentionally become a business owner.
The Financial Side of Developer Influence
As a developer, your attention may be on solving problems or building products. But once you earn more than £1,000 a year from influencing activities in the UK, you're required to register for Self Assessment with HMRC. And if your income hits £90,000, VAT registration becomes mandatory.
Your income might come from Gumroad sales, Substack subscriptions, Patreon support, or sponsored tweets. Each of these has unique reporting needs and potential tax implications.
Allowable Expenses for Dev-Creators
If you're sharing code, building educational tools, or creating paid courses, you may be eligible to claim:
- Hardware (laptops, tablets, microphones)
- Software subscriptions (IDEs, design tools, storage)
- Website costs (domain, hosting, CMS)
- Video equipment for screencasts
- Internet and phone usage for work
- Workspace expenses (proportional home office use)
These deductions help reduce your taxable income if properly recorded and filed.
Why a Traditional Accountant May Not Be Enough
Not every accountant understands what it's like to be paid in affiliate revenue, digital products, or crypto from GitHub sponsors. That's why many developer-creators work with accountants for influencers who are familiar with multi-stream digital incomes and the intricacies of online brand monetisation.
Wrap-Up
If you're a developer earning from content creation, it's time to look beyond your codebase and towards your financial setup. Treat your income streams like a business from day one. The right financial guidance will not only keep you compliant but will free up your time to focus on what you do best, building and teaching.
Disclaimer: The content shared is for general guidance only. Please speak to a qualified accountant to ensure your tax obligations are properly managed under UK law.
Top comments (0)