Content creators in Kenya, India and other parts of the world have began receiving emails from Google informing them that the YouTube video platform will begin taxing their earnings. Apparently, Google is now required to deduct taxes from YouTube content creators regardless of them not residing in the U.S.
The email reads:
We’re reaching out because Google will be required to deduct U.S. taxes from payments to creators outside of the U.S. later this year (as early as June 2021). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be asking you to submit your tax info in AdSense to determine the correct amount of taxes to deduct, if any apply. If your tax info isn’t provided by May 31st, 2021, Google may be required to deduct up to 24% of your total earnings worldwide.
What this means is that income that is generated by viewers residing in the U.S.A is what will be taxed. This new imposition is set to affect up to hundreds of thousands of creators and could come into play beginning June 1st.
Creators outside of the U.S. may begin to have taxes deducted from their U.S. earnings. These are earnings from viewers in the U.S. through ad views, YouTube Premium, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Channel Memberships pic.twitter.com/6ecEoCzHJ6
— YouTube Creators (@YouTubeCreators) March 9, 2021
Google will begin deducting taxes from non-U.S. creators on earnings generated by U.S. viewers through ad views, YouTube Premium, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Channel Memberships.