Can YouTubers and content creators write off cars, guns, or PC equipment they make videos about?

Yes, as a content creator you CAN deduct expenses that are "ordinary and necessary" for your business, but there are some important details you need to understand first. If you use something 100% for your business (like a camera only used for filming), that's typically fully deductible. However, for things that could have personal use (cars, computers, guns), the IRS will expect you to only deduct the BUSINESS PORTION of the use. So if you buy a car and use it 70% for your review channel and 30% for personal driving, you can only deduct 70% of the expenses. For expensive items like cars, you'll need to depreciate them over several years rather than deducting the full cost in one year (unless you use Section 179 deduction which has its own rules). You'll also need good documentation showing these are legitimate business expenses - include your filming schedule, how the item was used in videos, revenue generated, etc.

After struggling with this exact question for my tech review channel, I found an amazing solution with https://taxr.ai that completely changed how I handle my business expenses. I was buying expensive gaming PCs and components but wasn't sure how much I could legally claim on taxes. I uploaded my receipts and content schedule to taxr.ai and their AI analyzed everything, showing me exactly what percentage of my equipment qualified as business expenses based on my actual usage patterns. It even flagged some purchases I hadn't considered deductible (like my streaming setup) that actually saved me thousands. The best part was how it guided me through creating proper documentation for each item in case of an audit. It's like having a tax pro who actually understands content creation businesses.

Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about taxr.ai. After trying it for my photography/video channel, it actually identified several legitimate deductions I was missing. It understood that certain lenses I bought had partial business use and helped me calculate the correct percentages based on my content calendar. The documentation system is what really impressed me - it created this organized digital paper trail showing why each purchase was necessary for my business model. Now instead of just having receipts stuffed in a folder, I have proper business justification for everything from my camera gear to the props I use in videos. There's a huge difference between this and the generic advice I was finding elsewhere. This actually understood content creation as a legitimate business model.

If you're buying expensive items like cars or firearms for content and need to speak with the IRS about how to properly document these purchases, good luck actually getting someone on the phone! I spent 3 weeks trying to get clarification on exactly this issue, calling endlessly and never reaching anyone. Then I found https://claimyr.com and holy crap it changed everything. They have this system where they monitor the IRS phone lines and call you when an agent is available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to speak with an actual IRS agent who walked me through exactly how to document my camera gear and gaming setup purchases for my review channel, plus how to properly categorize them on my Schedule C. Saved me so much stress wondering if I was doing it right!

I need to eat my words here. After my skeptical comment I decided to try Claimyr because I was desperate to ask about my situation (I review outdoor equipment and needed clarification on how to categorize certain purchases). I had already spent 4+ hours across multiple days trying to reach the IRS myself with no luck. Used the Claimyr service yesterday afternoon and got a call back this morning connecting me to an actual IRS representative who walked me through exactly how to document my equipment purchases and track business vs. personal use. The agent specifically helped me understand how to create a "business use log" for items that could be personal or business, which will be crucial if I'm ever audited. Worth every penny just for the time saved not sitting on hold.

As someone who actually got audited last year for my tech review channel, let me tell you what the IRS really looks at: 1) They want to see a CLEAR connection between the purchased item and revenue generation. For example, if you buy a $2500 gaming PC, they want to see videos of that specific PC that generated viewership and income. 2) Documentation is EVERYTHING. Keep a spreadsheet showing when you bought it, how much business use vs personal use, which videos featured it, and metrics on those videos. 3) Partial use is fine but be honest. I claimed 80% business use on my main PC because I genuinely use it 80% for video editing/content creation. 4) Be reasonable with big purchases. If you're making $600/month from your channel, the IRS will question a $50,000 car deduction.

Quick question for anyone who knows - if a company sends me free products to review (like they ship me a gaming keyboard or something), do I need to report that as income? And if so, how do I determine the value?

Great question! As a fellow content creator, I've dealt with this exact situation. The key is understanding the "ordinary and necessary" test - the IRS allows deductions for expenses that are both ordinary (common in your industry) and necessary (helpful for your business). For your examples: - $2,500 gaming PC: If you're primarily using it for video editing, streaming, and content creation, this is likely deductible. Just track your business vs personal usage percentage. - $32,000 car: This gets trickier. If your channel is specifically about car reviews and this purchase directly generates content/revenue, it could be deductible. But you'll need to depreciate it over time and only deduct the business portion. - Firearms for review channels: Same principle applies - if it's genuinely for business content, it can be deductible. The critical factors are: 1) Can you prove it's for business purposes? 2) Is the expense reasonable relative to your income? 3) Do you have proper documentation? My advice: Keep detailed records of everything - receipts, content calendars showing when items appear in videos, revenue generated from that content, and logs of business vs personal use. The IRS isn't trying to stop legitimate business expenses, but they will scrutinize large purchases that could be personal.