Videographer

Tax guide for Canadian freelance videographers and video production professionals

Allowable Expenses

  • Camera & video equipment — Cameras, drones, gimbals, microphones (CCA Class 8)
  • Editing software — Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve subscriptions
  • Storage & backup — SSDs, RAID drives, cloud backup for large video files
  • Location & travel costs — Vehicle mileage to shoots, accommodation for away-from-home productions
  • Music licences — Royalty-free music subscriptions (Artlist, Musicbed) for client videos
  • Hard drives & storage — External hard drives and cloud storage subscriptions for backing up raw video footage

Tax Tips

  • Drone purchases over C$500 are capital assets (CCA Class 8 at 20%/year) — not immediate expenses
  • Music subscription services used for client video production are fully deductible
  • Document all shoot travel in a mileage log — address, client, purpose, and km driven
  • Professional liability insurance covering client disputes or property damage is fully deductible

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I deduct my drone as a videographer in Canada?

Yes — a drone used for business video production is a capital asset in CCA Class 8 (20%/year declining balance). If the drone costs under C$500, it may qualify for Class 12 at 100% deduction in the first year.

Related Professions

  • Photographer
  • Content Creator
  • Graphic Designer