- Canadian dollar bank transfers from Patreon
- Processing fees if your fans pay in Canadian dollars
- The CRA and Part XX of the Income Tax Act
- Which Patreon income counts as reportable in Canada
- What details Patreon gives the CRA
- Sales tax: GST, HST, PST and QST on your fans' payments
- W-8BEN and payout timing
- Holding Canadian and US dollar fans together
- How Canada compares with other countries
- Frequently asked questions
Canada is on Patreon's list for local currency bank transfers in Canadian dollars, with a bank transfer fee of 0.75 Canadian dollars per payout. The catch is reporting: Patreon says it shares Canadian creators' income with the CRA through Ireland's tax authority. Fans also pay GST, HST or provincial tax depending on their location.
Canadian creators often assume Patreon is a US-only game, because so much of its help centre is written around American creators. It isn't. Canada has its own line in the payout tables, its own tax lines, and its own reporting article, and the last one surprises people most. Here's what Patreon's pages say.
Canadian dollar bank transfers from Patreon
In Patreon's payout guide for creators outside the US, Canada appears in the table for local currency bank transfers, with CAD as the currency. When your payout currency is Canadian dollars, Patreon says it sends the money in Canadian dollars straight to your bank, with no extra conversion at payout time. The fee is a small flat amount, and the minimum payout is 10 US dollars or the local equivalent.
Patreon's currency fee table gives the exact figures for Canada: 0.75 Canadian dollars for a bank transfer, 2.00 Canadian dollars through Payoneer and 1 Canadian dollar through PayPal, each per payout. A bank transfer is clearly the cheapest of the three on those numbers.
Processing fees if your fans pay in Canadian dollars
Fan payments carry a processing fee as well. For CAD, Patreon lists 5% plus 0.10 Canadian dollars on payments of 3 Canadian dollars or less, and 3.2% plus 0.35 Canadian dollars on anything above that. Patreon says the fee is worked out on the total payment, including any tax, which is why a small tier can feel expensive.
If you're still deciding between platforms, this comparison of Patreon alternatives lays out the other options side by side.
The CRA and Part XX of the Income Tax Act
This is the most Canada-specific thing Patreon says. Its article on income reporting explains that Part XX of the Income Tax Act applies to Canada-resident creators who earn money on Patreon from providing certain services and tangible goods. Patreon says it's required to share data about those creators, including their reportable income, with the CRA.
Patreon also says the CRA has a partnership with Ireland's tax authority. Patreon reports through its EU registration in Ireland, which then passes the information to the CRA. Your income is reported to the Irish authorities in euro, using the ECB's average exchange rate for the reporting year. It reports the income of the preceding calendar year each January.
Which Patreon income counts as reportable in Canada
Patreon says reportable income covers certain services such as commissions, live chats, fan requests, member shout-outs and phone calls, plus any other personal service done at a user's request, whether online or in person. Tutoring, consultations and IT services are given as examples. Importantly, Patreon says the total earnings of a creator offering any reportable benefit will be reported, not just the slice that came from that benefit.
It's worth reading your own tiers with that in mind. A tier that promises a monthly call changes how your income is treated for reporting. Whether that affects your tax bill is a question for an accountant, not for Patreon or for me.
What details Patreon gives the CRA
For an individual, Patreon lists your name, your address of primary residence, your date of birth, the amount fans paid for reportable income excluding taxes, and the fees you paid to Patreon on that income. It also lists your tax identification number in your country of residence, and your VAT or GST number if you're registered. In Canada the personal number is 9 digits, your Social Insurance Number, and the business number is 9 digits too.
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Sales tax: GST, HST, PST and QST on your fans' payments
Patreon's sales tax table breaks Canada down by province. Ontario shows Federal HST at 13%, Alberta shows Federal GST at 5%, and Quebec shows QST at 9.975% plus Federal GST at 5%. Patreon says tax is based on where the paid member is located, not on your own location. So two fans paying the same tier can pay different totals.
W-8BEN and payout timing
Patreon says all creators who aren't US citizens must submit a W-8BEN, or a W-8BEN-E if you're an entity, to pay out. Look for it under Settings, Payouts and Taxes. A new payout method triggers a five-day hold, and a payout then typically takes one to five days, with one payout allowed every 24 hours.
| What I checked | What Patreon says for Canada |
|---|---|
| Local bank transfer currency | CAD, with no extra conversion at payout |
| Bank, Payoneer and PayPal fees | 0.75, 2.00 and 1 Canadian dollars per payout |
| Fan payment processing | 5% plus 0.10 Canadian dollars up to 3, then 3.2% plus 0.35 |
| Tax authority reporting | Shared with the CRA via Ireland, for certain services |
| Tax on fan payments | Varies by province, for example HST at 13% in Ontario |
| Tax form | W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E |
Holding Canadian and US dollar fans together
Many Canadian creators have fans on both sides of the border. Patreon says a 2.5% conversion fee applies whenever a member pays in a currency different from your payout currency, so choosing Canadian dollars means American fans paying in US dollars trigger it. Patreon suggests downloading your Member Transaction History and sorting it by currency to see which way your audience leans before you decide.
How Canada compares with other countries
Canadian creators get a smoother route than most, because local currency payouts are on offer. If you'd like to see how different it looks in the UK, my page on Patreon in the UK shows the pound version of the same table. If books are part of your plan, Amazon KDP in Canada is worth a look as well. As always, none of this is financial or tax advice, so check with your bank and a Canadian accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Can Canadians get paid on Patreon?
Yes. Patreon's payout guide lists Canada for local currency bank transfers in CAD, and PayPal and Payoneer Wallet are also available.
How much is the Patreon bank transfer fee in Canada?
Patreon's fee table lists CAD at 0.75 Canadian dollars for a bank transfer, 2.00 for Payoneer and 1 for PayPal, per payout.
Does Patreon report Canadian income to the CRA?
Patreon's article says it shares data on Canada-resident creators with reportable income with the CRA, via Ireland's tax authority, with income reported in euro.
Which Patreon income is reportable in Canada?
Patreon lists services such as commissions, live chats, fan requests, member shout-outs and phone calls, and says total earnings of a creator offering any of them are reported.
What tax do my Canadian fans pay on Patreon?
Patreon's tax table varies by province, for example HST at 13% in Ontario and GST at 5% in Alberta, and bases tax on the member's location.
