Even influencers need an accountant

When BDO's Business Services partner Koraly Sowter first became an accountant, she never imagined that one day she’d be helping Australia’s biggest and most popular content creators.

However, a chance encounter with a client changed the trajectory of her career.

“I had one client who told me his son was starting to make money with his online presence, so he asked me to speak with him and to see if I could help him out with his taxes,” Koraly said.

“From there word of mouth sort of spread and I now manage the taxes for most of the country’s biggest online creators, which includes streamers, bloggers and gamers.”

So sought after has Koraly’s services become, that she’s been a panellist at the incredibly popular PAX expo – an internationally famous expo where the online gaming community come together over three days.

“It’s been such a thrill to be welcomed to these major expos and to be able to speak to how we can help make a difference in the lives of these people.

“This is new money is so many senses of the word. Firstly, it’s new to these people. These are young creators who have largely just been doing this for a bit of fun and a hobby, and it’s just exploded.

“Suddenly they have all this money, and they have no idea what to do with it in terms of optimising the amount of tax they pay. Quite often they receive large amounts of money in a lump sum, so it’s imperative that they handle that correctly.”

While it’s “new” money for the creators, it’s also a relatively new industry, making it a niche area of accounting for Koraly.

“It’s quite funny, we’re working with legislation that was written in 1997, so adapting this completely new technology and form of income to fit that legislation is a challenge in itself.

“But while it has its challenges, I’ve loved every minute of it. The community has really embraced us, and it’s been such a rewarding experience seeing these young people be able to buy their first home. It always brings a smile to my face.”

 

For media enquiries:
Tate Papworth
Manager, Media
E: tate.papworth@bdo.com.au
Ph: 0433 411 189