The Beauty Creator's Deduction List: PR Boxes, Makeup, and Photoshoots
A PR box feels like a gift. The IRS often doesn't see it that way — and most of what you spend to film feels like nothing, but it's a write-off.
TallyFox Team
September 17, 2026 • 5 min read
Getting a PR box in the mail feels like a gift. New palette, new serum, new brushes, all free. But here's the part a lot of beauty creators miss: the IRS might not see it as a gift at all.
And on the flip side, a lot of the money you spend to make your videos and photos can lower your tax bill. This list covers both sides: what counts as income, and what you can write off.
Wait, Are PR Boxes Taxable?
Usually, yes. Here's the simple test: did the brand expect a post in return? If a company sends you product and expects a video, a story, or even just a mention, the IRS treats that box as payment. It doesn't matter that no cash changed hands. This is called barter income, and it counts the same as money in your bank account.
The tricky part is how the value gets counted. It's not what the box cost the brand to make. It's the retail price, the number on the price tag. A $60 skincare set is $60 of income, even if the brand only spent $10 making it.
Think about a creator doing daily get-ready-with-me videos, the kind of content creators like Emily Lulamay or Gabriella San Miguel post. If brands are shipping them boxes every week and they're posting hauls and tutorials with those products, that's a steady stream of taxable income, even though no invoice was ever sent.
A quick way to track it
Every time a box shows up, write down the date, the brand, what's inside, and the retail price — a screenshot of the product page works fine. Note whether you posted about it. That log is what protects you later if anyone asks how you got your numbers.
One exception: if a product shows up with zero expectation of a post, and you genuinely never mention it, it may not count as income. But most PR mailers don't work that way, so when in doubt, log it.
The Good News: Almost Everything You Buy for Content Is Fair Game
Here's where it evens out. If you're spending your own money to make your videos and photos look good, most of that spending is a business expense. A few big categories.
Makeup, Skincare, and Beauty Tools
- Products you buy yourself specifically to use in tutorials, reviews, or transformations
- Brushes, sponges, and applicators used for content
- Skincare or prep products you use before filming
- Replacement products once your PR stash runs out and you're still posting regularly
The simple rule: if you wouldn't have bought it without your channel, it's likely deductible. If it's something you'd have bought anyway for personal use, like your everyday moisturizer, it gets murkier, and you should only deduct the portion tied to content.
Photoshoots and Production
- Cameras, phone rigs, tripods, and lighting kits
- Ring lights, softboxes, and backdrops
- Studio or space rental for a shoot day
- Editing software subscriptions, video and photo
- Hiring a photographer, videographer, or second shooter
- Props and set pieces used only for content
- Outfits worn exclusively on camera for a specific shoot, not everyday clothes
A creator like Kathryn Bedell, who shoots polished hair and makeup content, likely has a real setup behind those videos: lighting, a camera, editing software, maybe even a dedicated filming corner at home. All of that counts.
Easy-to-Miss Categories
- Travel to brand events, press trips, or conferences, when there's a real business reason for the trip
- A portion of your phone and home internet bill, since you use both to film, edit, and post
- Subscriptions for editing apps, stock music, scheduling tools, or cloud storage for footage
- A slice of your home space if you have an area used only for filming, not your whole apartment
- Help you pay for, like a video editor, a virtual assistant, or a manager's commission
Creators like Jaelah Majette, who films detailed hair and curl-care tutorials, or Shannon Lewis, who focuses on skincare for acne-prone skin, often lean on this list without realizing it. Every tutorial light, every editing app, every prop used to demonstrate a technique is doing double duty: making the content better and lowering the tax bill.
Quick-Reference Checklist
| Category | Examples | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PR gifts | Any free product tied to a post | Counts as income at retail price, not what the brand paid |
| Makeup & skincare | Products bought for tutorials, reviews, hauls | Personal-use items don't count |
| Tools | Brushes, ring lights, tripods, backdrops | Keep the receipt and note which video it was for |
| Production | Camera gear, editing software, studio rental, hired help | Software subscriptions count even if billed monthly |
| Travel | Brand trips, events, conferences | Needs a clear business purpose |
| Home & phone | Portion of internet, phone, filming space | Only the business-use share, not the whole bill |
A Simple System Beats a Perfect Memory
You don't need to be a spreadsheet person to stay on top of this. Two habits do most of the work:
- 1 Log every PR box the day it arrives: brand, product, retail value, whether you posted about it.
- 2 Save every receipt on TallyFox for anything bought for content, and jot a quick note on what it was for.
Do those two things consistently, and tax season stops being a guessing game. The free lip gloss in your camera roll and the ring light collecting dust in your closet both have a place on your tax return. Finding that money is the whole point.
Start your free analysis today — no credit card required
Sources: Are PR Packages Taxable? What Creators Owe in 2026 (Ehunt CPA); creator examples via Top Beauty Influencers to Watch (Hypefy).
