Which IRS business code goes on your Schedule C?

The short answer

For most creators earning from subscriptions, tips and their own content: 711510 — Independent artists, writers and performers. It's the broadest fit for someone producing their own creative work and being paid for it directly, and it's what most creator-focused accountants use.

All the codes worth knowing

Does the code actually matter?

Less than people fear. It's statistical classification, not a tax rate — it doesn't change what you owe. Picking a reasonable code and using it consistently year to year matters more than agonising over which of two plausible options is marginally better.

What it does affect is the picture your return presents. A code that plainly doesn't match your income and expenses looks odd, and looking odd is the thing to avoid. If most of your money now comes from brand deals rather than subscriptions, updating the code so it reflects reality is the tidier answer.

If you're genuinely between two

Use the one describing where the majority of your revenue comes from. If it's close, pick either, be consistent, and mention it to whoever prepares your return. This is not the part of your taxes worth losing an evening over — the deductions are.