MatPat, best known for his channel Theorist Media, has a new goal in mind after his retirement: teaching legislators about the creator economy. With the creator economy valued at $250 billion, MatPat is assuming the role of lobbyist to assist legislators in understanding the importance of this industry.
From YouTube to Capitol Hill
For more than ten years, MatPat — real name Matthew Patrick — has been a well-known personality on YouTube. Although he no longer hosts YouTube videos, he is still involved as a creative director. Currently, he advocates for creators on Capitol Hill by leveraging his skills and connections.
MatPat spoke with TechCrunch about his experience training lawmakers. He said that many lawmakers don’t know the fundamentals of websites like YouTube. For instance, one lawmaker asked, “What is Roku, and how is it different from YouTube?” This highlights the gap in understanding that MatPat aims to bridge.
The need for legal recognition
Getting content creators legal recognition is one of MatPat’s main objectives. He brought out the fact that government records do not currently list creators with an official designation. It’s challenging for legislators to fully understand how the creative economy affects their constituents because of this lack of recognition.
“Right now, there’s no designation and official government records that say like, ‘I am a content creator by trade,'” MatPat explained. He believes that having such records would help lawmakers see the significance of the creator economy and the number of creators in their districts.
Advocating for tax breaks
MatPat is also addressing the taxation of creators. Many creators pay self-employment taxes, which can drastically lower their income. MatPat is attempting to inform legislators about the necessity of providing creators with tax benefits akin to those afforded to small businesses.
“We’re trying to educate lawmakers about what the creator economy is, and that it’s an actual job and that we are actually small businesses,” MatPat said. He noted that even accountants sometimes struggle to classify creator businesses due to the lack of clear indicators on tax forms.
Featured image courtesy: The Game Theorists