First of all, it usually depends on the tax laws and accounting standards in your country.

For example, here in Australia, an individual can claim work related expenses (expenses incurred necessary to earning your income) such as home office costs, tools and equipment, conference fees and work-related travel, as tax deductions. This I believe is similar to the British and American system (others may like to comment). The main difference here is how you structure the ownership: i.e. individual (sole proprietor), partnership, or company, which determines how much tax you pay to the government - and your amount of liability (for example, if you are being sued). But an individual does not need to be registered as a business to claim these deductions.

I just had a good look at Shutterstock's business account info and I cannot see the actual benefit of it (for me at least but I have a company), unless you want to separate your income into two sources for tax rate purposes. But even as an individual (depending on your country's tax laws) you should be able to deduct work related expenses.

https://support.submit.shutterstock.com/s/article/Can-I-register-for-a-contributor-account-as-a-business?language=en_US

I will look into it and get back to you if I find anything different - but others may like to comment about how this is structured in other countries.


ETA: All I can add is that there are different tax implications for whether you are running the business at a profit or a loss (income less total work-related expenses). For example, if you run the business continually at a loss, the government may treat it as a hobby not as a business. But once again this can be different from country to country. The best advice is to see a tax agent or accountant in your area.