Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Member tayl0124's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
    Posts
    327

    Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Please stay with me, this may get winded.

    I am going to be shooting player and team photos for a local youth football organization. This will be my first time getting paid for my photos. I have a smugmug account setup and have sold a few prints already on there. The nice thing is that smugmug collects sales tax and pays sales tax to my state for me. My concern is that providing parents only a link to my smugmug site may not be the best way to get the most sales. My guess would be that providing some basic packages to purchase up front, and then additional options via the smugmug site later might produce the most sales. That being said, I know that I will need to collect sales tax on the upfront sales.

    I don't plan on quitting my day job anytime soon, so I don't know what info is needed when filing a tax return in the spring. I do know that having all the info set and in place now will make things easier later down the road. At what point do I full out report it as a business vs additional income that isn't reported on a w2 form? My short term goal is to break even on my smugmug hosting, business cards, and Lightroom Purchase. If I can go above and beyond that it would be awesome.

    Any info on this would be appreciated.

    Thank You!!

    Shawn Taylor
    TPSphotos.com
    -Shawn
    www.tpsphotos.com

    Canon EOS 6d w/Battery Grip
    Canon EOS 620
    Canon EOS Rebel G
    Canon EOS Rebel XS
    Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
    Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
    Canon EF-S 18-55 f3.5-5.6 IS
    Canon EF 25-80mm f4-5.6 III
    Canon EF 70-210mm f4
    Canon 35-70 f3.5-4.5
    Canon Lens EF 50mm f1.8
    Promaster FTD 6500M
    Canon Speedlite 420ex
    Yongnuo Speedlite YN560-II

  2. #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Posts
    11

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Why not you consult with a lawyer that will help you more in filling all that returns and all legal that you need for the tax purpose without having an trouble.Because he know better that how to deal with that.
    Modesty forbids what the law does not
    Need Legal Help

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    10

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    It has been a while, but as we are getting into tax season, here are some viewpoints from an entrepreneur. Get Quickbooks. File a DBA according to your state regs. Also get a state property tax license. This for packages not marketed through smugmug. If you do any contract work, you will receive a 1099 form. Otherwise you are doing a cash business, no inventory, etc. You can depreciate your equipment if extensive, otherwise it can be a full write-off for the year. Turbotax can walk you through the process.

    If this business develops, consider an LLC. You can still file under your individual tax form, but you are protected as a corporation.

    As to marketing, you can hire a college kid from a local college to set up your web site, set up links where clients can review their digital samples, order the prints, pay, etc and not involve a third-party provider up front. The order can be sent to the provider you set up, but the client will never see it. Your brochure should have your web site, etc all on it.

    Just some suggestions.

  4. #4
    They call me P-Wac JETA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Pacific NW
    Posts
    2,165

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    I personally wouldn't conduct business without a license. The second I started collecting money I didn't donate I did. I had it all setup through a CPA who advised on everything. (I believe I'm a sole proprietorship)

    If you are shooting sport portraits I highly advise to do all sales up front. Meaning you get paid before a camera click. It has been my experience that people who just want to buy portraits off my website never do. I refuse to work on, and offer portraits for non-paying people who might have good intentions. However, there is a high percentage that does forget it's portrait day. I will take their portraits and collect before pictures are ordered.l There's quite a large percentage in my sales I do that for. Getting the square has been invaluable too.

    All the sales that have sales tax included I deposit separately from non-sales tax revenue. (like smugmug and freelance work)

    Also I highly recommend Millers Lab for sport portraits. They have software to create and order portrait packages. I pay a little more and have them package everything for me. That service is worth it's weight in gold especially when the accounts get big or I do a drop ship.

    Good luck with everything and ENJOY!
    Last edited by JETA; 03-03-2014 at 01:10 PM. Reason: typo as usual
    It's not blurry. It's bokeh.

    Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
    Canon EOS 5D Mark II
    Canon EOS 1D Mark III
    Canon 24-70mm EF f/2.8L
    Canon 24-105mm EF f/4L IS
    Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
    Canon 17-40mm EF f/4L
    Canon 15mm F/2.8 EF Fisheye Lens
    Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
    Canon 50mm f/1.8
    Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite
    Canon 580EX Speedlite
    Canon EOS Rebel 300D

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    10

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Well this is good information about Tax for the every business.
    My question is that if i use my own name for my Business Registration and registered my business in a legal way with my own name then how much tax i have to pay the Gvt.
    Because in my thoughts i think i have to pay some extra charges to the Gvt against my own name shop.
    But i want to remove this difficulty.
    Please tell me if anybody now about that !!!
    Thanks and Take Care :-)
    Last edited by William Smith; 08-08-2014 at 12:41 AM.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Posts
    479

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Usually, you can find online reviews on lawyers and law firms. Otherwise, you can search in between your circle. A lot of lawyers are also registered on online portals like lawtendo and others. You can check mexico extradition laws

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    645

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    I also really needed a lawyer who just helped me a lot in due time. He is just a wonderful person and just brilliant in his field. This guy could just help me in just a moment. Therefore, if something happens to me, then I always turn to him. Now after that I always advise him to everyone. Read more: https://www.federallawyers.com

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Posts
    608

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Well all that depends on for what service you are seeking a lawyer. I believe trusting on reviews is no more easy now. You never know are the reviews fake or trustworthy. I believe that review sites can easily be manipulated. Sites like this and other related lawyer business directories line Avvo are the best examples. None of the reviews can be meaningful enough. I suggest it is good to visit the attorney website & know them. International adviser mexico sites have their own user reviews so you can make your own assessment as to their quality.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    198

    Re: Taxes, tax returns and more..

    Thanks for raising such an important topic, I am sure the tax related issues are actual for many forum readers. I am planning to use assistance of Optima Tax Relief, here https://optima-tax-relief.pissedcons...r-service.html I even found its clients' reviews.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •