Not really.

Love your icon by the way.

Thanx.

Tis indeed adorable. :3

OM NOM NOM

NOMNOMNOM gulp. :3

PIZZA NOM!!!!!

Yush~!

Just... constant om nom nom~

it would depend on how much you made.

depends on the laws of your country and how much you're earning from it. personally, i've started paying taxes on it this tax year. the worst that'll happen is that i get a refund ^^

This

what about student loans

where i live, you don't have to pay back your student loan unless you earn over 11 grand and my student loan is interest free, so yeah... at the moment, I'm not too worried about mine.

ah sweet. i recognize you as one of the people who offered moral support for my master nai. hope your bby is doing well too.

yeah. she's in a similar situation i was in a few months ago, so i thought i'd help where i can. my baby is doing well, kicking like the little monster it is ^-^

Depends on how much you make per year, If it's 2000 per year, I believe you had to start doing income taxes.

Depends on the country.

Forgot that tidbit, but yes it tends on the country.

Also Depends on the state if you're in the USA.

it would really have to depend on how much you could make a year, so be careful about it

technically you should, its a business after all, keeping records ect... but in practice? its probably impossible for anyone to track what you make, additionally is all those paypal fees.. but yes you probably should be... but i doubt most artists do...

It'd be absolute hell for them to demand you pay taxes on that. And this is the government we're talking about.

I Completely agree with that statement. Besides most governments like the United States and others it influenced are practically controlled by greed and large businesses.

... *shrug.* I dunno...

NO! Commissions are under the table money. It's not a government regulated job in any way; not the way artists conduct it over the net with paypal. Answer = No. A lot of people on here might say other wise but you wouldn't file taxes on baby sitting money would you? The means in which artists collect their funds is no different.

Wrong, Paypal sends records to the IRS if you make over $20,000 a year and 200 transactions, regardless of what the money is for.

Art is a job like any other and can be taxed.

Told you. Heh.

1) If you make 20,000 a year in art your doing something right and probably have developed a more defined business and most likely wont be on Fa much. Respectfully.
2)It is only 200 transactions on Paypal depending on how they are labeled. To my knowledge you can use the "Personal" tag without any record as most family use this to move money to one another. Did while I was in college.

I may be wrong, but I assure you RU your not going to jail for not claiming your art. I'll defend the fact "Your not conducting a full fledged consumer business" to the death. You don't charge tax do you? Lol. Again, I know people will argue, but I've been doing under the table art for years and never claimed it. I lived off my art for a good while during college and never claimed it.

Rather than believing internet speculation, I'd recommend checking out appropriate laws. In the US, if you're under 65 and single, you must file a return if your gross income (i.e. from all sources) was $9,750, per http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch01.html.

If you are doing it as a hobby, you must not "intend" to make money. Again, look at IRS publications or a tax person, not random strangers on the internet. :) For example: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Business-or-.....for-Deductions
The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to follow appropriate guidelines when determining whether an activity is a business or a hobby, an activity not engaged in for profit.

People can speculate all they want, but the bottom line is ignorance is no excuse to ignore the law. Granted they have bigger fish to fry so you "probably won't" get in trouble, but that doesn't make it legal to avoid.

RU is simply looking for several thoughts, not easy versus legal, fact versus myth, what has been done to what is ignorant. Some things said make me wonder if you'd believe if the government would tax middle schooler's lunch money the second it is given to them under the table, with their ignorance, and every day for 365 days per year. Regardless, I yield to save room on this journal for others to suggest their 2 cents. Heh, be careful those 2 cents over time might be subject to file!

I've stated my experience (the result of such over the years) and thoughts. We all have. Lets not turn this into hardball and spam up the journal. This isn't directed any any one person but for further development based on striking that "reply to" feature.

My apologies to those who consider two responses (one three words long, the other being my own fact-based response with references) to be "hardball" or "spam."

When you went down the path of talking about a $20,000 minimum, not being on fa much, being a gov't regulated job, not a consumer business, etc., I think that gets out of "your experience" and into "throwing out arbitrary numbers" like many people are doing. I thought it might help to provide actual facts. It's strange to me that you'd come back and feel a need to put me down for voicing a fact-based opinion, especially after I closed with "nobody will probably care" but FA is a weird place sometimes. :) It's all good, and anyone with a pon3 icon has good taste to begin with. ;)

If you know a middle schooler who is emancipated and making nearly $10k in lunch money from things he/she "intends to make profit from" then yes, I agree completely with your concern!

^^^

All my this. A lot of people seem to feel the need to get defensive when you bring up facts versus the anecdotal. Because if the IRS decides to take a look into it, you are 100% boned, and they don't really care if it's "under the table" or whatever wording you want to use to justify not giving them their money

Nope. It's online and easy to avoid taxes.

"Easy" -- not "legal."

Technically you should. It is logged in paypal and can come to haunt you if you dont file it... I honestly wouldnt do it either though

that would be a question to ask the bigger artists which do make a living off of commissions and such

Legeally you are supposed to report any and all income for taxation, including commission funds. Same goes for tips that waiters make, any small selling you do. Artists actually are supposed to pay more taxes because they are both the business owner (pays thier own set of taxes) and the employee (also pays taxes).

here I don't pay taxes on my commissions, then again I don't make even $500 a year. Wonder how many furs realize, I'd work harder on commissions if people actually commissioned a few from me.

Probably depends on type of payment.

That or the consistency of doing them, the legal documentation/contracts and whether it is a steady form of income.

On here (or more general: simple art commissions) , these are more of a personal service, so there wouldn't be taxes of any sort.

I pay taxes...

I guess it depends on how the payment is made. Some credit cards will charge a small fee for a transaction, but I don't think that counts as taxes.

Legally, in the US, you are supposed to, yes. Which really, REALLY sucks, yes.

You're supposed to. It's a job like any other.

You're supposed to, but it's not creating a problem if you don't. Just hide, it's what us "God-fearing amerikanz does!" :3

Only if you make an effort to put it down as an actual profession. If it's under the table, then no. If not under the table, then you have to make a certain amount of income over the course of the year in order for it to constitute needing to get your tax agent involved. Roughly $4000.00 a year if I remember correctly.

Keep in mind that you'll need some sort of documentation of these transactions if you count it as a profession.

well I personally would say no pay the taxi man because who is to say if asked; that you could prove what you do to earn money.

for axample draw a stick figure or a really bad looking troll face and they'd be like okay they can't draw :3

Ask a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). If one already does your taxes, this is part of why you retain their services.

If you're in the US the answer is yes, you do. How much is a matter of state. Typically, freelancers such as yourself you end up paying more tax than a person who isn't self employed. There is the federal tax, the self employment tax, and your local taxes. It's extremely important to keep a firm record of how much money you get and your own spending expenses, though it's easier to hire an accountant. You should get The Freelancer's Bible by Sarah Horowitz. Helps outline this stuff in pretty good detail

Legally, at least in the US, you need to report how you're getting your money and how much you make. It's annoying to pay taxes, but I would look into it. Last thing anyone needs is a knock on the door and find out that you owe in back taxes and will charge you more than you have. Though those taxes generally tend to be low, depending on income.