Questions regarding part time Freelancing

Hello everyone,

I have found myself on the top of the list as a part-time Freelance photographer (finally! woohoo)

Now, going forward, i have several questions regarding this prospect including fair market value of photos, insurance,

taxes, etc.

First; generally, do freelances carry a serpate tax ID with the state they reside for any tax responsibities?

Second; What type of insurance is typically carried by freelancers?

Third; What is the regular going rate of images sent for publication? I presume i will own copyrights since i am

freelance, but this has not been negotated as of yet.

lastly(for now) how many images are typically sent in for publication?

Background: I will be shooting for a Publishing company which as approx 12 weekly newspapers that total

somehwere around 30k in circulation. Will beshooting high school+ sports, and some editorial.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

John

Freelancers are independent contractors, so yes you need a tax ID and will need to file quarterly.

Unless you sign a work for hire (I wouldn't) you will retain all copyright and would be able to resell the images depending on

the usage license you sell the publisher.

Your usage agreement with the publisher will determine price but most smaller papers don't leave a whole lot of room for

negotiation and you take what they offer or move on.

I'll leave the insurance issue for someone else.

For federal income tax purposes, if you don't incorporate or form another kind of entity, you should not need a separate tax ID unless you plan to hire employees. Your SSN should work just fine. You probably don't need a sales tax number, but you might.

The best thing you can do is find a local tax professional who has experience with small business accounting and tax matters. I'm a CPA, so I'm prejudiced towards my profession.

Everyone's situation is different. A business forum on a website about photography is not the best place to get advice about your specific tax situation. The fee you pay for an initial consultation with a tax professional should save you a lot of trouble down the road.

Good luck with your business.

On the downside: yes, you will "own" the copyright for your images if the newspaper does not give you a "work for hire" form which gives the newspaper(s) the copyright. But, no, you will not be able to use the images for anything or everything without a signed release....and in the case of high school students, you would need a parent or guardian to sign the release.

Good luck.

Congratulations!<br><br>

I assume by freelance you mean you will be operating under your own business name.<br><br>

In that case these are the things you should do as soon as possible.<br><br>

- get a business license for the state, city and or counties you will operate in<br>

- get insurance for your equipment<br>

- join professional organizations such as APA, ASMP, EP and or PPA<br>

- get a tax number so you can charge tax for appropriate items, consult a CPA for your state to get advice on what to

charge tax on<br>

- get a business bank account, credit card and credit card machine<br>

- establish yourself as a sole prop or corporation, again consult a CPA on which is best for you<br>

- learn about copyright law, ownership, and releases and don't sign over your rights unless you are getting paid enough for them<br>

- learn about pricing, negotiating and contracts<br>

- keep accurate records for income, expenses, taxes and mileage<br>