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Question from Sarah: “If I don’t have a studio space, but I do outdoor photography and charge for it, do I need a business license? How would I go about getting a business license and what are my responsibilities, etc? I’m 19 years old.”
Pamela: If you are taking money, you are a business and need a licence 🙂
Suz: It’s good to have a license and insurance always u never know what people can pull or will happen
Elisha: Make sure you have a good contract (I recommend BP4U Photography Tips & Guides) 🙂 Some states do not require a “business license” but you may need a license to charge sales tax.
Elisha: (and you will need to pay that sales tax into the state possibly quarterly or biannually, just depends)
Pamela: Sorry, I keep forgetting it varies from place to place. Where I am we require a licence 🙂
Jacquelyn: AZ requires a license as well and you have to pay sales tax monthly.
Brynn: Does anybody know how this applies for Washington state? I’m in the same exact situation. 19 years old & all. (;
Jennifer: Your best bet is to go to your state’s Secretary of State website, they likely have what requirements are for your particular state.
Scott: Tag…
Victoria: I don’t think you are required to charge sales tax on the photography itself as it is a service. However, prints and other tangible items is eligible. Also, and this is a bonus reason, you need one in order to claim expenses on your taxes!!
Andrea: Need these answers for myself…
Delaying the issue and need to get on this ASAP!
Jennifer: @Victoria, I’m only speaking for Ohio when I say this, but when I was talking to a representative from the SOS when I was getting my business name and setting up a vendors license, he basically told me to keep my session fee separate from my print fee because if I put them together, they require sales tax, but if I had a session fee and then sold the prints separately, the sales tax was only on the print fee. He told me he isn’t telling me what to do, but he highly recommended that I keep the separate so I could keep more money in my pocket!
Andrea: There is an awesome class called accounting 101 over at rocktheshot.com. You can start with just your dream and leave with a legitimate business! It covers sole proprietorship vs LLC, sales tax, self employment tax (YES you should be contributing towards your Medicare and social security) & more. This is an awesome place to start!
Christy: Check your state. In CT we do collect sales tax on services. Some states don’t. And your age does not make any difference. I just went to my local town hall to register my business name, and they gave me info on state issues and where to find info online.
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