Do I have to pay taxes on content creation income from selling photos online? And if so, how?

Yes, you do need to pay taxes on this income. The IRS considers ANY income taxable, regardless of how you earn it or how you receive payment. If you're selling photos online as an independent photographer, that's considered self-employment income. You'll need to report this on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) along with your regular tax return. If you make $400 or more in net profit from this activity, you'll also owe self-employment tax. About payment apps - your roommate is partially right but likely misunderstood. Payment apps like Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal are required to report to the IRS when users receive more than $600 in business transactions during the year (this changed from $20,000 previously). They'll send you a Form 1099-K if you cross that threshold. However, you still need to report ALL income on your taxes regardless of whether you receive a 1099 form. One option is to file your own taxes separately from your mom. You can use free or low-cost tax software designed for students. This way you can report your income properly without your mom seeing the details.

I went through almost exactly what you're describing last year! I was selling digital art online and was completely confused about the tax situation. I tried reading through IRS publications but they were impossible to understand. Then I found this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually helped me figure everything out. It analyzed my situation and explained exactly what forms I needed and how to report my online content income. The best part is it's completely private - I could ask all my "dumb" tax questions without feeling judged. It told me I needed to file Schedule C as a sole proprietor and explained self-employment taxes in a way that actually made sense.

So I decided to try that taxr.ai site after my skeptical comment above, and holy crap it actually helped?? I uploaded screenshots of my payment app summaries and it immediately broke down what counted as taxable income and what didn't. It even explained how to handle cash payments that don't leave a digital trail (I do some pet sitting on the side). The best part was it walked me through how to file as self-employed without needing expensive software. Gave me a whole checklist of deductions I could take for my side hustle that I had no idea about. Apparently I can deduct part of my phone bill and internet since I use them to run my business! Never thought I'd say this about anything tax-related, but it was actually pretty awesome.

Everyone here is giving good advice about reporting income, but I want to mention something else: if you're making decent money from this side gig, you might need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. I learned this the hard way last year when I started selling stuff online. Made about $5k and then got hit with an underpayment penalty because I didn't make any tax payments throughout the year. If you're struggling to get answers from the IRS about this stuff (and who isn't?), I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to a real IRS person on the phone. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It saved me hours of hold time when I needed to ask specific questions about my situation. Worth every penny for the stress it saved me.

OK I'm back to literally eat my words. I tried that Claimyr thing after posting my skeptical comment because I've been trying to figure out if I need to file a Schedule C or if I could use Schedule C-EZ for my side business. It actually worked??? Got a call back in about an hour with a real IRS agent on the line. They answered all my questions about reporting my online business income and explained exactly what forms I needed. The agent confirmed that I need to report ALL income regardless of the payment method, and gave me specific guidance on what business expenses I could deduct to offset some of the tax burden. Never thought I'd say this, but it was actually a pleasant experience talking to the IRS. Will definitely use this again next tax season.

Just want to add some practical advice since you're in college. Make sure you keep good records of EVERYTHING related to your photography side hustle: - All income (date, amount, source) - Any expenses (camera equipment, editing software, props, etc) - Portion of internet/phone used for business - Any travel related to photoshoots This will make tax time way easier and help you maximize deductions. I use a simple spreadsheet plus a separate folder in Google Drive where I save digital receipts. Also, if you're serious about keeping this private from your mom, you might want to get your own PO box for any tax documents. Some payment platforms still send paper 1099 forms even if you choose electronic delivery.

Another college student here who sells art commissions online! One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that your state might have different rules about sales tax. I'm in California and had to get a seller's permit because I sell digital products to people in my state. It was actually pretty easy to register online, and now I collect and remit sales tax on in-state sales. Might be worth checking your state's department of revenue website to see what their specific requirements are!

Setting up a separate bank account for your photo sales is also super helpful for keeping things organized. Most banks offer free student checking accounts, and this way you can keep all business transactions separate from personal ones. Makes it WAY easier at tax time and helps you track your actual profits more accurately. Plus, if your mom somehow sees your regular account, there won't be any suspicious transactions to explain!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I want to emphasize something that might not be obvious: even though you're trying to keep this private from your mom, you still need to think about how this affects your overall tax situation. If your mom currently claims you as a dependent on her tax return, your photography income could potentially affect that. Once you start earning significant income, there are rules about whether you can still be claimed as a dependent. You might want to have a conversation with her (without getting into specifics about what you're selling) about potentially filing your own return this year. Also, don't forget about estimated quarterly payments if you start making decent money. The general rule is if you'll owe more than $1,000 in taxes at the end of the year, you should be making quarterly payments to avoid penalties. You can calculate this easily once you know your approximate income. One last tip: consider opening a business savings account too, not just checking. Set aside about 25-30% of your income for taxes so you're not scrambling come tax time. Self-employment tax plus regular income tax can add up faster than you'd expect!