Do I need to pay taxes if I only sell feet pics online for $500 this year?

Yes, technically any income you earn needs to be reported on your tax return, regardless of the amount. That $500 would be considered self-employment income. The IRS requires you to report all income, even if you don't receive a 1099 form from the platform you use to sell the pictures. However, there are a few practical considerations here: If this is your only self-employment income for the year, you likely won't owe self-employment taxes since those only kick in when your net self-employment earnings exceed $400. But you'd still need to report it as "other income" on your tax return.

I was in a similar spot last year and found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) super helpful for figuring out my side gig taxes. I was selling custom digital art and wasn't sure how to handle the income. Their AI reviewed my situation and explained exactly what forms I needed and where to report everything. Saved me a ton of confusion since I'd never dealt with self-employment income before.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow, it was exactly what I needed! I had a similar small income situation from online tutoring and wasn't sure how to report it. The AI walked me through everything step by step. It even helped me identify some deductions I could take against the income that I had no idea about! The guidance was super clear and it saved me from making mistakes on my return. Definitely going to use it again next year.

If you're really worried about getting this right, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I used it last year when I had questions about some side income from my Etsy shop. I was on hold with the IRS forever trying to get an answer about reporting requirements. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was honestly shocked it worked so well since I'd tried calling the IRS directly multiple times and could never get through.

I have to eat my words. After seeing the responses here, I tried Claimyr yesterday for my refund issue. I've been trying to reach the IRS for literally 3 months with no luck. Claimyr had me talking to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! The agent was able to tell me exactly why my refund was delayed and what I needed to do to fix it. I'm still in shock that it actually worked. Wish I'd known about this service months ago instead of wasting days on hold.

Just want to add something important - if you're going to be selling feet pics online, make sure you're using a platform that handles the payments properly. Some sites will send you a 1099-K if you make over a certain threshold, while others won't report anything to the IRS. Either way, you're still responsible for reporting the income, but having documentation from the platform can make things easier at tax time. Also, consider setting aside about 15% of whatever you make for potential taxes, just to be safe.

Lol at everyone making this complicated. It's $500. The IRS isn't coming after you for that. I made like $2k selling stuff online last year and didn't report it. They care about big fish, not small fry.

I'd strongly recommend reporting the $500 even though it's a small amount. Here's why: the IRS has been increasing their data matching capabilities, and many online platforms are required to report payments to them even if they don't send you a 1099. If you use PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, or similar services, they're now reporting transactions over $600 total per year to the IRS. Even if your feet pic income stays under that threshold, it's better to be transparent. The good news is that for $500 in self-employment income, you likely won't owe any self-employment tax (since that kicks in at $400 net income, and you can deduct legitimate business expenses). You'd just report it as other income on your tax return. My advice: keep detailed records of all transactions, set aside about 20-25% of what you earn for taxes just in case, and consider any expenses you can legitimately deduct (portion of phone/internet bills, any equipment, etc.). Better to over-report than under-report when it comes to the IRS.

I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that might help. As someone who works in tax preparation, I see situations like this all the time. The $500 threshold is actually pretty common for people testing out online side gigs. Here's what I tell my clients: even though $500 seems small, reporting it correctly from the start establishes good habits and protects you down the line. The IRS has gotten much better at cross-referencing data from payment processors, social media platforms, and other digital sources. For your specific situation, since you're planning to stop after making $500, you're probably looking at reporting this as "Other Income" on Schedule 1 of your Form 1040, assuming your net earnings stay under $400 after any legitimate business deductions. Keep receipts for anything related to this activity - even small expenses like a portion of your internet bill or phone costs can help reduce your taxable income. The key is documentation. Screenshot every transaction, keep records of any expenses, and track dates. Even if you never get audited, having clean records makes filing so much easier. And honestly, for $500 in additional income, you're probably looking at maybe $50-75 in extra federal taxes depending on your bracket, so it's not going to break the bank. Good luck with the car repair fund!