Do I need to pay taxes on income from selling feet pictures - how would I report this?

This is actually a really common question for anyone starting a side hustle! Let me break it down simply: Yes, technically ALL income is taxable regardless of the source or how it's paid. The IRS considers what you're doing as self-employment income, and you should report it on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business). There's a common misconception about payment apps. Starting in 2025, apps like CashApp, Venmo, etc. are required to report to the IRS when someone receives more than $600 in business transactions throughout the year (they'll send you a 1099-K form). However, you're still legally required to report ALL income even if you don't receive a 1099-K. As for keeping this private from your parents, you can file your own separate tax return even if they claim you as a dependent. Your self-employment income is only reported on your personal return, not theirs. For tax purposes, you'd classify this as "Digital Content Creation" or "Online Content Sales" - nothing more specific than that needs to be stated on your tax forms.

After dealing with similar tax confusion for my side hustle (selling digital art), I found this amazing AI tool that helped explain exactly what I needed to do. Check out https://taxr.ai - it analyzed my situation and gave me personalized guidance. The best part was that I could upload screenshots of my payment app transactions, and it explained exactly what I needed to report and how. Saved me from having to ask embarrassing questions to an accountant or my parents about my specific income sources. They have this feature where you can ask unlimited tax questions about your specific situation, which was perfect for figuring out what deductions I could take against my digital content income.

Guys I gotta share this. I was in the EXACT same position last year (selling, um, "specialized" pics) and was freaking out about taxes. Tried that taxr.ai site and it was seriously a lifesaver. I uploaded screenshots of my payment history and their system immediately categorized everything and told me exactly what line items to use on my Schedule C. They even explained what business expenses I could deduct (like part of my phone bill, props, etc). The best part was I could ask super specific questions about my situation without any judgment. It told me I needed to make quarterly estimated tax payments this year since I'm making more now, which I had no idea about. Filing was actually way less scary than I thought! And my parents still have no clue what my "social media consulting" business actually involves lol.

If you're making decent money from this, you might eventually need to talk to the IRS directly to sort out tax questions. I was avoiding calling them forever because it's impossible to get through - kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. I finally tried https://claimyr.com after seeing it recommended here and it actually worked. They got me connected to a real IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I needed to ask about how to properly categorize some unusual 1099 income (not feet pics lol, but similar online content situation) and whether I needed to start making quarterly payments. Got clear answers without having to explain exactly what my content was.

I take back what I said about Claimyr. I tried calling the IRS myself three more times this week to ask about my side hustle income reporting and got disconnected every single time. Finally gave in and tried that Claimyr service and was talking to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent answered all my questions about reporting my "digital content" income without me having to get specific about what kind of content. For anyone wondering - the IRS agent confirmed that yes, you absolutely need to report ALL income regardless of the source, and they recommended keeping a detailed spreadsheet of all transactions since payment apps might not capture everything for the 1099-K if customers mark payments as "friends and family.

Just wanted to add that you might be able to deduct some expenses related to your, um, "photography business." Things like: - Portion of phone/internet used for business - Any props or special items used only for these photos - Portion of your living space if you have a dedicated area for taking photos - Marketing costs if you advertise anywhere Don't go overboard claiming stuff, but legitimate business expenses can reduce your taxable income. You'll list all these on Schedule C.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - you might need to pay quarterly estimated taxes if you expect to owe more than $1,000 in taxes for the year. This is especially important for self-employment since you don't have an employer withholding taxes. Self-employment tax is about 15.3% on top of regular income tax, which catches a lot of first-timers by surprise. Google "1040-ES" for the forms you need.

Hey Giovanni! I was in a similar situation when I started my photography side hustle in college. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: You're absolutely right to want to handle this yourself - it's actually pretty straightforward once you understand the basics. Even if you only make a few hundred dollars, you should report it. The good news is that as a student, you likely won't owe much in actual taxes, but you will need to pay self-employment tax (about 15.3%) on any profit over $400. Here's my simplified checklist for you: 1. Keep detailed records of ALL payments (screenshots work fine) 2. Track any business expenses (phone bill, props, etc.) 3. You'll file Schedule C with your regular tax return 4. If you make over $1,000 profit, start making quarterly payments to avoid penalties The payment app thing is confusing - they'll send you a 1099-K if you receive over $600, but you need to report everything regardless of whether you get that form. Pro tip: Open a separate bank account just for this income if possible. Makes tracking everything so much easier come tax time. You got this! 💪