Looking to sell feet pictures online for extra income but confused about tax requirements

You're right to be thinking about taxes! Any income you earn, even from something like selling feet pictures, is technically taxable income in the eyes of the IRS. Since you already have a part-time job, this would be considered self-employment income. The simplest way to handle this would be to report it as "other income" or self-employment income on your tax return. If you make more than $400 in net profit from this side business, you'll need to file Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) and potentially pay self-employment tax on that income. As for keeping it private, you have every right to file your own taxes separate from your dad. You could tell him you want to learn how to do it yourself as part of becoming more financially independent. There are plenty of free or low-cost tax filing software options that make it pretty straightforward. You don't have to specifically tell anyone what the source of your additional income is - the tax forms just ask for the amount and a general description of the business, which could be something vague like "digital content sales" or "online freelancing.

I was in a similar situation last year! I was selling digital art online and was stressed about taxes until I found https://taxr.ai - it literally saved me so much confusion. I was worried about messing up my self-employment reporting and possibly getting audited. The cool thing was I could upload my payment receipts from PayPal/Venmo and it automatically categorized everything as business income. It also showed me what expenses I could deduct (even partial phone costs since I was using it for my business). It basically walked me through the whole Schedule C form without me having to understand all the tax jargon.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the other person mentioned. I was super skeptical (as you could see in my comment) but I decided to give it a try for my small Etsy shop income. It was actually really straightforward! It walked me through separating my regular job income from my side hustle and showed exactly where to report everything. The best part was that it explained all the self-employment deductions I could take - even partial use of my phone and internet since I use them for my business. Ended up saving like $300 in taxes I would've overpaid. And filing separately from my parents wasn't nearly as complicated as I thought it would be.

If you start making decent money from this, you might need to talk to the IRS at some point. When I started my side gig as a dog walker, I had questions about quarterly estimated taxes and could NOT get through to anyone at the IRS. Waited on hold for literally 3+ hours multiple times. I found this service called https://claimyr.com that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in like 20 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. It was amazing after weeks of frustration. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my side income reporting without triggering any red flags.

If you start making decent money from this, you might need to talk to the IRS at some point. When I started my side gig as a dog walker, I had questions about quarterly estimated taxes and could NOT get through to anyone at the IRS. Waited on hold for literally 3+ hours multiple times.

OK I have to admit I was WRONG about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate to sort out my 1099 situation from my Twitch streaming income, so I tried it. It actually worked exactly as described. I got connected to a real IRS agent in about 25 minutes (would have been hours if I'd called directly). The agent helped me understand exactly how to report my streaming income and donations, what counts as business expenses, and how to handle digital tips. They even explained how to set up quarterly payments to avoid penalties next year as my income grows. Seriously saved me from potentially making mistakes that could have triggered an audit.

Hey just a heads up, don't be surprised if some payment platforms like PayPal or Venmo issue you a 1099-K if you earn above certain thresholds. I think it's like $600 now? That means the IRS is automatically notified of that income, so definitely don't skip reporting it. Also, consider opening a separate bank account just for this business. It makes tracking income and expenses WAY easier, and it keeps your personal and business finances separate. I do photography as a side hustle and this saved me so much hassle at tax time.

Something nobody mentioned yet - you might want to use a pseudonym for your feet pics business. Not just for privacy from family, but also for future employers who might Google you. Also, keep track of ALL your expenses - even small things like foot care products, props, lighting for your phone, percentage of your phone bill, etc. Every dollar in legitimate expenses reduces your taxable income.

Honestly the most straightforward way to handle this is to file your own taxes separately from your dad. You can tell him you want to learn financial independence without sharing the details. Use something like FreeTaxUSA which handles self-employment pretty well and is actually free (unlike some "free" services that charge for Schedule C). Just make sure to set aside about 25-30% of what you make for taxes since you'll owe both income tax and self-employment tax (15.3%) on your profits. First-time side hustlers often get shocked by that self-employment tax.

Just wanted to add that you should also consider what happens if your income grows beyond what you initially expect. I started selling handmade jewelry thinking I'd make maybe $1,000 a year, but ended up making $8,000 because demand was higher than expected. When you cross certain income thresholds, you might need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. The IRS expects you to pay taxes as you earn, not just once a year. If you owe more than $1,000 in taxes when you file, they can hit you with underpayment penalties. Also, keep really good records from day one - screenshots of all payments, receipts for any business expenses, mileage if you drive anywhere for the business, etc. It's so much easier to track this stuff as you go rather than trying to reconstruct everything at tax time. A simple spreadsheet or even a notes app on your phone works fine when you're starting small.