First, my exam went well. Got there on time and felt confident about my answers – already doing better than last time. But before I get into that, I wanted to share some other information.
Its tax time! or at least time to start doing your taxes, if you have a refund coming (otherwise, see you in April). By law, companies need to send out your tax-related information by January 30th. That means, you should have all you paperwork by the first week in February. Now depending on your situation, you could do your own taxes with pen and paper (standard deductions), or hire an accountant (complex deductions). Or, if you’re like us, install TurboTax and do you taxes electronically. This is ideal for those with simple itemized deductions that generate a lower tax bill than standard deductions would. Some things that would fall into this category are charitable deductions (tithes, goodwill, etc.) and the interest portion of your mortgage. Typically, I get my copy of TurboTax from Costco (with a coupon) but this year, I think I’ll get it from Amazon. Its the cheapest (even after Costco’s coupon) and convenient. You can even download it for a couple bucks less, but I’ll stick with the CD version.
Next, Julia may be selling some of her photographs to a local hospital as part of their decor. While we’re only being considered, its prompted me to consider pricing and contracts. That’s why I’m looking at picking up a couple of books. The first one is Business and Legal Forms for Photographers by Tad Crawford. The classic “bible” of forms and checklists for every situation a professional photographer may face. Photographers will find contracts for wedding, portrait, and assignment photography; property and model releases, assignment estimates, confirmations, and invoices; delivery memos; license for Web usage; nondisclosure agreements; and much, much more. The second book is Pricing Photography: The Complete Guide to Assignment & Stock Prices by Michal Heron. This book explains how to price and negotiate both assignment photography and stock photography. Included are extensive and detailed pricing charts compiled by the authors. Together, they should form a good foundation for taking Julia’s hobby into a business.
As for my exam…well, that may be a little too long of a story for this post. I’ll have to tell you about it later. Sorry for being such a tease.
Be sure to check out Brenner Books for a collected set of rate information. They are local to San Diego and seem to provide a pretty good collection of rates for Southern California and other parts of the country. Their website is http://www.brennerbooks.com/firstpage.html. And good luck to both of you in your creative pursuits.
Looks like interesting reading.
I’m reading through this book although I haven’t gone much past the equipment section since a) I don’t have much equipment yet and b) it’s the middle of winter so only indoor stuff to shoot.
Speaking of taxes, didn’t Bietner use Turbo Tax? Sometimes it is better to use an expessive accountant who askes you all the questions. Colleen and I have used a local business woman who volunteers her time for a small fee every year and pay her less than it would cost for Turbo Tax or any other CD available.
So far, no calls from the IRS as as the case when we used the “experts”