

You can write this off all in one or over many years. Think computers, kilns, cameras and any larger expenses that are used over multiple years. Large Equipment counts as a depreciable asset and is anything that you will use for your art business or studio for more than one year.
#The complicated art of deduction professional
Our recommendation? Get a professional to help you with your tax preparation-you can write off their fee! Materials & Suppliesīrushes, clay, canvases, easels, glaze, tools… anything you use to make your artwork should be recorded as an expense. If you take payment online through a platform like Paypal, Square, Stripe or Intuit you can expense the processing fees. Payment processing fees are also included in this section. This includes fabricators, photographers, assistants, etc. What counts as a contractor? Anyone you pay in order to make your work. Also track any fees related to call-for-entry, applications, legal advice, outsourced bookkeeping, business consulting as well as model or contractor fees. Paying a gallery to bring in clients and giving them a percentage of sales? Expense that. If you pay for business insurance, keep track of your payments and write them off come tax time. Advertising expenses include print ads, business cards, fliers, sponsorships, Facebook and digital ads, as well as your website hosting and creation costs. AdvertisingĪnything you spend money on promoting your work can be deducted. Take a look at the list of common expenses that you can deduct as an artist.

Artwork Archive'sExpense tracking feature makes bookkeeping & tax time easy for your art business. If you are a sole proprietorship you will record all your sales as general income and you will deduct your expenses. And, don’t forget to save your business receipts! That way, your business and personal expenses aren’t all mixed in together when it comes time to do taxes. TIP: Start a separate business checking account with your bank. The process varies from state to state, so head over to your local Clerk of Courts website, your state’s Department of Revenue site, and the IRS site to see what steps are required next. Many artists choose to classify their business as a sole proprietorship because it’s easy to set up and meets the needs of a basic studio practice. Know your business classificationĭo a little research and decide what type of business structure you want to become. It’s ok if you don’t make a profit every year, but as a general guideline from the IRS, they want to see a profit three out of five years. Have you changed your practice in order to improve profitability?ĭo you expect to see profits in the future? If you lose money doing this activity, was it within or beyond your control? How else can you determine if you qualify to deduct your expenses?Īsk yourself these questions as posed by the IRS:ĭo you put time and effort into your art-making practice with the intention of selling the works?ĭo you rely on this income to eat and pay rent? and if your practice is not for profit, you cannot qualify your losses to offset another income. However, if your art practice is a hobby, you do not qualify to deduct your art expenses from a different income stream on your taxes. If you run your studio for profit, you can deduct business expenses. Quite simply, your art practice is defined as a business if you have the intention to sell your work regularly for profit and a hobby is done without financial incentive. When it comes to deciding if you need to file taxes as an artist, the IRS draws the line between whether you define your practice as a "hobby," or a "business." Do you qualify as an art business for deductions?
#The complicated art of deduction archive
Whether you are looking to save with common tax deductions for artists, want to know if you qualify for deductions, or simply want financial insights you can use to strategize for success, take a look at the main categories of expenses that you can track in Artwork Archive for your art business. You might be wondering what you can write off-what counts and what doesn’t? You have a lot of different income sources and a lot of different expenses. Taxes are complicated and especially complicated for artists. This includes knowing where all of your sources of income are generated and where your money is going-so can get a better understanding of your net income. With the dreaded filing deadline inching closer each day, it’s important to remember that nothing helps more than keeping all of your financial records organized throughout the year. Are you ready to file your taxes or have you put it off to the very last minute?
