Income tax from part-time photography assignments?

[Rev]

Hi,
Hope some CSers can advise onthis...

I was wondering if a company is interested in your work and decides to pay U an indisclosed amount to photograph a few corporate events or product shoot, would this be treated as extra income? So is the cash paid from taking up part-time photography assignments taxable?

If not, why? Isit because the sale is private between the seller & buyer?
Or isit because it is viewed that you are selling a 'product'. As if selling a 2nd hand good and people pay U cash.

If it is, what are the ways to go about it? How would this apply if the photographer was a student?

 

[Canonised]

Hi,
Hope some CSers can advise onthis...

I was wondering if a company is interested in your work and decides to pay U an indisclosed amount to photograph a few corporate events or product shoot, would this be treated as extra income? So is the cash paid from taking up part-time photography assignments taxable?

If not, why? Isit because the sale is private between the seller & buyer?
Or isit because it is viewed that you are selling a 'product'. As if selling a 2nd hand good and people pay U cash.

If it is, what are the ways to go about it? How would this apply if the photographer was a student?

If your income is substantial from all these activites plus any other forms, say more than $20K, i think it is better to declare .... but dont worry, the tax is minimal. There are also many advantages to pay taxes in Singapore.

 

[Rev]

oh, must be more than 20K? the extra income will be minimal... maybe 3K...

 

[Snowcrash]

Official answer must declare, but if total income less than a certain amount. No tax on it.

 

[Canonised]

oh, must be more than 20K? the extra income will be minimal... maybe 3K...

if for the whole accounting year, say Jan 2004 till 31 Dec 2004, yr income is 3K from any sidelines ... no need la.... the tax department will incur more expenses on their side if you declare and they have to reply to you, etc.....
just take it like ang pow $$$ from heaven ...

 

[Gaffar King]

what if we profit from the sale of photographic equipments on the buy & sell forum? do we have to report our gain ? Can anyone from the IRAS answers this ?

Hi,
Hope some CSers can advise onthis...

I was wondering if a company is interested in your work and decides to pay U an indisclosed amount to photograph a few corporate events or product shoot, would this be treated as extra income? So is the cash paid from taking up part-time photography assignments taxable?

If not, why? Isit because the sale is private between the seller & buyer?
Or isit because it is viewed that you are selling a 'product'. As if selling a 2nd hand good and people pay U cash.

If it is, what are the ways to go about it? How would this apply if the photographer was a student?

 

[ortega]

Officially all income is income and must be declared

Unofficially you can do anything but don't get caught.

if housewife makes cakes and sell it to their neighbour, do you think she will declare it? She will say that she is unemployed and a full time housewife

but you did not hear it from me.
I declare my income and pay all taxes that the gov ask me to.

 

[Snowcrash]

Officially all income is income and must be declared

Unofficially you can do anything but don't get caught.

if housewife makes cakes and sell it to their neighbour, do you think she will declare it? She will say that she is unemployed and a full time housewife

but you did not hear it from me.
I declare my income and pay all taxes that the gov ask me to.

most common sideline income: tuition

 

[reachme2003]

if for the whole accounting year, say Jan 2004 till 31 Dec 2004, yr income is 3K from any sidelines ... no need la.... the tax department will incur more expenses on their side if you declare and they have to reply to you, etc.....
just take it like ang pow $$$ from heaven ...

regardless of quantity of income, they are to be declared to IRAS. full-stop.

[what if we profit from the sale of photographic equipments on the buy & sell forum? do we have to report our gain ? Can anyone from the IRAS answers this ?]

i am not from IRAS. it depends on whether buying and/or selling are done on a 'regular' basis. If it is, it may be regarded as trade, thus declarable. The frequency will be decided by IRAS.

 

[Rev]

esp for tuition, how to declare up front?... how is income from tuition controlled? I've seen my friends put the tuition fee in a ang-bao for the tutor hehe.

So how to control sale of an 'item' ie fotos between a corporation & photographer if it is to the buyer & seller's discretion? It is akin to me selling let's say one 2nd-hand tv to them. The buyer didn't hire me, I'm not on their company payroll, but I just made some income by selling something to them. On the other hand, my income is increased by 3k a year. So how do most of the CSers doing part-time assignments handle it? Eg. Wedding photography? Just treat it like ang-bao?

As for selling items on CS, I believe because this is private transaction and use hard-cash, it cannot be taxed.

 

[jeff49er]

If u r a loyal and true blooded citizen, u can always declare as extra income.

 

[Snowcrash]

esp for tuition, how to declare up front?... how is income from tuition controlled?

hi, your income tax is based on the year before. So come march 2005, you will have to report your annual income for the year 2004. So don't you know how much in total you receive for the year 2004?

Like I say, any extra income must delcare, but will they ask you to prove how much you make :dunno:

 

[2100]

Singaporeans.... :bsmilie:

I am also Singaporean.....but i don't think straight.... :think:

 

[jsbn]

regardless of quantity of income, they are to be declared to IRAS. full-stop.

[what if we profit from the sale of photographic equipments on the buy & sell forum? do we have to report our gain ? Can anyone from the IRAS answers this ?]

i am not from IRAS. it depends on whether buying and/or selling are done on a 'regular' basis. If it is, it may be regarded as trade, thus declarable. The frequency will be decided by IRAS.

A true blue Singaporean, loyal to country, obeys the law, absolutely honest.

Here's a salute from me!

 

[mpenza]

what if we profit from the sale of photographic equipments on the buy & sell forum? do we have to report our gain ? Can anyone from the IRAS answers this ?

don't think so. you also can't offset any losses from your income or expensed the equipment purchased (unless you're working as a photographer I suppose).

there's no capital gain taxes in singapore, which seems to make more sense since losses are not allowed to offset against your income (and capital gains are not subject to taxation).

 

[espn]

So in short, we earn must declare, if lose is ok. So it's a win-lose situation for us

 

[reachme2003]

A true blue Singaporean, loyal to country, obeys the law, absolutely honest.

Here's a salute from me!

thank you, but i do not deserve such compliments. however, i like to think that i am one.

what i said is in accordance with the Income Tax Act and their practices as far as i believe them to be existing. it is not intended to reflect my personal position or views.

 

[reachme2003]

don't think so. you also can't offset any losses from your income or expensed the equipment purchased (unless you're working as a photographer I suppose).

there's no capital gain taxes in singapore, which seems to make more sense since losses are not allowed to offset against your income (and capital gains are not subject to taxation).

i think that there is no harm in registering a sole proprietorship providing photographic services, even if it is part-time. The troublesome part is book keeping, but it allows deduction for capital expenditures against profit.

 

[jodie_tan]

Hi,
Hope some CSers can advise onthis...

I was wondering if a company is interested in your work and decides to pay U an indisclosed amount to photograph a few corporate events or product shoot, would this be treated as extra income? So is the cash paid from taking up part-time photography assignments taxable?

If not, why? Isit because the sale is private between the seller & buyer?
Or isit because it is viewed that you are selling a 'product'. As if selling a 2nd hand good and people pay U cash.

If it is, what are the ways to go about it? How would this apply if the photographer was a student?

Hmm...student? As for we all understand, students come out to work is for one reason-EXTRA POCKET CASH.My very first mobile phone was bought with my hard earned tuition money...so if u ask me, I definately won't declare. C'mon, I'd rather put em all into my bank acct rather than throw the extras to the govt. Do we have to follow very closely to govt issues?If so, should us women abide what our ministers say and reproduce?(Should that day come, I'll leave S'pore for good)C'mon!Your hard earned money belongs to YOU and not the govts!Aren't we paying tons of income taxes like mad?

 

[hongsien]

Hmm...student? As for we all understand, students come out to work is for one reason-EXTRA POCKET CASH.My very first mobile phone was bought with my hard earned tuition money...so if u ask me, I definately won't declare. C'mon, I'd rather put em all into my bank acct rather than throw the extras to the govt. Do we have to follow very closely to govt issues?If so, should us women abide what our ministers say and reproduce?(Should that day come, I'll leave S'pore for good)C'mon!Your hard earned money belongs to YOU and not the govts!Aren't we paying tons of income taxes like mad?

Like someone said: income less than a certain amount is not taxable (well it is taxable but the tax is zero percent):

Chargeable Income ($) Rates Tax Payable($)
On the first 20 000 0% 0.00
On the next 10 000 4% 400.00
On the first 30 000 400.00
On the next 10 000 6% 600.00
On the first 40 000 1,000.00
On the next 40 000 9% 3,600.00
On the first 80 000 4,600.00
On the next 80 000 15% 12,000.00
On the first 160 000 16,600.00
On the next 160 000 19% 30,400.00
On the first 320 000 47,000.00
Above 320 000 22%