Comments on: What’s up with Wedding Photographers and Sales Tax?

By: Don

Don — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:18:00 +0000

Check out this article too regarding sales tax and photography in California.

http://www.norrisphoto.com/site/should-a-photographer-charge-sales-tax/

By: Austin Curtis

Austin Curtis — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:21:00 +0000

No sweat! Thanks for letting me know.

By: Lynette

Lynette — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:23:00 +0000

Thanks for this Austin…I’m moving to CA in a month for my husbands work and I have to move my business as well. This was a good heads up and thanks for the link as well. It’s a good thing to have in the pricing binder if potential and current clients really can’t believe they are being charged sales tax for a service!

By: Austin Curtis

Austin Curtis — Thu, 26 May 2011 07:48:00 +0000

You’re welcome Tobin – and thank you for getting me to look back at this page… I didn’t realize that the html code got all screwed up somehow since updating the site!

By: Tobin

Tobin — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Thanks so much, Austin…very informative and clarifying!

By: Emily Scott

Emily Scott — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:43:52 +0000

THANK YOUUUUU for this. exactly what i was looking for right now.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:07:52 +0000

Florida is the same…we’ve got to charge sales tax on the whole shebang!

By: Kat Speyer

Kat Speyer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:49:15 +0000

In Seattle, they keep it simple… TAXES ON EEEVVVVERYTHINGGGG… including digital downloads. Ugh.

By: Austin

Austin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:47:22 +0000

@Tim – AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!
Everybody must read what Tim wrote!

By: Tim Halberg

Tim Halberg — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:34:56 +0000

basically, if you’re a photographer in CA… charge sales tax and keep yourself safe. I have friends who have been audited, and when it came down to it, the ONLY, ONLY way they could get out of charging sales tax was showing proof via a receipt for shipping to an out of state address….

try proving that you didn’t deliver a physical disk.

if you do go the route of not charging sales tax, be EXTREMELY meticulous in how you write out all of your pricing, shooting fee MUST be itemized and charged separately from any physical products then…

my advice to photogs, CHARGE SALES TAX and play the game safe.

It’s photographers who take chances and walk the line who end up going out to business and make the news when it’s their clients who in the end get punished cause their photographer is no longer around. sad day….

if you decide not to charge sale tax… hire a professional CPA who is used to working with photographers and have the make sure that all of your contracts, paperwork and tax filings are PERFECT.

from what I’ve heard, it is NOT cool when it comes time for your audit