Hi, so I shoot sporting events mainly MLS games. However, I am not being paid for it. It’s more of a get you foot in the door type thing
So if I travel let’s say 6-7 hours and spend the night at an hotel. Can I write those things off?
I do other paid photography events like weddings etc.
I saw a very well-known actor give a panel. He said always get paid. Even if it’s minimal. I would agree. Just for self-respect, negotiate a payment. Then, you can justify writing off business expenses. If you’re not paid, you have no business, therefore cannot write anything off.
I second talking to an accountant.
If you were a business, then you can definitely write off those expenses. Since you’re not making any money doing it then I’m not sure you can. A lot of tax benefits are reserved for actual businesses and are worded to limit hobby-businesses (essentially people pretending they have a business so they can deduct their hobby related expenses)
It is legit if you are running an overall profit and really trying to get your start in sports. $5k in wedding profits offset by $500 in sport portfolio expenses will work out, but $5k in sports travel offset by a $500 wedding is a hobby.
I give myself 2 budgets. First is a number of days each year that I’ll shoot stuff I want to learn or make connections in that area. I hope to get some sort of $ out of it, but don’t expect pay that is remotely close to my corporate work.
Second is actual money I’m willing to lose on those shoots. This is a small percentage of my profits for the year. That money can equal travel for those shoots or specialized gear I don’t otherwise need.
I find that what pays off more is shooting closer to home, making solid connections with people who are likely to call you back for such events. Later once you’ve built your network you can focus your attention to shooting MLS, hopefully as a paid work.
It all depends if you’re set up as a business or not. Your last sentence regarding shooting weddings is kind of vague.
You would need to talk to an accountant to get any real advice, but I would imagine they would first ask how you’re currently conducting your photography.
Whether you sell your MLS pictures or not, if you were a legitimate business you could absolutely deduct certain expenses related to that. Working photographers shoot personal work all the time and if it’s in support of their business then there is a path for a write-off (in some capacity.)
Pro-tip: just because you aren’t selling these MLS pictures now, doesn’t mean you can’t sell them later.
This is correct. If you’re doing business as a photographer, just put your allowable and documented MLS photography expenses on your Schedule C (assuming a flow-through LLC or Sole Proprietorship business structure) just like you do with your wedding photo expenses and income.
You don’t have to be turning a profit to deduct business expenses.
You do have to be trying to make a profit in the business.
You do not have to be any good at the job you’re doing.
You don’t have to be any good at running a business.
You do have to follow the law.
You do not have to follow the laws people on Reddit made up in their heads.