Do I need a license to be a freelance writer?
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Category: Freelance Writer Help
I’m thinking about becoming a freelance writer. the questions I need answers to are…
1.Where do I buy the license?
2.How do I pay taxes for my writing business?
3. How much does a business license cost?
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licence ? to be a writer i have never heard of one personaly . i don’t see why you’d need one to be a freelance writer . unless i’m wrong , who knows .
You don’t need a business license to write. What you DO do is claim the income on your taxes it’s added in on the same line as your income from your regular job.
A business license would be needed if you were selling items, have a store, do regular physical work for someone like being a plumber, but a writer and most artists just need to put their income on the tax forms, you don’t need a separate license for it. You’re not the sole proprietor of a business, you’re THE business. There’s a difference.
I was a freelance writer for over 2 years (online only – web content), and I have never even heard of a license for a writer.
As per your questions:
1. Already answered
2. You’ll either need to keep tabs on your earnings or hire somebody to do it for you — taxes will not be taken out of your earnings.
3. No cost
Now, I suppose that if you performed enough work for a certain individual or company, they may actually send you a 1099 at the beginning of the next tax season, but likely you’ll have to deal with your own taxes completely. I advise paying quarterly to avoid a huge IRS bill come next year.
I am assuming, however, that you are in the USA.