LEGAL: DBA Policy Questions

Discussion in 'Traditional Publishing' started by Miss Red, Feb 22, 2015.

  1. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I only know it because I've been self employed for more than 20 years, and when my son was in college he didn't file one year when he made less than $600.
     
  2. Miss Red

    Miss Red Member

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    To sum it up -

    - Research your local DBA, Licensing and Self Employment (and other legal) regulations and policies for your writing career, especially if you write under a pen name

    - If someone earns less then some and such under a name or pen name, (400 dollars to 600 dollars and up, but check your local laws) it's probably not necessary to file out a DBA or similiar right away (selling ebooks, etc.)

    - Make sure all legal information is set up properly, up to date and ready to go (license, ssn number, tax id numer, etc.)

    - Check with the publisher, ebook retailer and any other applicable third party for specific questions (Paypal? The website to one's bank?)

    - Be ready to disclose your legal name and information to publishers and retailers, and ask if anonymity is available (and as stated above, also ask them if a DBA or research on DBAs or similiar is recommended)

    - Pen names are already common. DBA's in most cases might not be necessary for beginners

    I think that's most of what I got from the thread. Anything else am I missing? Sorry If it seems like I'm skipping over a lot of other sutff. Mortages and different types of income and all this business and finiancial talk is sort of intimidating to my feeble night-time, sleep starved brain.
     
  3. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Just a minor correction: These are federal tax laws, not "local" laws unless by local you mean the country you live in.

    You don't need a DBA to report self-employment income. You may need a DBA to be able to deposit checks in a bank made out to your business name. (A pen name is only a business name if someone is writing checks to your pen name.)
     
  4. Miss Red

    Miss Red Member

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    Ah, thanks for the clarification. : )

    --------------------

    On an unrelated note, I got information back from a Support guy on one ebook retailer specifically, Smashwords.

    Plus, you can have both a Pen Name and confidential Payee information on Smashwords, so both Paypal, Smashwords and the Bank SHOULD know who's making money and what Pen Name their assigned too.
     

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