You can see I'm rather green about business matters. Thanks for any help you can provide.
-- Joseph
Dear Joseph,
I subscribe to the KIS philosophy, and to keep it simple would mean you operate as a sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship does not require you to set up any formal organization. In its most basic form, a sole proprietorship is just another source of income that may have some associated expenses or deductions. Tax-wise, it's quite similar to an LLC. That is, you're basically in the same position as an LLC member when it comes to your overall tax bill. By overall tax bill, I mean income, self-employment taxes and the availability of tax deductions and credits.
As a sole proprietor, you can function under your own name or create a fictitious name. A fictitious name could be the title of the book (it would still be considered fictitious even though the book is nonfiction) registered to you as the individual owner. In most states, fictitious names are registered with the Secretary of State's Division of Corporations. A fictitious name registration basically makes a public record of the persons behind the name for purposes of process service (i.e., if someone sues you).
When the book becomes profitable and you begin to distribute moneys to the other authors, you'll need to secure their tax identification numbers by requesting they complete IRS Form W-9. If you pay them more than $600 during the tax year, you'll need to issue them a Form 1099-Misc. From the income you receive on the book, you would deduct your startup costs (in the year the book is published) and amounts paid to your collaborators. You would pay income and self-employment tax on the net profits.
Good luck on your book.
Get more news, money-saving tips and expert advice by signing up for a free Bankrate newsletter.
Ask the adviser
To ask a question on Tax Talk, go to the "Ask the Experts" page and select "Taxes" as the topic. Read more Tax Talk columns.
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. Taxpayers should seek professional advice based on their particular circumstances.
Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate's Terms of Use.