Loading... Is article writing income (Hubpages etc.) considered 'business' or 'self employed' when filing taxes

I would say self employed since most people don't fill out paperwork at their city/county treasurer's office or actually have a business license as a writer.

Wouldn't the answer be both? I consider myself as a self-employed small business owner. Other people have other jobs and this is just a small side business.

Either way, I believe that you have to fill out a Schedule C when filing taxes. I've filled out a Schedule C for several years now. Unless you fill out special paperwork to reorganize your business (partnership, LLC, corporation, etc.) you are considered to be a sole proprietorship. In most locations, you don't have to do anything special like get a business license or anything like that to say that you are operating a business as a sole proprietorship.

Writers on HubPages are doing freelance work, which is a form of self-employment. None of are employees of HubPages.

If it's work that you get paid for - or hope to get paid for - then it is income. And being self-employed IS running your own business. I have gotten paid from other writing gigs, but I haven't yet found the knack of it here on HubPages. I am, however, dedicating some more time and effort into figuring it out, so hopefully that will change. Soon.

However, one beauty of being a writer, tax-wise, is that writers are given preferential treatment by the IRS. We aren't expected to necessarily make a profit as we first start off. But we are allowed to have expenses and take all of the legitimate deductions that the tax code allows. The IRS allows writers to operate at a loss for a good number of years, unlike many ordinary businesses.

Talk to a tax professional about this. Do it right, and you can deduct any legitimate writing expense. If you have a home office, it's deductible. If you write about travel and food, some of those expenses are deductible. For example, if you plan to come up with a new recipe, the cost of the ingredients to prepare it might be deductible. Research expenses are deductible. Travel writers are allowed to write off some of their travel expenses. Be smart and be creative. You should be able to do that pretty easily - you're a writer!

If you are going to be serious about writing, find a knowledgeable tax professional and schedule an appointment (another deductible expense). From my meetings with them, the key is to make sure you have proof and can legitimately justify your deductions. Document, document, document! Again, this shouldn't be too hard since that's what writers do - document! It has worked out well for me, tax-wise.

If you are writing articles yourself then it's a self-employed situation. But if you are doing it at a scale that you have to hire some other writers as well, then it's considered as business.

It is in the United States. Profits are subject to self-employment taxes.