Alexei Fomin wrote:
So i got a letter from OMP a few days ago saying renew or else. what a shame, cuz i liked them so much! for a while at least. then my mentor pointed me here and i just realized when i got that email that i hadn't been on omp in a few months. anyone else dropped their omp because they like mayhem better?

Yep

The Don Mon wrote:
nope

you never know whos looking where and its tax deductable

it's only tax deductible if it's your declared business. i have lost more than i have made, so i only declare my kitchen jobs on my taxes.

Craig Thomson wrote:
This is my second online profile, the first was on musecube and withing two months of joining there, they started charging so I went out with the bath water if you will.

A model I know told a few of us about this place 6 months before I decided to join...
When I came here and looked around there were like 300 accounts and I laughed....


Opps, my bad

I'll stay to continue to network as long as it remains free.

I did the same thing, a model told me about this site, I came in and there wasnt that many. I even remember telling the model that it wouldnt last long enough to get more than 5000 people. Forgot about it and then came back and not even a month after I joined the membership skyrocketed into the teens. For shame on me for not believing in the site. *looks around* Psst....moderators I said what you told me, can you take the shackles off now... j/k I meant each word.

Alexei Fomin wrote:

it's only tax deductible if it's your declared business. i have lost more than i have made, so i only declare my kitchen jobs on my taxes.

you claim it as a start up for 3-5 years
and yes it is tax deductable and everything related as long as you receive money from it.
your not a professional unless you collect money. i do .

The Don Mon wrote:

you claim it as a start up for 3-5 years
and yes it is tax deductable and everything related as long as you receive money from it.
your not a professional unless you collect money. i do .

money under the table. makes life easier. i have spent about 10,000 on photography in the past 3 years or so, and only got paid about 1000 in the 3 years, if that. most of that was in student newspapers, so yeah it got taxed. then there was the volunteer stuff, more costs. pro? no, not close. but maybe in a few years after i finish school.

Alexei Fomin wrote:
So i got a letter from OMP a few days ago saying renew or else. what a shame, cuz i liked them so much! for a while at least. then my mentor pointed me here and i just realized when i got that email that i hadn't been on omp in a few months. anyone else dropped their omp because they like mayhem better?

I just renewed OMP but only as a basic member for $10.00/yr . For me it wasn't the the $79.95 silver membership. I started with OMP when they were FREE , then upgraded to Silver status
I do refer OMP members to see me on MM. Though I can't mention Model Mayhem on OMP., I do give my member number for MM. MM is a cool site , even if it goes pay (within reason and not having models with a  FREE membership ..  while all others PAY $$$)

Alexei Fomin wrote:
money under the table. makes life easier. i have spent about 10,000 on photography in the past 3 years or so, and only got paid about 1000 in the 3 years, if that. most of that was in student newspapers, so yeah it got taxed. then there was the volunteer stuff, more costs. pro? no, not close. but maybe in a few years after i finish school.

i got 4 grand back last year your expenses that you lost are deductable everything from gas/
cell phone /web-sites /dsl-cable internet access / film-if using /printing /computer/new gear...
up keep on your car / tires / trips - hotel-plane-lunch/dinners etc

i lost alot for the first 2 years didnt think about deducting until 2 years ago ... what a difference

Craig Thomson wrote:
This is my second online profile, the first was on musecube and withing two months of joining there, they started charging so I went out with the bath water if you will.

I'll stay to continue to network as long as it remains free.

Musecube's decision to charge was internet suicide. I jumped ship when they started charging photographers too. They claimed they were going to seriously upgrade the site and they have done absolutely nothing. I went back there a month ago to start a free 10 day trial account for the hell of it. They sent me a notice that the account would expire with 2 days left. But now it's been 4 weeks since I started it & the account is still fully active. And concerning MM... if they start charging, I'm gone.

The Don Mon wrote:

i got 4 grand back last year your expenses that you lost are deductable everything from gas/
cell phone /web-sites /dsl-cable internet access / film-if using /printing /computer/new gear...
up keep on your car / tires / trips - hotel-plane-lunch/dinners etc

i lost alot for the first 2 years didnt think about deducting until 2 years ago ... what a difference

I know I'm chiming in late, but Don Mon is absolutely right. Keep ALL your reciepts. It doesn't matter if you are losing money or not.

One thing he didn't mention is that if you own your home, you can deduct the room you use for your studio or darkroom (digital or traditional). It's great! Just make sure you don't use it as your bedroom or bathroom too - the IRS will definately get sore about that. It has to be a dedicated enclosed room.

You can also deduct Photoshop! Assuming you bought your copy.

Deducting your mileage is easy - but keep track for the IRS. I tape my gas reciepts in a book. Write down how far I drove, which model I was shooting, the tolls I paid, etc. To get your deduction amount you mutiply the miles driven by the national reimbursement average which is... I'm not sure actually. It's close to $0.41 per mile. That's a LOT of money.

If you're like me and travel to other cities to shoot models - you can deduct your plane, train, subway and bus fares a whopping 100% !!!! Because of this I stopped driving to cities further than three hours away. I just take the train or bus because I know I can deduct all of it.

If you stop off on the highway to eat - keep that reciept to. 50% of that cost is deductable.

I had a second phone line installed just for internet (no DSL where I live). But it's strictly for my photography. So it's deductable too (along with my AT&T internet account)

If you are like me and pay for your own health insurance - the premiums are 100% deductable.

I'm not crazy about our current president, but I have to admit his 2003 tax map made things a whole heck of a lot nicer for the small business person in terms of deductions.

Tim Baker wrote:

Yep

Yep.

Kiran Patil wrote:

I know I'm chiming in late, but Don Mon is absolutely right. Keep ALL your reciepts. It doesn't matter if you are losing money or not.

One thing he didn't mention is that if you own your home, you can deduct the room you use for your studio or darkroom (digital or traditional). It's great! Just make sure you don't use it as your bedroom or bathroom too - the IRS will definately get sore about that. It has to be a dedicated enclosed room.

You can also deduct Photoshop! Assuming you bought your copy.

Deducting your mileage is easy - but keep track for the IRS. I tape my gas reciepts in a book. Write down how far I drove, which model I was shooting, the tolls I paid, etc. To get your deduction amount you mutiply the miles driven by the national reimbursement average which is... I'm not sure actually. It's close to $0.41 per mile. That's a LOT of money.

If you're like me and travel to other cities to shoot models - you can deduct your plane, train, subway and bus fares a whopping 100% !!!! Because of this I stopped driving to cities further than three hours away. I just take the train or bus because I know I can deduct all of it.

If you stop off on the highway to eat - keep that reciept to. 50% of that cost is deductable.

I had a second phone line installed just for internet (no DSL where I live). But it's strictly for my photography. So it's deductable too (along with my AT&T internet account)

If you are like me and pay for your own health insurance - the premiums are 100% deductable.

I'm not crazy about our current president, but I have to admit his 2003 tax map made things a whole heck of a lot nicer for the small business person in terms of deductions.

Don Mon is right, yes, but you do need to be able to show at one point that this is a real business, generating revenues, though not necessarily a profit (or better, necessarily not a profit).

Alexei Fomin wrote:
So i got a letter from OMP a few days ago saying renew or else. what a shame, cuz i liked them so much! for a while at least. then my mentor pointed me here and i just realized when i got that email that i hadn't been on omp in a few months. anyone else dropped their omp because they like mayhem better?

I have both.
plus modelplace.
I actively maintain all three.
MM's the most comfortable feeling, and I spend more time here; MP's second; OMP's the most "serious" feeling, less fun to its attitude.