Selling prints can be a great way to increase revenue in your photography business. Many photographers start with digital images and later add print sales.
But once you begin selling physical products, a few new financial details come into play.
Understanding the tax considerations for photographers selling prints online can help you avoid surprises during tax season. It also makes it easier to track your income and expenses.
In the video below, I walk through several things photographers should understand when they begin offering prints online.
Quick Summary: Tax Considerations for Photographers Selling Prints Online
If you sell prints through an online gallery or store, pay attention to these areas:
- Understand how sales tax applies to print sales
- Track print income along with your other business income
- Record the cost of goods sold for prints
- Keep track of platform and processing fees
- Maintain organized records throughout the year
When these pieces are organized, selling prints becomes much easier to manage financially.
Why Selling Prints Changes Your Tax Picture
Many photographers begin their business focused on the creative side. That makes sense. Photography is usually the reason you started in the first place.
However, when you begin selling physical products, the business side becomes more involved.
Print sales introduce a few additional pieces to track. These include sales tax, production costs, and platform fees.
Understanding these elements helps you stay organized and confident when reviewing your finances.
Sales Tax and Print Sales
One of the most important tax considerations for photographers selling prints online is sales tax.
In many areas, physical goods are considered taxable products. Prints usually fall into this category.
Whether you must collect sales tax can depend on several factors:
- Your state or local tax laws
- Where your customer is located
- The platform used to sell your prints
Some online gallery platforms or print labs handle sales tax automatically. They may collect and remit the tax on your behalf.
Other platforms require you to manage that responsibility yourself.
If you plan to sell prints regularly, check how your platform handles sales tax so you understand your role as the business owner.
Tracking Print Income
Income from print sales is still considered business income.
That means it should be included when you review your total revenue for the year.
Your photography income may include several sources:
- Client session payments
- Digital image sales
- Print sales from galleries or online stores
Print platforms often deposit smaller payments throughout the year. Because of this, some photographers forget to include those amounts.
Tracking print income consistently helps ensure your financial records stay accurate.
Understanding Cost of Goods Sold
Another important factor when selling prints is cost of goods sold.
This refers to the direct costs required to produce the product you sell.
For photographers, cost of goods sold may include:
- The price of prints from your lab
- Album production costs
- Packaging materials for shipped prints
- Shipping or fulfillment expenses
Tracking these expenses is important because they help offset the income generated from your print sales.
Keeping these numbers organized gives you a clearer picture of your profit.
Platform and Processing Fees
Most photographers sell prints through an online platform or gallery system.
These platforms often include certain fees tied to each sale.
Common examples include:
- Payment processing fees
- Platform commissions
- Service or fulfillment fees
These fees are typically considered business expenses.
Recording them alongside your print sales helps keep your financial records complete.
A Free Resource to Help You Categorize Expenses
When photographers begin selling prints, they often wonder how to categorize these transactions.
This question comes up frequently when reviewing expenses and preparing for tax season.
That is exactly why I created a free resource called 15 Business Tax Category Breakdowns Guide
Inside the guide, I explain common tax categories photographers use. I also share examples of purchases that typically fall into each category.
If you have ever looked at a transaction and wondered where it belongs, this guide can help.
You can download the guide using the link below.
Keeping Your Records Organized
One of the best things you can do when selling prints is keep your records organized throughout the year.
This includes tracking:
- Print sales income
- The cost of producing those prints
- Platform or processing fees
- Any additional expenses related to print orders
When these numbers are organized ahead of time, preparing your finances becomes much easier.
Instead of searching for details during tax season, everything is already documented.
The Big Picture
Selling prints does not have to make your taxes complicated.
It simply means tracking a few additional pieces of information in your business records.
Once you understand these tax considerations for photographers selling prints online, the process becomes much more manageable.
With organized numbers, print sales can become what they should be: a helpful revenue stream for your photography business.
Watch the Full Video
In the full video, I walk through each of these considerations in more detail.
If you currently sell prints, I would love to hear how you handle it.
Do you sell prints through an online gallery, or do you manage orders manually?
XOXO ~ Heather
Frequently Asked Questions About Photographers Selling Prints Online
Do photographers need to collect sales tax on prints?
In many places, prints are considered taxable goods. Photographers may need to collect sales tax depending on their location and platform.
Is income from print sales considered business income?
Yes. Print sales are part of your total photography business income and should be included when reporting your revenue.
What is cost of goods sold for photographers?
Cost of goods sold refers to the direct costs required to produce the products you sell. For photographers, this often includes print lab costs, album production, and packaging.
Are gallery platform fees tax deductible?
Platform fees and payment processing fees are usually considered business expenses. These costs can typically be recorded alongside other business expenses.
And don’t forget to grab my free 15 Business Tax Category Breakdowns Guide to get a head start on organizing your expenses and maximizing your write-offs.
Let’s make this the year you take control of your business finances!
Let’s Prep for Tax Season – Together
Keep more of what you make inside of your business with these 5 key deductions for photographers. I’m sharing all inside of my free class — Maximizing Your Tax Deductions as a Photographer!
Make tracking your numbers easy with my Tax Prep Spreadsheet and ensure that tax season is a breeze.
Transform your passion into a thriving business and unlock success for your photography business with my free guide to setting goals for the first year of your photography business.
Mastering your business taxes starts with understanding the different tax categories. Grab my free tax category guide to take the first step towards stress-free taxes today.
Want taxes to suck less? Learn how to correctly prepare your taxes for your accountant with the Photographer Tax Course – and say hello to a confident and calm tax season!
Don’t know what you don’t know? You’re just 90 minutes from a custom tax prep system with my 1:1 Tax Prep Mentoring sessions!
More HMP Blog Posts for You:
The Difference Between Bookkeeping and Taxes
How to Start Reconciling Your Photography Business (and Why It Matters)
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