Tax Tips - Online earning

Many people wonder if they are required to report the profits they earn online. The short answer is "yes".

If you do business online, whether it's selling on eBay, affiliate marketing, selling a service, or direct selling, it's taxable income. This is true even if you think you just have a hobby.

Generally, any income you receive from all sources is subject to U.S. income tax unless it is specifically exempt by law (hint: online profits are not exempt by law). That means that a lot of activities that you might not think of as taxable, such as garage sale income, gambling winnings, and online businesses are taxable.

You must file a tax return if your net earnings from self employment are $400 or more. You are self employed if you carry on a trade or business for profit. If you are selling on eBay with the intent of making a profit, then you are self employed.

To report your earnings, you should file Form 1040, and attach Schedule C or C-EZ. Schedule C is used to calculate your net profit or loss from your business, which is then reported on your Form 1040.

At this point, you may be thinking "I don't run a business; I just have a hobby". Unfortunately, income from hobbies is taxable as well. Even worse, you can only deduct expenses up to your hobby income, which means losses are not deductible.

There are several tax advantages to doing business online. Personal expenses, such as the use of your car, home or computer may become partially deductible, retirement savings plans can shelter part of your eBay income from taxes, and you may be able to hire your family to help shift income to members in a lower tax bracket. So even if you only earn a little money online, not only are you required to report your earnings, it may even help you reduce your income taxes by taking advantage of tax opportunities available only to small business owners.

Finally, there is a common misconception that if you did not receive a 1099 or W-2, you are not required to report your income. This is not true. All income is reportable, regardless of whether you receive a form or not.

To learn more about how your online income is taxable, and what expenses you can deduct, please sign up for the free "Your Top Tax Questions Answered" teleseminar this Thursday, February 14.