The Tax man cometh

Before I begin let me state at the start I look at a photographers portfolio rather than if they say pro semi pro or am, it's the quality of work that counts. I have many amateur photographers that use the studio that technically they could turn pro easily, but like the job they have and enjoy their hobby photography. The government has declared a crack down on the black economy and that means models and photographers earning money and not declaring it. With the plethora of photographer and model sites it is easy for IR to look through and photographers who are semi pro are stating they are earning income from photography so ensure you are declaring it. The person who works weekdays and then does weddings at week ends for cash is exactly the type they are looking for.

All the professional models I work with have bookkeepers as do the pro photographers and make up artists. So be warned as the IR will simply tell you how much they think you owe them and it will be up to you to prove you don't.

I'm sure this will generate an interesting discussion, but legally professional photographer means you earn all or the majority of your income from photography. Semi pro means your main income comes from other sources, but you still earn some income from photography which needs to be declared. The same for models.