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I have counterpoint. When your schedule is empty, you have no performance history, and people aren't smitten with your youtube or recordings, then I see playing for free as a viable way of getting started -- provided the musicians go along with it. In your case, you are not in favor, so I would, as BL, keep you on as a sub and find someone to do the free gig coming up. It would be good to have your for times when people aren't available, in the event you book a paying gig, etcetra. You can't have too many musicians available for all sorts of situations!
Also, I just finished a string of about 14 gigs in December. Guess where these gigs came from? A marketing assistant at a local company saw us playing for peanuts at a local restaurant and hired us. Now, 4 years and about 40 gigs later we are still getting repeat bookings from that client.
So, getting your name out there is important, and when you don't have anything on the books. And I don't think it's good to have an inflated opinion of your band at first. I played for free a few times in our first year -- we agreed as a band we would do three freebies provided there was a strong business purpose in the free gig. So, putting a limit on it, and picking situations where there are people there with money and inclination to hire you is a good thing to do, even for low or non-existent pay. Just don't blow the bottom out of the market by playing free gigs you could in fact get paid for. You have to be able to size up the client.
first question, is wheres the 1065, partnership tax information. Even without a written agreement, most bands are parterships. tell him, treat me like a limited partner.
Otherwise, you can expect minimum wage for rehearsals, travel time, mobilization, demobilization.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
So you aren't paying tax on your music income - don't complain. Cash income is taxable.
easiest place is line21 1040.
To me being given a 1099 for work in a band says I am not a band member, Lets say the band records and makes it big, unless you have it in writing, you get no royalties. If you get the 1065, unless you have it in writing, theroyalties are implied.
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Are you guys an originals or cover band?
Also, Pau Ferro has a great point.
In my opinion, take a lot of the things you read around here with a grain of salt.
Also, Pau Ferro has a great point.
In my opinion, take a lot of the things you read around here with a grain of salt.
They (all the other band members) had a Whatsapp group and I was not included.
what's the deal on giving the band members a 1099? What is a 1099?
In general terms I see your point as the BL can't show the bank any better income from band activities with or without tax information on what the band got paid, only his own income.
A 1099 is a tax form provided to subcontractors and to the IRS indicating gross annual income.
That poster (not Fdeck) is upset because up to this point they have been successfully evading tax liability.
A 1099 issued will create a flag at IRS and they will now need to self report and remit appropriate federal income taxes or face the consequences.
I guess by "be proactive" I meant you should ask what the gigs pay. Up front, early in the process, not six months down the road.
And that's pretty weird that they had a meeting of that importance and left you out. Maybe the problems went even deeper than you realized?
Well, according to the BL since we were not good we should not charge a cent, I totally disagreed immediately. A few free gigs is okay with me, buuut at least 4 events, private parties, etc in the near future without any money involved - not acceptable imo.
Not only 4, but ALL events would be played for free. I respect those engineers, accountants, doctors, etc who EXPLICITLY HAVE ALL AGREED to do it free of charge. Cool. What about having your BL tell you that "We have an event with a crowd of 400 to 600 people ($80 per person at the door) we have to give it a 110%" -"Cool, how much for each one of us?" "Oh, we're not good so we can charge a cent...blah blah blah"
In case he was given an advance he had to give it back. Mmm,sorry.
Dont hold a grudge, you will meet all types of people in this line of work, the sooner you learn and not let it affect your playing and overall attitude the better.
I get it. I once did a gig for free and then found out they'd raised $50,000. they could have thrown $500 our way. We had no personal investment in their cause....it was just free labor.
For musicians, it's a 1099-MISC that is for miscellaneous income and no tax withholding. Last tax year (2016) if you paid people $600 or more you had to give them a 1099 and forward the same documents to the state and federal governments too. It's a hassle to get the forms. I have to order them from the IRS although I heard Turbotax gives you a way of printing them. Last year I had to 1099 six cats who had earned as much as a couple thousand each. And I do that because I want to claim all that as an expense on my own income taxes. I report the gross revenue, all the expenses (most of which is to other musicians), along with small equipment purchases and my marketing expenses. And then pay tax on the income before tax. Musicians who earn less than the threshold are on the honor system to report their income on their tax returns without any paperwork from me, or any sent to the government by me to hold them to it...
1099's are due this year on January 31st. I am waiting for the forms to come in the mail so I can invest a morning in figuring out who crossed the threshold (whatever it is in 2017), get their social numbers, addresses, fill out the forms, and mail them to them. You can dowload and print black and white copies for the musicians, but the ones that go to the IRS have to be on a special machine readable form. Took me a 1/2 hour to figure out how to get the forms this year. Silly government. All for their own convenience half the time.
it's a case for having a network of guys all booking gigs and receiving the income from clients, and then paying a bunch of musicians. That way no one hits the threshold from any one source. But we don't do it. I end up being the the guy that is the epicenter of receiving revenue and paying the musicians, and with that comes all this administrative overhead. It makes me feel good about the fact I take a bit off the top to compensate me for my time spent in this drugerous task. Which I detest every year at this time. Once I was late and a musician had already filed their taxes. His wife was made because it cost him money file an amendment.
And then there are the guys who won't play if you 1099 them. They go to the bottom of the call list as I'm not paying their taxes. Something I address in my orientation video.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
One time I won't agree with you. If you agree to do a benefit, it's a benefit. All the better it was a success. Also, you pay the band, and the waiters, and the MC, and all the volunteers, suddenly you didn't raise so much money.
. One time I WILL agree with you. If you don't keep good records, you can get screwed in an audit. Moreover, people should be paying taxes on all their income - tax evasion is tax evasion, whether it is a musician or waiter declaring some cash, or some businessperson hiding $1,000,000.
I suspect with 50k raised it was a professionally run fundraiser and the waiters etc got theirs, just the band left off the payroll because people feel fine about not paying for live music.
