more Voice Over Today past issues
VOICE OVER TODAY – March 22, 2005
Helping Voice-Talent Build Careers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Published
by EDGE STUDIO
www.edgestudio.com
New
York training - 212-868-edge
Washington
DC training - 202-398-edge
Connecticut
training - 203-374-edge
Tele-Training
- 888-321-edge
SINCE: 1988
RECOGNIZED: Voice and Speech Trainers Association
MEMBER: Better Business Bureau
SPONSOR: National Public Radio, Recording For The Blind & Dyslexic
VOICE OVER CAREER BUILDING
- training, evaluations, demos, marketing resources, guidance, duplication
PRODUCTION STUDIO & CASTING
- commercial and narration productions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
PRACTICE and DEMO SCRIPTS
$19 www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm
CONVERT YOUR DEMO to MP3
$40 for one demo, $10 each additional demo.
Call 888-321-edge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THIS ISSUE INCLUDES:
1.) Upcoming Events
2.) Attention Talent Agents and Acting Instructors
3.) TAX TIME for VOICE TALENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.) UPCOMING EVENTS
TELE-CLASS
MARKETING NON-UNION Seminar: $79 - March 23, 7pm-9pm
DO VOICE OVER FROM HOME Seminar: $79 - April 18, 6pm-8pm
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $99 - April 25, 12noon-4pm
NEW YORK
ADVANCED TECHNIQUE Workshop: $99 - March 30, 6pm-9pm
PROMO Workshop: $79 - April 6, 7pm-9pm
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $99 - April 13, 6pm-10pm
MARKETING Seminar : $79 - April 27, 7pm-9pm
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $99 - April 28, 9am-1pm
COMPREHENSIVE 3-DAY BREAK-IN EVENT: $999 - May 20, 21, 22
CONNECTICUT
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $99 - April 26, 3pm-7pm
WASHINGTON DC
CHARACTER & ANIMATION Workshop: $159 - May 15, 12pm-4pm
ADVANCED CHARACTER & ANIMATION Workshop: $159 - May 15, 4:30pm-7:30pm
SPECIAL - BOTH CHARACTER WORKSHOPS FOR $275
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $159 - June 20, 12noon-4pm
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION Workshop: $159 - June 20, 6pm-10pm
MARKETING Seminar : $119 - June 21, 9am-11am
DO VOICE OVER FROM HOME Seminar: $119 - June 21, 11:30am-1:30pm
PROMO Workshop: $119 - June 21, 2:30pm-4:30pm
TELEPHONY Workshop: $119 - June 21, 5pm-7pm
INTERESTED?
Please call to participate.
Call us weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge (3343).
IN THE BROWSING MOOD?
www.edgestudio.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
An essential tool for those working in audiobook narration-the
Audiobook
Reference Guide is worth checking out. This comprehensive sourcebook to
the audiobook industry has over 375 listings for audiobook publishers,
producers, and directors-with their contact information.
To order your print copy now for only $49.95 (inc. s/h),
call AudioFile at
800-506-1212 or visit www.audiofilemagazine.com
Be sure to check out the section on Voice Talent-and sign
up for YOUR
listing in the online edition. For info on the Voice Talent listings email
guide@audiofilemagazine.com or visit www.audiofilemagazine.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2.) ATTENTION TALENT AGENTS & ACTING INSTRUCTORS
Edge Studio invites talent agents and acting instructors
to participate
in our Intensive Technique Workshop free (for those out of the NY and
DC
area, we invite you for a free training session via telephone).
This is an opportunity to participate, review, and hopefully
create
alliances with us. Alliances may be as simple as referral programs, and
as
exciting as cross-learning opportunities for those training.
If interested, please call us at 212-868-edge or email
us at info@edgestudio.com
(so we can learn about you, please provide us with your promotional material
(website, brochure, resume, etc).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3.) TAX TIME
VOICE-OVER TAX INFORMATION
Wondering if you can deduct voice-over Training and Marketing
expenses?
We asked an accountant to give us a sound report.
BY SPEAKING ABOUT DIFFERENT BUSINESS TYPES, this article will help you decide how you can deduct business expenses against your income. Please read the disclaimer at the end of this article.
This article will address two points:
* Which voice-over expenses can you deduct?
* Should you incorporate yourself?
What is the right entity for my voice-over business and what about taxes?
There are a myriad of ways a voice over artist can conduct his or her business. The three that make the most sense for most voice over artists are:
a sole proprietorship
a limited liability company (LLC)
an S corporation
Other possibilities include, and are not limited to, partnerships
and c corporations.
The sole proprietorship has the virtue that it is simple to form and that
its income is taxed once at the owner’s individual tax rate. Gross
profit (or loss) for the year is reported on Schedule C (or schedule C-EZ
if certain tests are met) of your Form 1040 and becomes part of your adjusted
gross income.
Profit (or loss) is calculated by deducting all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred by your business from the income that you have received (reported on Form 1099 in box 7 as non-employee compensations) for your voice over jobs.
A word about ordinary and necessary expenses - at the start of your voice over career, the largest expense you probably will incur is the production of your demo (training, workshops, demo production, etc.) and the marketing of your demo (demo copies, mailers, postage, phone bills, etc). These should be deductible on Schedule C as promotional or marketing/advertising expense.
Of course, other expenses such as telephone, postage, professional publications,
travel, and printing of business cards are also deductible.
Another potential deductible item is home office space. While office space used primarily for business is not deductible, office space used exclusively for business purposes is. (Note that office space not used exclusively for your marketing endeavors may be deductible to a percentage, for example, if your office space takes up 10% of your home, then 10% of your rent/mortgage may be deductible.)
Some items are not deductible, such as clothing purchased for voice over sessions. Even buying a nice suit to meet new clients is not deductible, because clothing is adaptable to general wear.
You will, in addition to owing income tax, usually be liable for self-employment tax and will have to make quarterly estimated tax payments as well. The sole proprietorship is not a separate legal or taxable entity from its owner, does not require a separate transfer of assets and does not limit your personal liability for the debts of the business- your individual assets remain at risk.
An LLC is formed under the applicable state’s limited liability company statute. A one owner LLC is generally taxed as a sole proprietorship. Although the tax consequences of a single-member LLC and sole proprietorship are the same, an LLC provides its owner liability protection not available to a sole proprietorship – your assets are not at risk.
An S corporation is a business entity which has the same advantage of limited liability as a shareholder in a regular or C corporation. Unlike an LLC there are restrictions on an S corporation’s capital structure and on who may be a member. An S corporation’s income, gain, loss and deductions pass through to its shareholders and are reported on individual tax returns. Income is generally taxed at the individual level, but in certain states S corporations are subject to state and/or local jurisdiction taxes as well.
Important information:
If you are not incorporated, and earned $600 or more from a payor, that payor must send you a 1099misc form by January 31st 2005. If you should have received one, but did not, call that payor. Note that the payor should also send a copy of the form to the IRS.
Taxes must be mailed out on or before April 15, 2005 unless an extension is requested.
IRS tax help-line = 800-829-1040
IRS tax forms and distribution center = 800-829-3676
IRS on-line tax order form = http://www.irs.gov
disclaimer:
This article is intended to provide general guidelines on matters of interest to voice over artists. The application and impact of tax laws can be very complex and vary widely from case to case. Readers are encouraged to seek professional advice concerning specific matters before making any decisions. The author and publisher disclaim any responsibility for positions taken by taxpayers in their individual situations. This article was updated March 9, 2005.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
NYU-trained screenwriter-filmmaker needs voiceover artists to read aloud 1) produced full-length screenplays (American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, etc.) and 2) drafts of his own full-length screenplay. 3-hour sessions. Straight reading of all text. No acting/voiceplay. Readings are held in his small Chelsea studio apartment on weekends and weeknights. No pay, but good practice accurately cold reading screenplay text and taking direction. Email slaymakerb@sullcrom.com for 1-page audition, which can be done by phone. (Full-length readings usually done in person, but can be done by phone.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A DEMO?
We're always searching for new talent.
Please email your MP3 demo to: demosubmission@edgestudio.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A WEBSITE?
Adding active links on your website can expand your profile while
increasing search-engine results. Take this opportunity to add a link
to
Edge Studio. Visit www.edgestudio.com/link.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WANT TO ADVERTISE in Voice Over Today?
Results have been great!
Email info@edgestudio.com or call us weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
send an email, with your old email address in the subject line to:
VoiceOverToday-change@edgestudio.com
for example:
from: joe@new-address.com
subject: joe@old-address.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE
send a blank email to:
VoiceOverToday-off@edgestudio.com
TO CONTACT VOICE OVER TODAY'S MANAGER
send your message to:
listmaster@edgestudio.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2005, Edge Studio, LLC. All rights reserved.
This article is
protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws
and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly,
in
any medium without the prior written permission of Edge Studio, LLC.