Calculate your hourly rate

[kiwi]

Yeah, I know. I'm an enigma. I like being a business, Id love to deduct all my expenses and offset losses etc. I also like the current status quo where I'm not really worried about making money and primarily shoot for fun.

To add possibly more confusion, or clarity

http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.ht.../NAT/ATO/00001

I'll report back after my appointment with my tax man

[maccaroneski]

Surely they are writing about you kiwi:

The pursuit of a hobby (or recreational pursuit, or pastime), is not the carrying on of a business for taxation purposes. Money derived from the pursuit of a hobby is not regarded as income and therefore is not assessable. As was said in Ferguson at ATC 4265; ATR 877:

... if what he is doing is more properly described as the pursuit of a hobby or recreation or an addiction to sport, he will not be held to be carrying on a business, even though his operations are fairly substantial.

I think I saw reference on a toilet wall somewhere about your "operations" being "fairly substantial"

On a more serious note, the situation seems pretty clear cut from that ruling (especially the "Rosalie" example given) - although I used to interpret this type of thing for a living. A good one to take to your tax accountant when you go to get that advice. I used to hate it when people brought me stuff that answered the question that I didn't know about

[enduro]

No, I'm saying charge what you think your photos are worth, as a hobbyist the costs are irrelevent as you'd likely do for free largely anyway, you're not running a p&l, paying tax, declaring expenses etc

If you are a pro you need to know obviously, but not as a hobbyist

HA!

I've never hired a cashy hole digger, tree lopper, mechanic or electrician that thinks that thinks their costs are irrelevant.

If you are shooting photo's and are on the better side of half of good then shoot and charge appropriately. For any industry, there are far too many people out there that can undercharge and either do a crappy job or a maybe a great job and drag down the pay rate of professional photogs or good amateurs.

[chamellieon]

I really only charge for the jobs that are large, or the ones I don't want to do (that don't fall under my interestingness scale). this is sloppy practice i know - but if its cool and i want to be there, im not worried.