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Messages - ArenaCreative

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1
I still haven't received my final payout of $122.19, but I have just contacted their support email.  Anyone else still waiting?

2
DepositPhotos / Re: Vistaprint and Depositphotos changes
« on: January 19, 2022, 22:25 »
Anyone else have Depositphotos demanding an updated tax document from them suddenly?  I had to resubmit an updated scan of drivers license, and put the EIN number under the social spot on the form - they wouldn't accept it the other way.  No clue why.

3
DepositPhotos / Re: Revenue Share Special Program
« on: July 21, 2021, 07:55 »
I came here because I don't know what to make of this email either...

I've already lost interest.  Back to life.

4
123RF / Re: Do you make $100/month at 123RF?
« on: March 08, 2021, 14:10 »
I've always been paid on time, usually around 15th, or maybe a day or 2 later.

Thanks for your feedback.  Elaine from support just got back to me... I feel silly.  I had forgotten I switched to Skrill payout, and that has a $100 minimum payment.  OOPS.  I guess I will be seeing my payout very shortly.

5
123RF / Re: Do you make $100/month at 123RF?
« on: March 03, 2021, 10:51 »
Anybody else having funny business in regards to the payments not coming through?  My last 6 months earnings have yet to be paid.  It's not much, but it adds up to over $100.

I've contacted support.

6
Shutterstock.com / Re: Shutterstock just became iStock 2.0
« on: May 28, 2020, 16:11 »
Whatever this means for our royalties, they are getting so low nowadays that who the heck even cares... I would encourage anyone who does microstock for a full time living (if that is even possible, in this day and age) to drastically re-think their priorities in life.  You have zero control over anything.  Find a business model that you have more control over, and pursue that.

7
People who pronounce it like the peanut butter, are usually serial killers and rapists.  ;D

8
Cutcaster / Re: Cutcaster Closing, Sat. April 25, 2020.
« on: April 23, 2020, 13:05 »
I think it is a real sign of an ethical person to allow us to ask for any remaining balance before it finally closes. I had about $9 over there - so thanks John for this. After losing $80 or so with Crestock (yes, my own fault for never going to the site), it is refreshing to see a different approach.

Steve

Amen, to that.  Jon was always a stand up guy.  I have a lot of respect for him - he was always a pleasure to deal with.

9
Last time I went to an accountant for him to review my return, he offered me a job.  I laughed and thanked him, and he just gave me a few pointers on some added deductions.  I'm not paying the CPA's what they want for an advanced return like mine, not here in CT.  $400 is a bargain... here, try $2000+.  I've been doing my own taxes for over 20 years as well, and at this point I'd rather spend the time and make sure I'm doing it right.  It also allows me last minute changes, and I review all of my steps 10 times over. 

10
123RF / Re: US Tax form 1099 from 123RF
« on: April 15, 2020, 13:31 »
I have emailed them repeatedly for it. I even called this morning and they hung up on me. I called back and he put me through to voice mail.

I waited 2 months to file waiting for 123rf MISC -1099 and today I had to file. I did not want to file an extension with my state.

Every other agency is perfect but them. So I'm sure on April 16 they will have it out and then I will have to file an amended return to update the new 1099. (I've reported the income but it is just in another section of my schedule C).

Exactly.  I am honestly reporting the income anyways (it's on my PayPal 1099-K) so I emailed them and told them to not issue a 1099 for me.  If they decide to do so, they will just be showing the IRS how irresponsible they are.  The thing is, on the IRS website it even states that if they are paying with a credit card, then they wouldn't even have to 1099.  Zazzle told me the same thing this year, that they don't need to issue one (even though they did send me one last year).

At this point, I will be glad when all of my microstock income dries up, just so I no longer have to deal with any of the hassle.  I'm down to about 6 agencies that actually 1099 me, and the rest fall into the 1099-K from Paypal.  For the amount of aggravation that it is to chase down these companies to properly provide us with tax documentation (which legally, should have been done by the end of January...) it just adds extra work, time, and drama. 

11
It's a nightmare, if you don't file it right.  You have to make a line item on Schedule C for "duplicate reported income" or something along those lines.  I have to re-check my previous year's tax return every year that I file, because I forget.  One year I was soft-audited and it said I had owed 5 figures in back taxes.  HA!  If only.  It happened to me 2 years in a row, until I figured out how to correct it.

Hey there, thanks for that tip.  Still wondering how to handle it this year. If you find the specifics again, could you please share?

Other expenses section on the Schedule C, where you can enter your own description - here is what I've been doing about the past 4-5 years and with no more issues:
"Duplicate 1099-MISC Income (Received Through Paypal)"  - then enter the total you've earned through 1099's that also have been sent to you via PayPal.  Another options is here, but it's basically the same thing I just mentioned:  https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/if-i-have-a-1099-k-and-a-1099-misc-for-the-same-income-do-i-not-include-it-on-the-1099-k/00/121801

Done.

As for how to get out of the double-reported soft audit, it's a pain in the balls.  You have to screenshot all your paypal transactions showing the payments from each agency that sent you money that way.  It took me like a week, that's why I said it was a nightmare.  You will never make this mistake ever again.

I'm not an accountant, but I found this method somewhere on the web from a random CPA.  I'm not paying someone $2500 to prepare my taxes, not when all they do is enter it into a computer program.  I'm still the one that has to get them all of the figures, and that's what takes the most time anyway. 

12
123RF / Re: US Tax form 1099 from 123RF
« on: April 11, 2020, 13:04 »
Anyone get their 1099 for 2019 tax year yet?  I just emailed Alex.  I love how we have to chase down 1099s for piddly amounts every year.  I should be on top of this at the beginning of February of each year, but life happens. 

13
It's a nightmare, if you don't file it right.  You have to make a line item on Schedule C for "duplicate reported income" or something along those lines.  I have to re-check my previous year's tax return every year that I file, because I forget.  One year I was soft-audited and it said I had owed 5 figures in back taxes.  HA!  If only.  It happened to me 2 years in a row, until I figured out how to correct it. 

14
Quote

I have a feeling that it is better to upload the works on youtube and offer to others free. At least I will be able to make a audience and earn from advertising what seems to me to be more safer and fairer than selling at a bargain price.


Assume that i need a green screen train window scene and i search youtube for a free version. I get your clip, like your clip, subscribe after your cta and poof! I am gone. Even if i subscribe i will never check regularly until i will need another clip that i will first search in Youtube search bar and this is negative for your channel's growth as long as you need constant and loyal viewers. Perhaps you want to reconsider on advertisement profits :)

It's more about how many hours your videos are getting viewed.  The subscriber count is a lot easier to attain.  You have to have content people want to view.  Then leave the advertising to YouTube, there is a "butt for every seat".  They will fill whatever type of content you have, with advertisers who want to put their message there. 

The YouTube partner program isn't as easy to get into as it was before.  You need a crap-ton of viewing hours (over 10,000 within the last year).  I used to earn some small side income from my youtube channel, until they booted me from it. I've got over the required 1000 subscribers on my channel, but not the amount of viewing hours.  Product placement is important, and brand influencers help out a lot.  If you were a stock footage producer and wanted to get the word out about your work, all you'd have to do is make a deal with a big video-editing channel with a nice following.  Either send them some free clips, or offer them an affiliate program.  Set your work up on your own website, and send the traffic there to license it direct.  It's not as tough as you might think.  I do it with physical goods now, as I'm tired of competing in the super-saturated digital content market.

15
Many of the best businesses are created by someone filling a need they had themselves.  Adobe got on board with the microstock game really late, and they will continue to try and claw at Shutterstock's client base.

Good for Jon.  I appreciate what he did because it gave me a full-time, home-based income over the years.  His vision and platform helped me to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in income for my family.  Show the guy some respect - it's totally his prerogative if he wants to do something else. 

I highly doubt Jon will be reading this thread.  If he does, please know that it's been a fun run while it lasted.

16
123RF / Re: Is it the end of 123rf
« on: January 30, 2020, 13:58 »
It is not the end of 123RF, it is the end of microstock.

THIS ^^^ and if you haven't figured that out within the last 3-5 years you're in "that river over in Egypt".

Naysayers told us back in 2008 that the wave was going to crash, but some of us killed it during those years and made a really nice living.  At this point, there is no point in pissing in the wind, or beating a dead horse.  Microstock will only be a fond memory for me now.  From what I earn from my dwindling returns, at least it still helps to pay for some of our bills, after taxes.  At its prime, I used to earn 7-8x what I earn now on my 10,000 image portfolio.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.

17
This thread needs more gifs.

18
Shutterstock.com / Re: Zero sales of new files
« on: October 16, 2019, 13:06 »
On my last 34 images uploaded to SS (mid to late August) I had 4 downloads.  I've earned a whopping $1.52  ::) So glad I wasted those 2-3 hours of my life editing, keywording, uploading. 

Microstock is a dead horse, so there is no point in continuing to beat it. 


19
General Stock Discussion / Re: What's happening with Yuri Acrus?
« on: September 10, 2019, 13:38 »
Yuri is a smart guy, and I'm sure he's putting his business efforts and energies wherever they are most worthwhile.  I don't know him personally.  This Microstock model got saturated fast, in a period within 8-10 years... and at this point in my book this wave has crashed.  I resubmitted like 40 previous rejects to Shutterstock the middle of last month.  36 got approved.  In the last month I've earned .38 cents off them.  WOOOAH try not to get overly excited, now.  Why on earth would I waste my time trying to re-ignite microstock sales!?  This model has gone to crap, and I have no idea how or why most pro photographers are still submitting.

I've moved on to other eCommerce pursuits now, but if I had to do it all over again I would have hired photographers to shoot for me, cull, edit, and upload back in the 2006-2010 era.  Letting go of the control that I couldn't let go of, and investing into the business a bit more by adding freelance employees.  I'd now be retired at age 36, and living simply off my hard work.  Hindsight vision is 20/20, yada yada - I still feel blessed for the journey and the income opportunity over the past 13 years.  Everything I've learned will transfer over to many other areas of my life.  My biggest struggle has always been time-management, and still remains to be... (oh wait, I'm on an internet forum again...?? oops)

20
Shutterstock.com / Re: Worst month on shutterstock
« on: July 01, 2019, 06:43 »
My January was down $100 from Feb.
Then $20 less each month, from Feb, to March, to April, to May, to June.

I haven't submitted anything in the last 4 years.  This is to be expected, but I might start uploading some backlog stuff here and there just to see what happens.  I'll most likely be working for 50 cents an hour... it I tall up my earning by the end of 2020. ::)

Remember too that it's the summer slow-down.  Folks go on vacation, and whatnot.  eCommerce, eBay, and Amazon sales are hurting too right now. 

21
The ugly side of crowd-sourcing that we heard about back in 2005 has been showing its face for too long.  In my opinion, no matter how little these agencies decide to pay for content, they will still have no lack of new content.  For every contributor that wants to try and safeguard their royalties, there are 100 others who are thirsty and motivated; living in 3rd world countries (with good enough technology to create stock) and thankful for anything they can get.

Best wishes with your endeavors - many contributors like myself have simply stopped contributing across the board, and are just replacing the dwindling royalty payments with other commercial work. 


22
123RF / Re: US Tax form 1099 from 123RF
« on: March 21, 2019, 07:32 »
Just to update this, 123rf just got back to me.  It's all about getting to the right department, I guess.  Alex got me to Eric, and then 24 hours later - 1099-MISC is in my inbox.  Thankfully MSG comes through again, as I wouldn't have been able to find alex's email had it not been for this forum!  alex @ 123rf.com

23
123RF / Re: US Tax form 1099 from 123RF
« on: March 20, 2019, 09:43 »
I got a hold of Alex and he said they are working on it.  I just hope it happens sooner than later, otherwise I'll be writing a nice note in the line item stating the exact organization I earned this income from, and let the IRS go after them for not issuing the 1099 on time.  January 30th is really the deadline, not April 15th or 28th, or June for that matter.  We're just trying to be honest and pay our taxes on time.

24
123RF / Re: US Tax form 1099 from 123RF
« on: March 19, 2019, 10:51 »
Still no response from 123RF.  Last year I got it on April 28th, long after I filed... and left it alone.  I don't remember the numbers being exactly the same either.  I really honestly wished I had tried contacting them since the beginning of February when it didn't show up.

Has anyone else figured out a solution to this?  I think you're better off guesstimating it than leaving the 1099-MISC off the taxes.  Even if you just put the income under miscellaneous / gross receipts, it still looks suspicious if you file your taxes and then the IRS sees a 1099 on file that you didn't include with your return.  They will probably just assume the gross receipts amount is in excess of what the 1099-MISC reports. 

All I know is that this is highly irregular and irresponsible.  Even smallers agencies like Featurepics send me their 1099 on time.

25
123RF / Re: Sales
« on: March 15, 2019, 09:01 »
It's sad, but 123rf is earning 1/10th of what it did for me during the years 2012-2014.  I stopped uploading about 3-4 years ago, and I'm seeing dwindling returns across the board, as one would expect.  But I fear there's a lot more to it than ceasing uploads. 

At some point, you have to ask yourself how much your time is worth? Kicking a dead horse or pissing in the wind are two things I can't afford to do.  I still live off of my royalties, and it's been a blessing having them as I transition to and grow a different eCommerce business.  The only agencies it even makes sense to even upload to for myself (should the mood strike me) are Shutterstock and Adobe, with Depositphotos being a distant third. 

I log into this forum so search for stupid crap like "123rf tax forms" to see why they haven't given out the 1099s on time again (shocker)


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