I'm unemployed right now and using affiliate marketing to help supplement my small unemployment check. If I'm only making like $100 per month from AM should I report that on my weekly claims? Is the IRS going to come looking for me when tax time rolls around and they see I've been making money while on UI? Thanks for help.
Affiliate Earnings while on Unemployment?
- Thread starter sethspock
- Start date
sircoldfire
Junior Member
- Jul 2, 2011
- 105
- 27
im nota irs agent but i think its $600 a year or less you can claim as a hobby (and avoid tax?) after that its a business...
..edit: oh and becareful with the unemployment office ... if they catch you and i think the statue of limitations is a LONG damn time... then thier gona treat any biz owner/ money making as a major fraud and go balistic remeber the US (live here?) is in like a bazilion dollars of debt and anything to make a buck they do ... like fine me for tinted windows ( first time 9 years and 190,000miles after i bought the car)
..edit: oh and becareful with the unemployment office ... if they catch you and i think the statue of limitations is a LONG damn time... then thier gona treat any biz owner/ money making as a major fraud and go balistic remeber the US (live here?) is in like a bazilion dollars of debt and anything to make a buck they do ... like fine me for tinted windows ( first time 9 years and 190,000miles after i bought the car)
Last edited:
I strongly recommend you run a little profit and loss statement. If you earn a $100 a month you can subtract any cost for advertising and part of your monthly internet access bill and other expenses from the amount earned. Once you have figured out your net earnings then absolutely you should report it.
The thing about online income that will bite you on the ass at the end of the year is the 1009 report from the company that is sending you the $100. Keep track of your expenses. If you are required to file with the IRS as a business to avoid paying additional income tax you want to deduct as many expenses as possible.
The thing about online income that will bite you on the ass at the end of the year is the 1009 report from the company that is sending you the $100. Keep track of your expenses. If you are required to file with the IRS as a business to avoid paying additional income tax you want to deduct as many expenses as possible.
SeriousBLING
Newbie
- Jul 24, 2011
- 16
- 3
Do not try to evade your taxes. It will come back to bite you in the butt
No need to report $100 a month. I'm sure you're running a loss when you factor in Internet Connection Cost, Depreciation of your computer, printer, whatever. So the answer is no.
Besides, the unemployment office will never figure it out and even if they did, they don't deny your benefits. I've worked with unemployment offices building their systems so I know how they work. Even if you did some major fraud and owed 10k, they take it out of your benefits, like $50 a week.
Think about it, how bad it would look if the big bad government was taking away unemployment of some poor soul who happenned to somehow screw the government out of 10k. Actually unemployment is insurance, so it's not really the govt. money anyway.
Besides, the unemployment office will never figure it out and even if they did, they don't deny your benefits. I've worked with unemployment offices building their systems so I know how they work. Even if you did some major fraud and owed 10k, they take it out of your benefits, like $50 a week.
Think about it, how bad it would look if the big bad government was taking away unemployment of some poor soul who happenned to somehow screw the government out of 10k. Actually unemployment is insurance, so it's not really the govt. money anyway.
WhoYoDaddy
Registered Member
- Oct 27, 2009
- 89
- 19
Unemployment benefits are collected from employee and employer. If you work continuously for xx number of years the government will collect money from you and the company you work for and keeps it for itself without paying you out a dime. At least now if you do lose your job you get to collect unemployment for 2+ years. What you collect is not much (~$1600/month is the max in NY) and I am sure if you supplement your income partially it will be ok but you will get a reduction of your benefits. If you have a part time job I think you can still collect since you are not working full time and earning a full time income.
My advice is to talk to unemployment office about you having some minor PT income coming in while you are looking for a FT job. Without giving them a lot of information ask about proper procedures. With small enough income I dont think you need to do anything. With larger income they might partially cut your benefits.
Unemployment office is not as dumb as you think. This is a true story that I know happened to someone I know personally. The person had 1-2 months of unemployment benefits left and went on vacation to Dominican Republic. The person submitted weekly claim from hotel in DR. Unemployment office tracked the IP address and immediately suspended the payments. They called the person into the office for an investigation. The person is not from DR, doesnt speak Spanish, not of Latin heritage. Passport had to be checked for stamps of going to DR. Unemployment office made it sound as if the person was living in DR while collecting unemployment. Passport indicated that this was the only trip outside of US during unemployment and only for a week. Unemployment office took their time to do their investigation and by the time they were done the benefits already ran out and the person lost a few payments.
I see unemployment benefits is a good way to supplement your AM income, not the other way around
My advice is to talk to unemployment office about you having some minor PT income coming in while you are looking for a FT job. Without giving them a lot of information ask about proper procedures. With small enough income I dont think you need to do anything. With larger income they might partially cut your benefits.
Unemployment office is not as dumb as you think. This is a true story that I know happened to someone I know personally. The person had 1-2 months of unemployment benefits left and went on vacation to Dominican Republic. The person submitted weekly claim from hotel in DR. Unemployment office tracked the IP address and immediately suspended the payments. They called the person into the office for an investigation. The person is not from DR, doesnt speak Spanish, not of Latin heritage. Passport had to be checked for stamps of going to DR. Unemployment office made it sound as if the person was living in DR while collecting unemployment. Passport indicated that this was the only trip outside of US during unemployment and only for a week. Unemployment office took their time to do their investigation and by the time they were done the benefits already ran out and the person lost a few payments.
I see unemployment benefits is a good way to supplement your AM income, not the other way around