A list of artist bookkeeping and accounting, resources. The
list contains information and advice on artist bookkeep and
accounting, including recordkeeping, taxes, deductions,
and hobby loss and challenges.

ORGANIZATIONS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Business Volunteers for the Arts,
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Provides artists and arts organizations in Southwestern Pennsylvania
with legal and accounting assistance
www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/bva

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
Provides accounting and legal services to qualified artists and
arts organizations.

www.kcvlaa.org

St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
Provides direct legal and business services to and ongoing educational
programs for artists at every career level and across all arts disciplines.

Serves artists and arts organizations in the greater St. Louis area,
which includes St. Louis City, St. Charles, St. Louis, and Jefferson
counties in Missouri
and Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois.
Also serves Columbia and eastern Missouri.

www.vlaa.org

Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts
Provides Texas artists and arts organizations with legal and accounting
assistance.

www.talarts.org

PUBLICATIONS ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
(As an Amazon Associate, the Artist Help Network  earns from qualifying purchases.)

Annual Tax Mess Organizer for Writers, Artists,
Self-Publishers & Craftspeople: Help for
self-employed individuals who did not keep
itemized income & expense records during the business year

Author: KiKi Canniff.
Written by a retired tax consultant with a talent for making
taxes easy to understand.

Publisher: One More Press
Publication date: Revised 2016

buy

Artist as Bookkeeper
Author: Sue Greenberg
Provides an overview of record keeping and tax matters frequently
encountered by artists. A downloadable free publication.

Publisher: St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accounts for the Arts
Publication Date: Revised 2015
http://vlaa.org/get-smart/publications 
Arts and Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers,
Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class

Author: Elaine Grogan Luttrull
An accessible guide that covers a variety of topics, including budgeting,
cash management, visual charting, taxes, employment, and business
etiquette. Provides examples of common issues within the art world
and anecdotes from author’s own

experiences.
Publisher: Agate B2
Publication date: 2013
buy
 
Creativity Is My Business: A Financial Organizer for
Freelance Artists, Musicians, Photographers, Writers
& Other Talented Individuals

Author: Kiki Canniff.
The IRS classifies creative activities as a hobby, claiming that t
hose who create art do it for fun, and it is not as a business. And,

when a person participates in creative activities part-time,
this is a hard label to dodge, unless you keep proper records.
This book focuses on how to
avoid the hobby classification,
with guidelines on how to keep business-like records,

and help you survive a tax audit.
Publisher: One More Press
Publication Date: 2012
buy
Legal Guide for the Visual Artist
Author/Editor: Tad Crawford
Revised edition. See four chapters on taxes.
Publisher: Allworth Press
Publication Date: 2010
buy
New Tax Guide for Writers, Artists, Performers and
Other Creative People

Author/Editor: Peter Jason Riley
Revised edition. Written with the non-accountant, creative
individual in mind, this guide provides a clear outline of taxes,
responsibilities, income, deductions, I.R.S. audit guidance,
timelines and tax and accounting issues.
Publisher: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company
Publication Date: Revised 2016
buy book
Tax Smarts for Artists: Accounting Secrets, Surprises
& Essentials
Author: Jessie M Parker
Designed to help artists of all disciplines and expands
on the author’s first book for visual artists.. Covers
tax and estate issues that are relevant to artists.
The material is written in plain English, not
account-ese, or legalese. “This book is useful for
both professionals and artists who are currently
hobbyists but are considering making the leap to pro.”
Published: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication date: 2016
buy

WEBSITES

 “Are You Really an Artist? It’s the IRS Who Actually Decides”
 An article by Daniel Grant, New York Observer, November 24, 2016.
 http://observer.com/2016/11/are-you-really-an-artist-its-the-irs-who-actually-decide 

Bookkeeping Tips for Artists”
By Eddy Hood. Ignite Spot Accounting on the website Ignite Spot Accounting
https://www.ignitespot.com/bookkeeping-tips-artists
Home Office Deduction
Description: Provided by the IRS
www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/home-office-deduction

Crafter’s Guide to Creative Business Planning
 An online guide directed at craft artists that includes information on
the implications of taxes at festivals, fairs, and craft shows, and other
tax-related subjects.

 https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/finance/crafters-guide-business-planning

 “Nine Factors That Determine Whether an Activity Is a Hobby”
 Written by Robert Gard. The Tax Advisor
 www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2013/jul/tpp-july2013-story-02.html T

Simple Option for Home Office Deduction
 www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/simplified-option-for-home-office-deduction

 “When is art a business? Hobby losses for artists”
 Penned by Daniel Rowe, AICPA Store. Discusses the hobby loss challenge
as it pertains to artists and the nine factors for determining whether
a profit motive exists.
 www.aicpastore.com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2014/Tax/HobbyLosses.jsp

Categories: Money