Death and taxes: certainties, as Ben Franklin said. And taxes keep getting more complicated. New writers, artists, and craftsmen desire to derive all or part of their income from "expression activities" like writing, performing, or another art or craft. These people have special requirements when it comes to understanding how federal taxes apply to them. At last, this amusing how-to book provides "freelancers of expression" with information necessary to get the most out of unique tax situations, from how to determine if their activity is "for profit", to recordkeeping, to filing, to appealing determinations. Walt, a retired Enrolled Agent, worked for the IRS over 30 years, mostly as an Appeals Officer and manager in Appeals. Now he passes on expert insider advice to the writers and artisans who want to turn their hobbies into careers, or just learn the best strategies for managing their freelancing activities as they express themselves, making their crafts less taxing.
About the Author: Walt Eddy has always been interested in both writing and in money. He was graduated from Weber State College in 1974, having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He majored in German with an emphasis on German literature; his minor was in English, also emphasizing literature. He began his IRS career after continuing his education in Accounting by completing coursework at Northern Illinois University, the University of California Extension, Boise State University, and the University of Utah. Walt Eddy worked for the IRS for thirty-four years as a Tax Auditor, an Appeals Officer, and a manager in the Appeals Division. During that time he received continual professional training in countless tax-related issues, including federal tax mediation. Newly retired, he is now an Enrolled Agent qualified to practice before the IRS and represent taxpayers during the mediation and appellate process. Mr. Eddy was frequently required to write during his IRS service, but has also enjoyed writing in his spare time for many years. He has served as president of his chapter of the League of Utah Writers and also belongs to several other writing and reading groups. He regularly attends writers' conferences and has won several local writing contests for his shorter work. The unusual combination of Walt Eddy's longtime personal experience with the IRS, his professional tax expertise, and his superior writing skills render him uniquely qualified to write a book on taxation aimed specifically at the writer, artist, or craftsman. He regularly speaks in public, as he did during his IRS years, and is a member of the League of Utah Writers Speakers Bureau. Mr. Eddy has already begun to gain an audience for his book and to thoroughly research his topic by conducting workshops on taxation as it relates to artistic endeavors, which are both well attended and well received.