The Tough Life of an Outdoor Communicator
More than 40 years ago I was selling advertising at a local radio station to support my family. The station manager knew I liked to hunt and fish. He asked me if I would like to start doing a weekly outdoor show. He even offered to pay me extra. It did not take me long to say yes. Needless to say, that day changed my life.
That eventually grew into a local outdoor television show. Then outdoor stories for magazines, newspapers, and blogs across America. Other outdoor communicators I know have a similar story.
Most outdoor communicators have a registered corporation we use to enjoy and communicate the great outdoors while we get paid for it. We also go fishing and hunting in places we would have never been otherwise.
I can even legally take tax deductions for my work. For instance, I can depreciate the cost of the computer I use to write articles, blogs, podcasts, and research, as a business expense if it is used solely for that purpose. I better be able to prove that though.
I can also claim a business expense for fishing rods, lures, boats, trucks, and other things I use. The same goes for hunting, camping, hiking, and other stuff I communicate about and as long as it is used to gather information to write articles, blogs, books, radio shows, podcasts, or anything else I get paid to do.
The cost of meals, mileage, and lodging on any trip is also deductible if a paid article or show comes from that trip. I can even deduct the cost of fox urine, stink baits, and other weird stuff. However, I must emphasize it again only as long as it is used to gather information for paid articles or shows for my business.
Of course, I have to keep extensive records for proof of these expenses. Keep them separate from personal expenses that are not deductible, and follow all tax laws set forth by our elected politicians. So, it is a lot of extra work, but worth it.
Again, I am following the tax laws created by the Internal Revenue Service. If I do not do that, I might get a dreaded knock on the door from an IRS agent who is not smiling about a deduction I took on doe pee or crappie nibbles. Did I mention that having a good lawyer might come in handy too?
It is not as easy as it might sound. Sometimes, it would be nice to not worry about running a business and go fishing. No receipts, no pressure. Just relax and have fun.
You might want to think about all that work and effort you need to do if you are considering taking up the tough life of an outdoor communicator.
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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“I’ve gone fishing thousands of times and I never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water.” William Tapply ~ Outdoor Writer
