Doing Taxes as a Camgirl – What You Need to Know

camgirl accountant taxes

 

Tax season is upon us, so camming tax advice is due! What sort of write offs can you have as a cam model? Do you need to file your taxes? Do you need an accountant or can you do it yourself?

I’ll answer these questions here, but keep in mind that I am not a licensed professional and don’t know your particular situation. For any specific advice, I would always suggest asking an accountant.

First off, YES, you need to file taxes for any income you receive the previous year (if it’s over $400 if you’re in the US). Working for a camsite, you are classified as an independent contractor, and they will mail you a 1099 form listing your income. If you are not american, you’ll have to report your income earned yourself without the form.

What happens if I just don’t file taxes?

Well, somewhere down the line IRS will be contacting you asking why you haven’t been making payments and making sure that you do, in which case you will be paying late penalties. Another way to get on IRS’s bad side is overstating your expenses/write offs. If you have way too many or too many inappropriate expenses, it might raise some red flags resulting in an audit.

However, if you record your earnings and don’t go totally crazy with deductions, you will be fine.

I’ve never done taxes before! Should I hire an accountant?!

Possibly, but in a lot of cases an accountant is not needed. I understand that filing taxes for the first time or doing it for the first time as a self-employed person is scary, but tax software is really easy to work with and is created in a way that guides you through it step by step and corrects any potential mistakes. I recommend the TurboTax Home & Business version, which you can get as a PC/Mac download or as a disc.


If you want the peace of mind, I do recommend having an accountant assist you with taxes to ensure you’re covering all your bases and that you save as much money as you can when you file your return. Jeff Lang is a certified public accountant (CPA), specializing in tax preparation for those in the adult industry, so you don’t have to worry about going to an H&R Block and getting an accountant who may not be comfortable with your job or understand your situation. Jeff can also assist with quarterly estimates and business incorporation (S-Corp or LLC), and make the whole experience quick and easy.

If you mention the promo code, CAMTAX10, you will get $10 off your tax preparation fee!

Click here to get in touch with Jeff!

camming accountant

 

Write Offs for Camming

The beauty of being self-employed is that you can write off a lot of your expenses, but only those that you used directly for camming. That’s why deducting things like lingerie or makeup is a bit of a grey area and different people will tell you different things. To be on the safe side, I would not include expenses like makeup, clothes, lingerie, salon visits, tanning, plastic surgery, or toys UNLESS you can prove that you only used them for camming.

Also, remember to save all your receipts! You will have to show them if you’re ever audited.

So, here are the things you can write off:

    • Part of your rent (You will have to report what percentage of your house is used for “business” and any expenses associated with it will count as deductions)
    • Percentage of your utilities: heat, water, electricity, internet, phone
    • Equipment, such as webcams, lights, camera (that you use specifically for camming), laptop (again, strictly for camming)
    • Other supplies and camroom decorations
    • Travel expenses  (to go to conventions or photoshoots, including gas, flights, hotel room charges, food)
    • Mailing supplies and expenses, if you ever ship any items to customers
    • Other business expenses, like advertising, web design or hosting fees if you have your own website

 

Remember to save about 20-30% of your paycheck throughout the year to not be hit with a huge tax bill and not having money to pay it. Keeping track of all your expenses throughout the year is also a good idea, so that you’re not scrambling to find things at the last minute.

One more thing, if your tax bill is over $1,000 this year (if you’re in the US), you will be required to pay quarterly estimated taxes the following year, so be aware of that. Check out my post on quarterly estimated tax payments here.

Any questions? Let me know! Good luck!

3 Best Laptops for Camming – Top Laptops Reviewed

best laptop for camming advice

Having a quality laptop is one of the best tools a camgirl can have. It’s better to invest from the start (or to upgrade a slow and lagging laptop) than having to deal with a constantly breaking or inefficient one. Remember, time is money, and if you have to take your laptop in for repairs, that is wasted time that you’ll never get back.

What should you look for in a laptop you’ll use for camming?

 

  • RAM: 8 GB and above. Stands for random-access memory and it’s what will keep your laptop running smoothly when you have lots of tabs open, music streaming, and cam broadcasting at the same time.
  • Hard Drive: 1TB or more. That’s where all your files are stored. A large enough hard drive lets you save thousands of HD photos, videos you make, songs and movies on your laptop. For reference, a 500GB hard drive (half of 1 TB) lets you hold up to 140,000 pictures, 130,000 songs, or 400 movies. So, if you’re planning on storing a lot of cam-related pics and videos (and they tend to be quite big in size!), go for a 1TB hard drive.
  • Size and Weight. This is up to you, but a laptop with a display size of 13″ to 15″ is more portable and easier to move around the house when you cam from different location and also take with you when you travel. Weight is a similar issue, anything under 5 lbs will be more portable.
  • Processor: Intel Core i7  is the way to go. If you ever feel like your current laptop is “too slow”, then you need to upgrade to Intel Core i7 processor.

 

You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned built-in webcams, and that is because you cannot rely on your laptop’s webcam for camming. The quality will NEVER be as good as an external webcam, such as a Logitech C920, which is, in my opinion, the best webcam for cam models.

So, with all these things in mind, here are my Top 3 laptop picks that look good, are portable AND powerful. Click on the links to check them out on Amazon!

ASUS X555DA-AS11 15 inch Full-HD AMD Quad Core Laptop with Windows 10, Black & Silver

best laptop for camming advicebest laptop for camming advice

  • AMD Quad Core A10-7400P 2.5GHz (Turbo up to 3.4GHz) processor
  • 8GB RAM/ 1TB 5400RPM with DL DVD±RW/CD-RW. Windows 10 operation system
  • 15.6 inches LED backlit display, 1366 by 768 resolution, matte finished
  • Feature 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI and VGA ports
  • 1 year International Warranty with 1 year Accidental Damage Protection
  • Ergonomically designed keyboard with IceCool technology keeps the palm rest at a comfort temperature

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-76YK 15.6-inch Full HD Notebook(Intel Core i7, NVIDIA 940MX,8 GB ,256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition),Black

best-camming-laptopbest-camming-computer

  • 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6500U Processor (Up to 3.1GHz)
  • 15.6-inch Full HD Display, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX with 2GB DDR5 VRAM
  • 8GB DDR4 Memory, 256GB SSD; Memory Speed – 2133 MHz
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Up to 12-hours Battery Life

LG gram Ultra-Slim Laptop 15Z960 i5 15” (Gold)

 

best cam laptopbest camgirl laptop

  • Weighs under 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds)
  •  15.6-inch Full HD IPS Display
  • Intel Core i5-6200U 2.8 GHz
  • 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
  • 256 GB Solid-State Drive
  • 15.6-Inch Screen

 

So, there you have it, some great choices for a camming laptop. If you ever want to go hardcore and splurge, I would suggest looking for a powerful gaming laptop, because they’re made to handle a lot and will never lag. Alienware, anyone? It’s a beast of a machine. 😉

best laptop for camming advicebest laptop for camming advice

Make sure to also check out my posts on the Best Webcams and the Best Lighting Setup to get completely equipped for cam!

⋆ How Much Money Do Top MFC Models Make? – The Token Glitch That Reveals It All

This month was an eventful one, to say the least. In addition to LocaLoca_ receiving the highest tip ever on MFC (999,999 tokens), last night Myfreecams really dropped the ball with a glitch that revealed the token amounts of ALL the top girls from #1 to #250 and not just for this month, but for all the months starting from 2009! Not only is all this personal data that used to be very private now publicly available, but it brings into question just how secure MFC is with other information.

Here is a screenshot of the top girls’ earnings as of October 23. Photo deleted per MFC’s request.

mfc token glitch how much money do camgirls make

HERE ARE SOME STATS ON HOW MUCH CAMGIRLS EARN:

Girls who reach #1 on Miss MFC have been making between $100,000-150,000 (yes, dollars) a month, and that number keeps growing as the time goes on.

A Top 20 girl needs to make a minimum of $30,000 that month to hold the spot, and to get into the Top 100, you need to make about $16,000 a month. That is an incredible amount of money to be earning without a degree or many qualifications. So, members, don’t fall into the trap of believing that the Top 100 girls are not making enough when they complain about losing ranks or it being slow on cam!

The only good thing to come out of this glitch is that now everyone knows how much money top camgirls make and there is no need to guess and spread misinformation.

So, go ahead and tip some girls! 😉

What is Camming? Webcam Modeling Explained

what is camming camgirl advice mfc

What is camming and what does it take to be a webcam model? If you’re checking this out, you might have an idea of what it entails and probably want to know more. Read on!

Camming: Explained

 

Camming (or web camming) is signing up on an adult site like Myfreecams or Chaturbate and broadcasting your webcam while usually doing something sexual, like teasing, stripping, full-on masturbating and getting tipped in tokens by those who watch you. However, there is SO much more to it than that! You can even be an absolutely non-nude model, if that’s what you want. There is a vast amount and variety of cam sites out there right now and they all have their own “culture”, rules, and things that differentiate them.

Having been camming on MFC for 2+ years and hearing about other girls’ experiences on other popular camsites like Chaturbate and Streamate, I can tell you that if you’re somewhat hesitant about doing very sexual things, but still want to experience the world of camming (and potentially earn some very good money!), MFC is the way to go. It’s the most chat and hangout-friendly site out there and it is not focused on solely putting on sexual “shows” (eg. “cum shows”, bj shows, girl/girl shows). You can even be a non-sexual model! This works as long as you can figure out some interesting way to engage your viewers, like special games, paint shows, and other unique ways to showcase your personality. An example of a very popular non-nude camgirl is Kickaz on MFC.

 

kickaz mfc camgirl advice

 

Camming is a fairly new way to make money on the internet and it’s quite similar to video game streamers or even youtube personalities, but a bit different in that you generally need to take off your clothes while you broadcast. 😉 The beauty of camming is that you can make it whatever you want it to be, and even start your own personal site, if you’re not happy with what the camsites out there are offering. There are camgirls of all ages, personalities, looks and I believe that if you have the drive and personality, you too can be successful and make it work in the cam world! What drives things is user interaction, so building a group of regular viewers who want to support you is key!

 

Misconceptions about Camming

 

Adult work is a dicey subject and you will always find people who are either morally against it or just don’t understand the reasons why anyone would start camming in the first place.

Here are some misconceptions you might encounter about camming:

 

1) All girls are escorts or, at least, will sleep with you for enough cash – FALSE

Although, I’ll admit that there are girls on camsites that either do already escort outside of the job or would be willing to offer a “sex date” for enough money, the large majority of camgirls has zero interest in it. Save your breath, guys. 😉

 

2) Girls can’t get out of the industry when they want to, are stuck, or are forced into camming – FALSE

You see the comparison to sex slavery when it comes to camming, which is a wholly different thing and has no relation to the camming you do in the comfort of your own home in front of your laptop. Unless you sign up through an agency*, there is NO camsite that will keep you locked into any contract, and you can leave at ANY time and any point that you choose. Successful models who stay in the camming industry do so because they LOVE it.

*Beware of this, girls! Sign up independently instead of an agency. Agencies take a large percentage of your earnings for themselves and don’t offer you much benefit in return.

 

3) It’s degrading and there’s no way you can feel good about yourself doing this job – FALSE

You can feel all sorts of great feelings about the job that you’re doing, the “service” you provide (whether it be sensual, sexual, or just social), and the difference you’re making in your own life and often the lives of your viewers. It’s like being a part-time friend, entertainer, and (sometimes) a psychologist in one! As long as you are open-minded about sex, and you don’t have negative feelings going in, there is no reason you should feel bad about camming. Working a minimum wage job where you get no respect is a much more degrading way to earn a living.

 

4) This will ruin your future and will leave you without a potential way out or a long-term career – ON THE FENCE

Depending on your age and what your plans for the future are, camming might make it more difficult for you to get a job either because of the blank in your resume due to camming, or because there are jobs that will frown upon any type of sex work, such as working with children, or working for the government. It’s up to you to decide if camming will be your full-time career (yes, it’s possible!), a temporary job that will finance other projects, or something that lets you travel or pay off loans before you go back into the working world.

 

camgirl advice mfc

 

Having addressed the misconceptions, here are just some of the reasons why you might want to start camming:

  • Freedom to do what you want whenever you want – 100% control of your time!
  • Being your own boss – it’s pretty great
  • Developing personal and socials skills, like speaking, relating to people better, organizing yourself
  • Learning about and enjoying your sexuality
  • Feeling empowered – you are in control. If you don’t like a client, just exit out, ban, etc. That’s not something you can do in the “real world”.
  • Being able to make A LOT of money at a young age and be totally financially independent.

Create an account on Chaturbate now or click to check out the current girls online! 

3 Best Webcams for Camming – Top Webcams Reviewed

best webcam for cammingbest webcam for camming
 
One of the most important tools a camgirl can have is a quality webcam. There are other things to think about when diving into the world of camming, but presenting the best image of *you* is of UTMOST importance! You won’t last long if your viewers can barely make out your face, because you’re using a cheap webcam, or worse yet, your built-in laptop webcam. Girls, don’t make this mistake!

If you’re thinking about what best webcam to get for camming, read on – I will be sharing my TOP 3 webcams for camming for 3 different budgets and skill levels. They have all been tested (personally!) and they are the most popular webcams you will see successful cam models using.


#1: *FOR BEGINNERS*

LOGITECH HD WEBCAM C270
Logitech webcam C270

best webcams camming

If you’re just starting out and and don’t want to spend too much money on a webcam yet, Logitech C270 is the one to try! It’s a HUGE step above the built-in webcam quality and I find it gives a good enough video quality for streaming on camsites. You’ll appear clear and the colors will be more true-to-life.  It’s also really small, light and easy to carry with you – A perfect starter webcam.

A few points:

  • Fluid HD 720p video recording and video calling in 16:9 widescreen
  • Crisp 3 MP photos
  • Auto light correction and built-in noise-cancelling mic make video calls look and sound great

#2: *BEST OF THE BEST*

LOGITECH HD PRO WEBCAM 920

Logitech 920 webcam

best webcams camming

Logitech 920 is truly the BEST webcam a camgirl can have. The quality of video and audio streaming is second to none, and for a price that won’t really break your budget (under $100!). It is a FULL HD 1080p video webcam, meaning that you will appear most true-to-life and ULTRA sharp! If your viewers ever complain about your video quality, try this webcam. You’ll thank me later! This is the webcam I use and the webcam that most top/successful girls use, and it’s no coincidence.

A few points:

  • Full HD 1080p video calls on Skype with sharpest video-call picture; HD 720p video calls on favorite IM services like Yahoo! Messenger and Gmail Voice
  • H.264 hardware encoding for faster, smoother HD experiences
  • Carl Zeiss optics with premium 20-step autofocus
  • Snap pro-quality pics; fast upload to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

#3: *ULTIMATE WEBCAM*

LOGITECH C922X PRO STREAM WEBCAM
logitech 922x camming webcam

best webcams camming

There is a new webcam on the market and it’s a beauty. It streams and records in 60 frames per second giving you incredibly clear and sharp video quality!

It is an upgrade from Logitech 920, which has been the gold standard for camgirls for many years. Logitech 922x has some awesome new features and I recommend it for models who are serious about their camming career.

A few points:

  • Specifically designed and optimized for Professional quality video streaming on social gaming and entertainment sites like Twitch and YouTube.
  • Stream and record vibrant, true-to-life HD 1080P video at 30Fps/ 720P at 60FPS
  • Background replacement technology allows you to integrate your live image and any background Scene, right onto your stream
  • Full HD glass lens and premium autofocus deliver razor-sharp, clear video in consistent high Definition while two Built-in mics capture your voice in rich Stereo Audio
  • Record clear videos even in dim or poorly backlit settings with automatic Light Correction

You may have noticed that all of the webcams I recommend are by Logitech. Yes, Logitech is definitely the king among webcams and performs much better against other brands. It is the one webcam brand that you will see most camgirls using.