Profit Payments

Last Update: Aug 2019 

Image Creators Guild will email you every time you make a sale. You can also check your sales report and see every detail of every pro sale you've made.

Show me the money!

New to Image Creators Guild? You can start selling products immediately. However, before we can pay out accumulated profits, you'll need to pay any outstanding I.C.G. dues and fill out our "Image Creators Guild Pro" Tax & Payment form. 

Note: For international payments, remember to select (I DO NOT file taxes in the US) as your choice to the first dropdown box..

How much do I keep?

Your profit is calculated as 85% of the difference between the Image Creators Guild's default pricing and print/production costs. Your profit from download sales is 85% of the profit, above the base cost for downloads. The 15% Image Creators Guild retains includes credit card payment fees, customer service, and the costs of administering the program.

Example: You sell a 5x7 for $10.79 and the Image Creators Guild default price for it is $0.79. The markup is $10.00. You keep $8.50 as profit (85% of $10).

Digital downloads have a base cost of $0.01 to cover processing and delivery. If your shopping cart has a subtotal of less than $10.00 and contains at least one download file, we'll add a $0.50 processing fee.

A few important facts.

  • All "Image Creators Guild Pro" profit is now paid via secure, fast, and green electronic means. Exactly how will depend on where you're located.
  • U.S. Pros: PayPal in US Dollars or ACH direct deposit to your bank account.
  • International Pros: PayPal funds transfer in your choice of currencies: Australian Dollar (AUD $), Canadian Dollar (CAD $), Euro (EUR €), Mexican Peso (MXN $), Pound Sterling (GBP £), or US Dollars (USD $). All accounting within Image Creators Guild remains in USD. Your funds will be converted to your specified currency when paid out, using PayPal's currency exchange rates. 
  • After submitting your PayPal account information, please watch for a validation email from us. You'll need to click the link inside so our system can pay you. If you don't do this, your info will not be finalized and you will not be able to receive payments. 
  • Note: You must already have a PayPal account set up before you give us your information!
  • Profit payments are processed on the first business day after the 2nd of the month. Your payment will include all profits from the corresponding payment period. EXAMPLE: Sales from the month of September incur a 30 day hold(to allow for reprints and/or returns) and are processed and paid Nov 2nd. Sales from the month of March incur a 30 day hold(to allow for reprints and/or returns) and are processed and paid May 2nd etc...
  • If your Tax and Payment form has been submitted and you have accumulated over $500 in profits by the last day of the month, you'll automatically receive payment for that months sales.
  • If you've filled out your online tax and payment form but don't have over $500 in profits at the end of the month, you may request payment through our online form here. You must have at least $5 of profits first ($10 for international Pros). After that payment, we'll resume the normal monthly schedule.
  • Similarly, choose "Do not pay me" to make sure we don't pay out your profits until you're ready.
  • All forms and requests must be submitted by the end of the month, of the 30 day hold period, corresponding to the prior months sales period to guarantee payment in that month's processing. If your request is not received before the first, your payment may not be processed until the following month.
  • Example: February 28th is the last day to request payment for the March 2nd distribution of January sales. Requests received on or after March 1st may not be processed until April 2nd.

    Reporting earnings:

    As per the IRS requirements, by January 31st we issue a 1099 to all U.S. pro photographers who meet all the following criteria:

    1. You've received profit payments from Image Creators Guild totaling US$600 or more in the previous calendar year. Profits for your 1099 are calculated based on the date the payments to you were processed, not the date your orders were placed.
    2. You are NOT a corporation, LLC-C, or non-profit.

    If you don't qualify to receive a 1099, or if you're unsure if you should expect one, you can determine your profits from the previous year through the checking your Sales History. Just remember that Date Paid is what IRS is concerned with, then sum the profit column for those records paid that year.

    Important: Even if Image Creators Guild doesn't generate a 1099 for you, you may still need to report your earnings to the IRS and other tax authorities. Always consult a tax advisor if you're unsure.

    You can request your current or recent 1099 by email at imagecreatorsguild@gmail.com with a Subject Line: "1099 Request".