Is it illegal to have a home recording studio and let other people pay to record?

photog

The recording side of it is perfectly legal.
What you need to sort out is tax and planning permission.

executioner_bolan

Not exactly illegal to have a studio IF the artistes are being recorded singing their own songs.If however they`re singing other artistes songs .... copyright problems ensue.Contact a lawyer then if in the UK the BPI (the latterday British Phonographic Industry)
http://www.bpi.co.uk
the organisation that regulates the music recording industry.

vicseo

Check with your local housing authority at your courthouse to see how your home is zoned. It's probably zoned as a single-family R-1 establishment and therefore you are not permitted to operate a commercial reording studio for profit. Nonetheless, if you meet noise abatement standards for a home and just need a recording studio for your own personal projects, you should be able to do so without any business license required.

Good luck!

oliver_a2002

Why would it be illegal?
You are running a home based business. Check with your local zoning board to find out limits there may be on such businesses.

Wishful Spirit

I can only think of three ways this could get you in legal trouble

1. You don't report your income to the IRS properly
2. The area you are in is zoned to be residence-only (though most of those laws apply only to a commercial building, not a standard home being used for commercial purposes)
3. You break some kind of local noise law

Go to the library and ask the senior reference librarian to help you look up the laws in the area. That will give you all the info you need.

Alec

Dad may or may not be happy! First, it is absolutely legal! Now for the biggie! Are you paying taxes on this revenue? You can do one of three things, but keep in mind as a licensed CPA, I can give you your options, but NOT suggest one to you. I'll tell you why in a second.

You can file a full blown business return with things like, depreciation, accounts payable and receivable, etc. Further, you'd have to make sure that you are in compliance with local laws, ie.. zoning!

You could add the Revenue to your normal individual tax return as "other income". You will have to pay taxes on the revenue just as if it were wages. You didn't set aside any money for tax, did you?

You could ignore it all together, if you are sure that none of your clients reported what they paid you, as an expense. It's highly unlikely that any of them did show you as an expense on their tax return.

Now the reason I can't recommend one is because the last one is technically a violation of IRS law. I certainly can't recommend an illegal action, therefore, I don't recommend any action.

(make sure people provide sources)

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