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Thread: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

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    Member redirie's Avatar
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    Default Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    I am a senior in college and I will be graduating this semester. I just got hired at a club and am planning to dance on the weekends only, and only until May. I have a friend who worked at the same club and she apparently never got any 1099s and never paid taxes because she had a vanilla job on the side which she used to put money in the bank and only used her stripper money to buy small things in cash.

    However, I won't be able to do this because (a) I don't like the risks of not paying taxes and (b) even if I wanted to, I am planning to use the money to pay off a credit card debt and putting the rest in a savings account so it will be obvious that there is money coming in. The only thing I am worried about is the fact that if I file a 1099 in the future, if I wanted to get some high-ranking government job or something (I am not sure what I want to do with my degree yet but I'd rather not rule anything out, and law has been of interest to me for a while) then this might come up.

    I am currently in the process of weighing the benefits versus the risks of only dancing for a little while (I am not anticipating making very much money either, but it would be better than what I was making waitressing). While I feel that it is a good decision considering my short-term financial future as I intend to put the money towards savings, opening a retirement fund, etc., I don't want it to have negative effects in the long-term future in other aspects of my life.

    I will be starting work tomorrow so I think I have a couple of days or so before I break the $400 independent contractor threshold upon which point I will need to start paying taxes. Does any one have any advice?

    edit:: Also, hypothetically speaking, since I'm just curious - I'm aware that the IRS receives automatic reports of deposits, etc. So what would happen in a situation where I am genuinely just being given cash by a "gentleman friend", am being paid back in cash for a loan to my roommate, it's my husband's money, etc.?
    Last edited by redirie; 02-13-2013 at 11:45 AM.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    This is exactly my situation too, however I began dancing in November. I did not receive any 1099s from the clubs I worked at.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    ^^^ all I can say is that, for any girl considering a 'straight world' career that involves a professional license, or a security clearance gov't job, or work involving the "public trust" ( i.e. teaching, banking, law enforcement, health care ), having a 'paper trail' of prior work in the adult entertainment industry may create 'risk factors' for future 'straight world' employers when choosing your job application versus someone else's.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    You don't file a 1099; it's issued to you by the club - not all clubs issue them either, as sounds to be the case with where you are hired. That means you will be responsible for tracking your earnings and filing your taxes. You do not have to stipulate on your taxes that you are a stripper specifically, so if your club doesn't issue 1099s, there will be no paper trail provided you aren't caught up in a bust.

    The IRS doesn't track every single deposit ever made; they only really examine the ones that are flagged as "suspicious." A one-time repayment of a loan? Not suspicious. Money your husband is claiming? Not suspicious. Cash from a sugar daddy? If it's high amounts and often, possibly suspicious. Therein lies a gray area where you can be taxed if the IRS considers those "gifts" as income.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    I don't think you'll have an issue. But if it's something that is going to weigh in a dark back corner of your mind for all of eternity, don't put yourself through it.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    none of my 1099s have been issued from the club itself, its always from some legit sounding corporation that the club is run under. aka instead of "penthouse" ive gotten stuff like "ph restaurant" "general management" "abc corp." then when I take them to an accountant I file as a consultant because they dont list you as a stripper. if you wanna run for public office someone will definitely find out but otherwise you should be fine. if you try to get a cia level gov job then theyll know too but thats not an automatic dismissal.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    To amplify on the above comments ...

    The single biggest risk factor for any exotic dancer to rack up a black mark on her record which can serve as a significant obstacle to future 'straight world' employment does NOT stem from the IRS or a'paper trail' of earnings and spending. It stems from the possibility of being swept up in a club bust. Bogus or not, being busted for a 'sexually related misdemeanor' can and will follow you for years plus be immediately 'visible' to any potential future employer. And bogus or not, in a 'real world' situation, unless the busted dancer is in a position to pony up many thousands of dollars in legal fees to 'prove her innocence', she is likely to be forced into accepting a plea bargain ( = official admission of guilt in exchange for zero jail time plus a medium sized fine ) ... which to potential future employers pretty much appears as if the girl was indeed convicted of prostitution / lewd conduct etc.

    On the financial side, the single biggest risk factor is simply spending more money than your tax returns' reported income levels can explain. This can take the form of a state motor vehicle agency reporting to the IRS the title for a newly sold car to person with SS# 123 - a car valued at $40k purchased with $10k down plus a $500 monthly payment - when the same person with SS# 123 only reported having $20k of income on their tax return. Similar situation when a college bursar's office reports $20k in tuition payments, FAFSA reports $2k in grants plus zero in loans, but the person only reported $20k of income on their tax return. Increasingly, automatic reporting of spending to the IRS by 3rd parties being compared to reported income levels can and will wave 'red flags' at the IRS. And once those 'red flags' are waived, within 5 minutes IRS inquiries can turn up rent and/or utility payment records, credit card spending records, bank deposit and withdrawl records, payments into investment or retirement accounts etc. If this leads to an audit, the IRS will definitely dig deeper into the specific sources of income ... including the fact that some income sources may be in the 'adult entertainment' industry.
    Last edited by Melonie; 02-14-2013 at 04:26 AM.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    Quote Originally Posted by shanna dior View Post
    You don't file a 1099; it's issued to you by the club - not all clubs issue them either, as sounds to be the case with where you are hired.
    This. Many clubs don't issue 1099s to dancers because you pay them to work, not the other way around. From their theoretical perspectives, they have provided you with nothing other than a venue in which to sell your services to customers.

    Truth be told, there is little worry about creating a paper trail unless you list the club on a credit application or on some other document as an employer (utility companies, rental application, etc.), which I would advise against ever doing. You can create a generic sounding "entertainment services" description for your tax return. In fact, since you are not an employee of the club, you may have options in terms of deducting certain work related expenses as well (though seek advice from a tax pro).

    Having said all of that, you cannot control what pictures or other evidence is ultimately floating around out there or who ultimately knows, such as friends and family Now most corporate entities don't do too much background digging outside of a criminal background check and a credit report, neither of which would disclose your club past unless you got in trouble at some point or made the mistake of listing the club somewhere as an employer. Where it would more likely come up, as Melonie mentioned, is if you ever wanted to work a government job, many of which require more detailed background probes.

    Anyway, just my and good luck!

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    ^^^ while 1099's being 'optional' was true in the past, be aware that 2013 ObamaCare Law provisions now require that 1099s be issued by ALL US businesses that pay out more than $600 to a single person / business over the course of the year. Thus while working for club ABC might not have resulted in a 1099 just being issued for 2012 earnings, club ABC may already be keeping 2013 earnings records in order to issue the required 1099 next February.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    So what would count as a payout by the club to me?

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    Credit card transactions, funny money, etc. Any instance where the club acts as a "middle man" to get the money from the customer to you.

    Honestly, your best bet is to simply ask the club if they issue 1099s.

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    Default Re: Is dancing right for me? I'm really starting to worry about future repercussions

    ^^^ also shared percentage payouts for VIP's, for private dances etc where the club collects the customer's money and in turn pays out some percentage to the dancer who 'sold' the VIP or private dance.

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