SmugMug will email you every time you make a sale. You can check your sales report in real time and see every detail of every pro sale you've made.
You can find your sales history in the Selling Tools tab of the global navigation bar.
Show me the money!
New to SmugMug? You can set up pricing for your products right away, but you'll need to subscribe to a Portfolio or Pro plan before you can sell them. The IRS requires tax reporting based on sales, not profit. This affects what information you need to provide.
Pro and Portfolio Plans: If you have the shopping cart enabled:
W-9 form: Always required, (even at zero profit) because sales at these plan levels are legally considered yours.
Once you've subscribed and filled out the required tax and payment information, we can process payments for your profits.
1. Fill out our online Tax Information form. Find it in your SmugMug Site Settings > Business > Taxes & Payments. Click the Provide Tax Information button next to "Tax Information".
Note: For international payments, use the radio-button menu under Do you file taxes in the United States? to select No and then click the Next button. Answer the following questions that appear.
2. Fill out our online Payment Information form. Find it in your SmugMug Site Settings > Business > Taxes & Payments > Payments. Click the Update Payment Information button under the "Payment Information" subheading.
Important: Type your information directly into the forms rather than copying and pasting. Pasted content can prevent the "Next" button from activating, which blocks you from proceeding. Typing ensures the form progresses smoothly so you can complete your task without interruption.: DO NOT copy and paste your information into the forms or the next button will not activate to allow you to proceed with the form.
3. Click "Manage Payment Schedule" and choose when you want to get paid.
You can also find it in your Site Settings > Business > Taxes & Payments > Schedule Payment.
You'll automatically receive your payment the following month if you have at least US$500 in unpaid profits at the end of the month.
You also have two other options:
(1) Request to receive a one-time payment the following month if you have at least US$5 in unpaid profits, or US$10 in unpaid profits for international pros (you'll need to actively request this each month). (2) Set your unpaid profits to be held until you remove the hold and request payment.
How much do I keep?
Your profit is calculated as 85% of the difference between the price you set and SmugMug's default print prices. Your profit from download sales is 85% of the price you set above the base cost for downloads. The 15% SmugMug retains includes credit card payment fees, customer service, and the costs of administering the program.
Example: You sell a 5x7 for US$10.79 and the SmugMug default price for it is US$0.79. The markup is US$10.00. You keep US$8.50 as profit (85% of US$10).
Digital downloads have a base cost of US$0.49 for single files and US$1.99 for a gallery download to cover processing and delivery.
Read more about selling digital downloads.
- All pro profit is paid via secure, fast, and green electronic means. Exactly how will depend on where you're located.
- U.S. Pros: ACH direct deposit to your bank account in U.S. Dollars.
- International Pros: PayPal funds transfer in your choice of currency: Australian dollar (AUD$), Canadian dollar (CAD$), Euro (EUR €), Hong Kong dollar (HK$), Japanese yen (JPY ¥), Mexican Peso (MXN$), Pound Sterling (GBP £), Swedish krona (SEK kr), Swiss franc (CHF), or U.S. Dollars (US$).
- You may select various currencies (or combinations) for your photo sales and profit payments, but accounting within SmugMug remains in USD or GBP. At the time of payment, your profit will be converted from USD or GBP to your specified currency at 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 be rejected.
- 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 7th of the month, USA Pacific Standard Time. Your payment will include all profits through the end of the previous month.
- If your Tax and Payment forms have been submitted and you have accumulated over US$500 in profits by the last day of the month, you'll automatically receive payment next month.
- If you've filled out your online tax and payment form but don't have over US$500 in profits at the end of the month, you may request payment through our online form here. You must have at least US$5 of profits first (US$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 to guarantee payment in next month's processing. If your request is not received before the first, your payment may not be processed until the following month.
- Example: January 31st is the last day to request payment in the February 8th distribution. Requests received on or after February 1st may not be processed until March 8th.
Note: For accounting purposes, we cannot apply pro profits toward renewal costs.
Reporting earnings.
As per IRS requirements, by January 31st we issue a 1099-K to all U.S. pro photographers whose SmugMug gross sales* total US $20,000 in 200 or more transactions in 2025. The following states also require 1099-K forms at the sales thresholds below:
- Arkansas: US$2,500
- District of Columbia: US$600
- Illinois: US$1,000
- Maryland: US$600
- Massachusetts: US$600
- Mississippi: US$600
- Missouri: US$1,200
- New Jersey: US$1,000
- Vermont: US$600
- Virginia: US$600
Important: The 1099-K is used to report certain payment transactions but doesn't necessarily represent your reportable income. Even if SmugMug 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 determine your profits from the previous year through the your Sales History, where you can download a spreadsheet containing all your sales information. You can also find a list of all profit payments you have received in your Site Settings > Business > Payment History.
You can download your current or recent 1099 from your Site Settings > Business > Taxes & Payments > Electronic 1099 Access. The form is secure, so you'll need your Taxpayer Identification Number to unlock and read it. This is your SSN or EIN, whichever you gave us on your Tax & Payment form. Enter the numbers only, no dashes. Example: 123456789.
* Gross sales are your total sales processed through SmugMug in a given year, excluding any returns, refunds, or adjustments. This amount can be calculated from the data in your “Sales History Detail” .csv report when filtered to "Last year." Gross Sales = “Quantity” (Column C) x “Price Charged” (Column F) for all sales that year.
FAQs
Why didn't I get paid?
Please check your Site Settings and look under the Business > Taxes & Payments tab. If you haven't submitted tax and payment info, do that now. Check to be sure that you've also requested payments from the Payment Schedule area.
I haven't paid for my account yet (I'm still in trial), but I do see sales in my report. Can I get a profit payment?
You must subscribe to a paid seller account before we can issue a profit payment.
Is there a minimum before I can get a profit payment?
If you have at least US$5 ready for payment (or US$10 if you're international), we can honor a request for payment. Exceptions are made for closed or downgraded accounts.
What are the fees for profit payment?
SmugMug covers the fees associated with both domestic ACH and international PayPal electronic delivery. Because SmugMug is based in the USA, there's an extra fee for currency exchange to and from US dollars. PayPal collects this fee in the form of a slightly lower exchange rates on both transactions.
What information about my customer do you report?
You'll see your customer's email address as well as the name, phone number, and address (both billing and shipping). You won't see any credit card information. If the order was placed at cost, you'll see less information to protect the customer's privacy.
Can you help me understand the sales history spreadsheets?
The downloadable CSV contains tons of useful info to help you understand and manage your sales. Find it in the Selling Tools tab under Sales History. This detailed page will help explain the data included in that spreadsheet.
I'm a U.S. citizen living abroad. What about me?
First, read this IRS page. Then, email us so we can make some special changes to your account. This will let us pay you through PayPal if you don't want to use a US bank for your profits.
I live outside the USA and have a VAT or GST Registration number. Where do I enter that?
Log in to your Site Settings and go to Business > Taxes & Payments. You'll see a VAT or GST Registration field where you can enter it in. Learn more about VAT or GST and SmugMug here.